< Nehemiah 4 >
1 Kaimih loh vongtung ka sak te Sanballat loh a yaak vaengah tah anih te sai. Te dongah Judah rhoek te muep a veet tih a tamdaeng.
Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews
2 A manuca rhoek neh Samaria tatthai mikhmuh ah cal tih, “Yaikat la aka saii Judah rhoek baham nim? Amih loh a thoh tang aya? A nawn uh tang aya? Tihnin ah a khah tang aya? A hoeh tangtae laipi hlom lamkah lungto te hing aya?” a ti.
before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?”
3 A taengkah Ammoni Tobiah long khaw, “Amih kah a sak mai te, maetang loh pah koinih a lungto vongtung khaw tim ni,” a ti.
Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!”
4 Hnaephnapnah dongah ka om uh he kaimih kah Pathen loh ya van lamtah amih kah kokhahnah he amih lu dongah mael saeh. Amih te tamna khohmuen ah kutbuem la pae.
Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity.
5 Na im sa rhoek mikhmuh ah a veet dongah amih kathaesainah te hlipdah boel lamtah a tholhnah te na mikhmuh lamloh huih pah boeh.
Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders.
6 Bibi saii ham tah pilnam kah lungbuei om dongah vongtung te ka sak uh tangloeng tih vongtung boeih te a rhakthuem duela a phaai uh coeng.
So we rebuilt the wall until all of it was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
7 Jerusalem vongtung loh sading la a caeh te Sanballat, Tobiah, Arab, Ammoni neh Ashodi rhoek loh a yaak vaengah a mak tangtae te phae hamla a tong uh tih amih taengah muep sai.
When Sanballat and Tobiah, together with the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they were furious,
8 Te dongah amih boeih te Jerusalem paan rhenten tih vathoh thil ham, a taengah rholrhaknah saii hamla a taeng uh.
and all of them conspired to come and fight against Jerusalem and create a hindrance.
9 Tedae ka Pathen taengah ka thangthui uh tih amih mikhmuh ah amih ham khoyin khothaih rhaltawt ka pai sakuh.
So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.
10 Te vaengah Judah loh, “Hnophuei kah thadueng khaw bawt coeng tih laipi la yet coeng. Mamaih loh vongtung sak thil ham tah n'noeng moenih.
Meanwhile, the people of Judah said: “The strength of the laborer fails, and there is so much rubble that we will never be able to rebuild the wall.”
11 Mamih kah rhal rhoek long khaw, 'Amih lakli ah n'kun uh vetih amih n'gawn phoeiah bitat te m'paa sak hil he ming uh pawt vetih hmu uh mahpawh.
And our enemies said, “Before they know or see a thing, we will come into their midst, kill them, and put an end to the work.”
12 Te vaengah amih taengkah khosa Judah rhoek te ha pawk uh tih kaimih te hmuen takuem ah voei rha hil, 'Me lamkah nim kaimih taengla na mael uh,’ a ti uh.
At that time the Jews who lived nearby came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
13 Te dongah a laedil ah khaw, vongtung hael kah hmuen ah khaw, a tlaai ah khaw ka pai. Te vaengah pilnam te a cako ah, a cunghang neh, cai neh, lii neh ka pai sak.
So I stationed men behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows.
14 Ka hmuh vaengah ka pai tih hlangcoelh rhoek taengah khaw, ukkung rhoek taengah khaw, pilnam hlangrhuel taengah khaw, “Amih mikhmuh ah rhih uh boeh, ka Boeipa tah len tih a rhih om te poek uh. Na manuca, na capa rhoek, na canu, na yuu rhoek neh na imkhui ham vathoh uh,” ka ti nah.
After I had made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
15 Pathen loh amih kah cilsuep a phae pah tih kaimih taengah m'ming sak te kaimih kah thunkha rhoek loh a yaak uh. Te daengah kaimih boeih ka mael uh tih hlang loh amah bitat ham vongtung te ka paan uh.
When our enemies heard that we were aware of their scheme and that God had frustrated it, each of us returned to his own work on the wall.
16 Te khohnin lamlong tah kai ca rhoek te rhakthuem loh bitat a saii vaengah a rhakthuem loh cai neh, photling neh, lii neh, caempho neh pumcum uh tih mangpa rhoek khaw Judah imkhui pum kah a hnuk ah paiuh.
And from that day on, half of my servants did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers stationed themselves behind all the people of Judah
17 Vongtung aka sa khaw, hnorhih aka puen tih aka tloeng khaw, a kut pakhat neh bitat a saii tih khat dongah pumcumnah a muk.
who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.
18 Te vaengah vongtung aka sa hlang loh a cunghang te a cinghen ah a vah tih a sak. Ka taengkah rhoek loh tuki te a ueng uh.
And each of the builders worked with his sword strapped at his side. But the trumpeter stayed beside me.
19 Te phoeiah hlangcoelh rhoek taengah khaw, ukkung rhoek taengah khaw, pilnam boeih taengah khaw, “Bitat he vung tih puh. Te dongah mamih loh vongtung he hlang khat a manuca taeng lamloh lakhla la yaal sih.
Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “The work is great and extensive, and we are spread out far from one another along the wall.
20 Tuki ol na yaak nah hmuen ah tah kaimih taengla pahoi tingtun uh. Mamih kah Pathen loh mamih ham a vathoh bitni,” ka ti nah.
Wherever you hear the sound of the horn, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!”
21 Te dongah bitat ka saii uh vaengah a rhakthuem loh mincang a thoeng paek lamloh aisi a thoeng hil cai ka muk thil uh.
So we continued the work, while half of the men held spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.
22 Te vaeng tue ah khaw pilnam hlang neh a ca rhoek te, “Jerusalem khui ah rhaeh uh mai. Te daengah ni mamih ham khoyin kah rhaltawt neh khothaih kah bitat dongah a om uh eh,” ka ti nah.
At that time I also said to the people, “Let every man and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day.”
23 Kai bueng pawt tih ka manuca rhoek khaw, ka ca rhoek neh rhaltawt hlang khaw, ka hnuk kah rhoek khaw, hlang loh ka himbai neh a pumcumnah ka dul tih tui muei ka hmu uh pawh.
So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the guards with me changed out of our clothes; each carried his weapon, even to go for water.