< 尼希米记 4 >
1 参巴拉听见我们修造城墙就发怒,大大恼恨,嗤笑犹大人,
And it came to pass, that when Sanaballat heard that we were building the wall he was angry: and being moved exceedingly he scoffed at the Jews.
2 对他弟兄和撒马利亚的军兵说:“这些软弱的犹大人做什么呢?要保护自己吗?要献祭吗?要一日成功吗?要从土堆里拿出火烧的石头再立墙吗?”
And said before his brethren, and the multitude of the Samaritans: What are the silly Jews doing? Will the Gentiles let them alone? will they sacrifice and make an end in a day? are they able to raise stones out of the heaps of the rubbish, which are burnt?
3 亚扪人多比雅站在旁边,说:“他们所修造的石墙,就是狐狸上去也必跐倒。”
Tobias also the Ammonite who was by him said: Let them build: if a fox go up, he will leap over their stone wall.
4 我们的 神啊,求你垂听,因为我们被藐视。求你使他们的毁谤归于他们的头上,使他们在掳到之地作为掠物。
Hear thou our God, for we are despised: turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them to be despised in a land of captivity.
5 不要遮掩他们的罪孽,不要使他们的罪恶从你面前涂抹,因为他们在修造的人眼前惹动你的怒气。
Cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thy face, because they have mocked thy builders.
6 这样,我们修造城墙,城墙就都连络,高至一半,因为百姓专心做工。
So we built the wall, and joined it all together unto the half thereof: and the heart of the people was excited to work.
7 参巴拉、多比雅、阿拉伯人、亚扪人、亚实突人听见修造耶路撒冷城墙,着手进行堵塞破裂的地方,就甚发怒。
And it came to pass, when Sanaballat, and Tobias, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Azotians heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and the breaches began to be closed, that they were exceedingly angry.
And they all assembled themselves together, to come, and to fight against Jerusalem, and to prepare ambushes.
9 然而,我们祷告我们的 神,又因他们的缘故,就派人看守,昼夜防备。
And we prayed to our God, and set watchmen upon the wall day and night against them.
10 犹大人说:“灰土尚多,扛抬的人力气已经衰败,所以我们不能建造城墙。”
And Juda said: The strength of the bearer of burdens is decayed, and the rubbish is very much, and we shall not be able to build the wall.
11 我们的敌人且说:“趁他们不知不见,我们进入他们中间,杀他们,使工作止住。”
And our enemies said: Let them not know, nor understand, till we come in the midst of them, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.
12 那靠近敌人居住的犹大人十次从各处来见我们,说:“你们必要回到我们那里。”
And it came to pass, that when the Jews that dwelt by them came and told us ten times, out of all the places from whence they came to us,
13 所以我使百姓各按宗族拿刀、拿枪、拿弓站在城墙后边低洼的空处。
I set the people in the place behind the wall round about in order, with their swords, and spears, and bows.
14 我察看了,就起来对贵胄、官长,和其余的人说:“不要怕他们!当记念主是大而可畏的。你们要为弟兄、儿女、妻子、家产争战。”
And I looked and rose up: and I said to the chief men and the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: be not afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, and your wives, and your houses.
15 仇敌听见我们知道他们的心意,见 神也破坏他们的计谋,就不来了。我们都回到城墙那里,各做各的工。
And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that the thing had been told us, that God defeated their counsel. And we returned all of us to the walls, every man to his work.
16 从那日起,我的仆人一半做工,一半拿枪、拿盾牌、拿弓、穿铠甲,官长都站在犹大众人的后边。
And it came to pass from that day forward, that half of their young men did the work, and half were ready for to fight, with spears, and shields, and bows, and coats of mail, and the rulers were behind them in all the house of Juda.
17 修造城墙的,扛抬材料的,都一手做工一手拿兵器。
Of them that built on the wall and that carried burdens, and that laded: with one of his hands he did the work, and with the other he held a sword.
For every one of the builders was girded with a sword about his reins. And they built, and sounded with a trumpet by me.
19 我对贵胄、官长,和其余的人说:“这工程浩大,我们在城墙上相离甚远;
And I said to the nobles, and to the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: The work is great and wide, and we are separated on the wall one far from another:
20 你们听见角声在哪里,就聚集到我们那里去。我们的 神必为我们争战。”
In what place soever you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, run all thither unto us: our God will fight for us.
21 于是,我们做工,一半拿兵器,从天亮直到星宿出现的时候。
And let us do the work: and let one half of us hold our spears from the rising of the morning, till the stars appear.
22 那时,我又对百姓说:“各人和他的仆人当在耶路撒冷住宿,好在夜间保守我们,白昼做工。”
At that time also I said to the people: Let every one with his servant stay in the midst of Jerusalem, and let us take our turns in the night, and by day, to work.
23 这样,我和弟兄仆人,并跟从我的护兵都不脱衣服,出去打水也带兵器。
Now I and my brethren, and my servants, and the watchmen that followed me, did not put off our clothes: only every man stripped himself when he was to be washed.