< Nehemija 4 >

1 Kad je Sanbalat čuo da gradimo zid, razljutio se. Bio je veoma srdit, ismijavao je Židove
But when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and was very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
2 i vikao je pred svojom braćom i samarijanskom vojskom: “Što poduzimaju ovi jadni Židovi? Kane li možda popraviti, žrtvovati i završiti sve u jedan dan? Zar će iz hrpe praha dozvati u život spaljeno kamenje?”
He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burned?”
3 Tobija, Amonac, koji je bio uz njega, reče: “Neka samo grade! Ali popne li se lisica, srušit će im kamene zidove.”
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, “What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall.”
4 Čuj, o Bože naš, kako nas preziru! Navrni njihove poruge na njihovu glavu. Predaj ih kao plijen u zemlju ropstva.
“Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their reproach on their own head. Give them up for a plunder in a land of captivity.
5 Ne pokrivaj njihova bezakonja i grijeh njihov neka ne bude izbrisan pred licem tvojim jer su se rugali graditeljima.
Do not cover their iniquity. Do not let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders.”
6 Tako smo gradili zid, koji je uskoro bio završen do pola visine. Narod je imao oduševljenja za rad.
So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
7 Kad su Sanbalat, Tobija, Arapi, Amonci i Ašdođani čuli da napreduje popravljanje jeruzalemskih zidova - jer su se počele zatvarati pukotine - veoma se ražestiše.
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, they were very angry;
8 Zakleše se svi zajedno da će napasti Jeruzalem i da će nas smesti.
and they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion among us.
9 Mi smo tada zazvali Boga našega i postavljali smo dnevnu i noćnu stražu da bismo zaštitili grad.
But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night because of them.
10 A Židovi govorahu: “Snage su nosačima klonule, a ruševina je mnogo: nećemo nikada stići sagraditi zida!”
Judah said, “The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading and there is much rubble, so that we are not able to build the wall.”
11 A naši neprijatelji rekoše: “Uvući ćemo se među njih prije nego što doznaju i opaze nas: tada ćemo ih poubijati i tako osujetiti pothvat!”
Our adversaries said, “They will not know or see, until we come in among them and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”
12 A kad bi došli Židovi koji žive kraj njih, po deset bi nas puta upozoravali: “Idu protiv vas iz svih mjesta u kojima stanuju!”
When the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
13 Postavili smo se u nizinama, iza zida i na goletima; rasporedio sam narod po rodovima, s mačevima, kopljima i lukovima.
Therefore I set guards in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places. I set the people by family groups with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 Kad sam vidio kako se boje, ustao sam i objavio velikašima, odličnicima i ostalom narodu ovo: “Ne bojte se ovih ljudi! Mislite na Gospoda, velikoga i strašnoga, i borite se za svoju braću, za sinove i kćeri svoje, za žene i kuće svoje!”
I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, to the rulers, and to 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, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
15 Kad su naši neprijatelji čuli da smo obaviješteni i da je Bog osujetio njihovu osnovu, mogli smo se vratiti k zidu, svaki svome poslu.
When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.
16 Ali je od toga dana samo polovica mojih momaka obavljala posao, a ostali su držali koplja, štitove, lukove i oklope, a glavari stajali iza doma Judina,
From that time forth, half of my servants did the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
17 koji je gradio zid. I nosači tereta držali su oružje: jednom je rukom svaki radio svoj posao, a u drugoj mu bilo oružje.
Those who built the wall, and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands did the work, and with the other held his weapon.
18 Svaki je od graditelja, dok je radio, nosio mač pripasan uz bok. Trubač je stajao kraj mene.
Among the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me.
19 Rekao sam velikašima, odličnicima i ostalom narodu: “Posao je velik i zamašan, a mi se rasuli po zidu, daleko jedni od drugih:
I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.
20 skupite se oko nas na mjesto gdje čujete glas trube, a Bog naš borit će se za nas.”
Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us.”
21 Tako smo obavljali posao od rane zore do prvih zvijezda. Polovica je bila naoružana kopljima.
So we did the work. Half of the people held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.
22 U to sam vrijeme još rekao narodu: “Svaki sa svojim slugom neka noći u Jeruzalemu: po redu ćemo noću stražariti, a danju raditi.”
Likewise at the same time I said to the people, “Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day.”
23 Ni ja, ni moja braća, ni moji momci, ni stražari koji su me pratili nismo skidali svojih haljina, svatko je držao pri ruci svoje oružje.
So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.

< Nehemija 4 >