< 尼希米記 4 >
1 桑巴拉特一聽說我們重修城垣,就大發忿怒,十分生氣,譏諷猶太人,
And it came to pass, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, that it displeased him, and he became very angry, and he mocked at the Jews.
2 向他們的同僚即撒瑪黎雅的軍隊說:「這些可憐的猶太人想作什麼﹖他們想要修築城垣嗎﹖想要獻祭嗎﹖想要在一天內完成嗎﹖想從那堆灰土中,在立起那些燒過的石頭來嗎﹖」
And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? will people suffer them [to build]? will they sacrifice? will they complete it in one day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish, seeing that they have been burnt?
3 阿孟託人托彼雅也在旁說到:「讓他們修罷! 就是上去一隻野狗,也能推翻他們修了石牆。」
And Tobiyah the 'Ammonite was near him, and he said, Even what they are building, if a fox were to run up, he would readily break through their stone wall.
4 我們的天主,請聽! 我們是怎樣受侮辱! 請把這辱罵歸到他們的頭上,使他們在流亡之地受迫害。
Hear, O our God! how we are become a scorn; and bring their reproach back upon their own head, and give them up for prey in the land of captivity.
5 不要遮掩他們的罪行,他們的罪孽也不應從你面前抹去,因為他們實在侮辱了修建的人。
And cover not up their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee; for they have taunted [us] in the presence of the builders.
6 我們仍繼續修建城牆,把整個城牆都聯結起來,高底已到一半,因為民眾都有心火工作。
But we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together up to the half thereof; for the people had a heart to work.
7 當桑巴拉特和托彼雅,以及阿剌伯人、阿孟人和阿市多得人,聽說耶路撒冷城垣正在進行修建中,缺口已開始修補,就大發忿怒,
And it came to pass, when Sanballat and Tobiyah, and the Arabians, and the 'Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were restored, and that the breaches began to be closed up, that it displeased them greatly.
And they conspired all of them together to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to do it an injury.
9 我們一面祈求我們的天主,一面派了衛隊,日夜防守。
But we prayed unto our God, and set a watch over them day and night, because of the others.
10 有一個猶太人說︰「運夫的力量已耗盡,積土又太多,我們不能再修建城牆了! 」
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of the burden is failing, and there is much rubbish; and we are not able to build on the wall.
11 我們的仇敵已議決說:「不讓他們知道,不讓他們看出,我們直衝入他們中間,將他們殺掉,停止那工程。」
And our adversaries said, “They shall not know, nor see until we come in the midst of them, and slay them, and so stop the work.”
12 那時,有些靠近他們居住的猶太人,十次前來通知我們說︰「他們由所住的各方上來,攻打我們,
And it came to pass, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they said unto us ten times, “From all places whence ye may return home [they intend to come] over us.”
13 已在城牆下低處的田野中安了營。」我就按照家族分派了人,帶上刀槍和弓。
I placed therefore on the lower parts of the place on the naked rocks behind the wall—there I placed the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 我巡視之後,就起來對權貴、長官和其餘的人民說︰「對他們,你們不可畏縮! 要記住吾主是偉大而可畏的:應為你們的兄弟、兒女、妻子、家庭而作戰。」
And I looked [about], and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not afraid of them: think on the Lord, the great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
15 我們的敵人一聽說我們得了情報,同時天主也破壞了他們的陰謀,他們遂都撤退;我們也都回到城牆那裏,各返自己的工作崗位。
And it came to pass, that, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, God frustrated their counsel: and we returned, all of us, to the wall, every one unto his work.
16 從那天起,我的僕人一半做工,一半佩帶著刀、矛盾、弓和鎧甲,立在全猶大家後邊,
And it came to pass from that day forth, that the half of my young men wrought at the work, while the other half of them were holding the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the princes stood behind all the house of Judah.
17 即在城牆作工的人後邊。那些搬運的人,也都武裝起來︰一手作工,一手拿著武器;
Those that built on the wall, and those that bore burdens, with those that loaded, —every one with one of his hands wrought on the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
18 修牆的工人,每人腰間都配著刀工作。吹號筒的站在我身旁。
And the builders had every one his sword fastened around his loins while they were building; and he that blew the cornet stood alongside of me.
19 我向權貴、長官和其餘的人民說︰「這工程範圍很大,我們在城牆上彼此分離甚遠,
And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and extensive, and we are separated upon the wall, distant one from another.
20 所以你們無論在什麼地方,一聽到號聲,就立時聚集在我們身旁;我們的天主必為我們戰爭。」
In what place [then] ye hear the sound of the cornet, thither must ye assemble unto us: our God will fight for us.
21 我們便這樣繼續工作,由旭日初昇,直到星辰出現。
So we labored at the work, while the half of them were holding the spears from the rising of the morning-dawn till the stars appeared.
22 同時我又吩咐民眾說:「每人和他的僕人,應在耶路撒冷過夜。如此在夜間可為我們守衛,白天可以工作。」
Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his young man lodge within Jerusalem, so that they may be in the night a guard to us, and during the day for the labor.
23 至於我和我的兄弟,以及我的僕人和跟隨我、護衛我的人,沒有一人脫過衣服,各人手中常拿著武器。
And neither I, nor my brothers, nor my young men, nor the men of the guard who followed me—none of us took off our clothes, no one leaving them off even for washing himself.