< Nehemija 4 >

1 Kad je Sanbalat čuo da gradimo zid, razljutio se. Bio je veoma srdit, ismijavao je Židove
But it came to pass that, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, 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?”
And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing 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, Even that which they are building, if a fox go up, he shall 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, O our God; for we are despised: and turn back their reproach upon their own head, and give them up for a spoil 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.
and cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee; for they have provoked [thee] to anger before 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 unto half [the height] thereof: 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 it came to pass that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, [and] that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth;
8 Zakleše se svi zajedno da će napasti Jeruzalem i da će nas smesti.
and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein.
9 Mi smo tada zazvali Boga našega i postavljali smo dnevnu i noćnu stražu da bismo zaštitili grad.
But we made our prayer unto 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!”
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; 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!”
And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them, and slay 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!”
And it came to pass that, when the Jews that dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times from all places, Ye must return unto us.
13 Postavili smo se u nizinama, iza zida i na goletima; rasporedio sam narod po rodovima, s mačevima, kopljima i lukovima.
Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I set [there] the people after their families 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!”
And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and 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.
And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto 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,
And it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants wrought in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and 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.
They that builded the wall and they that bare burdens laded themselves; every one with one of his hands wrought in 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.
and the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that 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:
And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another:
20 skupite se oko nas na mjesto gdje čujete glas trube, a Bog naš borit će se za nas.”
in what place soever ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto 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 wrought in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till 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 said I unto the people, Let every one 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 brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard that followed me, none of us put off our clothes, every one [went with] his weapon [to] the water.

< Nehemija 4 >