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 we were building the wall, it burned within him, and he was furiously angry, and he mocked 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.
In the presence of his brothers and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore the city for themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish the work in a day? Will they bring to life the stones from the piles of rubble after they were burned?
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.
Tobiah the Ammonite was with him, and he said, “If only a fox went up on what they are building, it would break down their stone wall!”
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, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunts on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are prisoners.
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 over their iniquity and do not erase their sin from before you, for they have provoked the builders to anger.
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 built the wall and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a desire 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.
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the work of repairing the walls of Jerusalem was going forward, and that the broken places in the wall were being closed up, a great anger burned within them.
8 Te dongah amih boeih te Jerusalem paan rhenten tih vathoh thil ham, a taengah rholrhaknah saii hamla a taeng uh.
They all conspired together, and they came to fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.
9 Tedae ka Pathen taengah ka thangthui uh tih amih mikhmuh ah amih ham khoyin khothaih rhaltawt ka pai sakuh.
But we prayed to our God and set a guard as protection against them day and night because of their threat.
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.
Then the people of Judah said, “The strength of those who carry the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble, and we are not 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.
Our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them and kill them, and stop 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 near them came from all directions and spoke to us ten times, warning us about the schemes they were making against 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 positioned people in the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I positioned each family 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.
Then I looked, and stood up, and I said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Call to mind the Lord, who is great and awesome. Fight for your families, 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.
It came about when our enemies heard that their plans were known to us, and God had frustrated their plans, all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work.
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.
So from that time half of my servants worked only on rebuilding the wall, and half of them held spears, shields, bows, and wore armor, while the leaders stood 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.
The same workers who were building the wall and carrying loads were also guarding their positions. Everyone worked with one hand, and with the other hand he held his weapon.
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.
Every builder wore his sword on his side and that is how he worked. The one who sounded the trumpet 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.
I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.
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.
You must rush to the place where you hear the trumpet sound and assemble 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 were doing the work. Half of them were holding spears from the rising of the dawn until the coming out of the stars.
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.
I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant spend the night in the middle of Jerusalem, so they may be for us a guard during the night and a worker in the 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 men of the guard who followed me, none of us changed our clothes, and each of us carried his weapon, even if he went for water.
