< Nehemias 4 >
1 Og det skete, der Sanballat hørte, at vi byggede Muren, da optændtes hans Vrede, og han blev meget fortørnet, og han bespottede Jøderne.
Now it happened that, when Sanballat had heard that we were building the wall, he was very angry. And having been moved exceedingly, he ridiculed the Jews.
2 Og han sagde i Paahør af sine Brødre og af Hæren i Samaria, han sagde: Hvad gøre de afmægtige Jøder? skulde man lade dem være? skulde de ofre? skulde de fuldende det paa denne Dag? skulde de lade Stenene leve op af Grusdyngerne, da de ere forbrændte?
And he said, before his brothers and a crowd of the Samaritans: “What are the foolish Jews doing? Can it be that the Gentiles will allow them? Will they sacrifice and finish in one day? Do they have the ability to make stones out of piles of dust that have been burned up?”
3 Og Ammoniten Tobia var Jios ham, og han sagde: Om de end bygge, vil dog en Ræv, om den sprang op, nedrive deres Stenmur.
Then too, Tobiah, an Ammonite, his assistant, said: “Let them build. When the fox climbs, he will leap over their stone wall.”
4 Hør, vor Gud! at vi ere foragtede, og lad deres Forsmædelse vende tilbage paa deres Hoved, og giv dem hen til Bytte i Fangenskabs Land;
Listen, O our God, for we have become an object of contempt. Turn their reproach upon their own head, and grant that they may be despised in a land of captivity.
5 og skjul ikke deres Misgerning, og lad deres Synd ikke udslettes fra dit Ansigt; thi de have opirret dig lige over for dem, som byggede.
May you not conceal their iniquity, and may their sin not be wiped away, before your face, for they have ridiculed those who are building.
6 Men vi byggede Muren, saa at den ganske Mur blev sammenføjet indtil dens halvs Højde; thi Folket havde Hjerte til at gøre det.
And so we built the wall, and we joined it together, even to the unfinished portion. And the heart of the people was stirred up for the work.
7 Og det skete, der Sanballat og Tobia og Araberne og Ammoniterne og Asdoditerne hørte, at Udbedringen havde taget til paa Murene i Jerusalem, og at Revnerne begyndte at lukkes til, da optændtes deres Vrede saare.
Now it happened that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabs, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites had heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been closed, and that the breaches had begun to be repaired, they were exceedingly angry.
8 Og de gjorde alle et Forbund med hverandre om at komme at stride imod Jerusalem og at gøre en Forstyrrelse deri.
And they all gathered together, so that they might go forth and fight against Jerusalem, and so that they might prepare ambushes.
9 Men vi bade til vor Gud; og vi stillede Vagt imod dem Dag og Nat over for dem.
And we prayed to our God, and we stationed guards upon the wall, day and night, against them.
10 Da sagde Juda: Lastdragernes Kraft er skrøbelig, og Gruset er meget, og vi kunne ikke bygge paa Muren.
Then Judah said: “The strength of those who carry has diminished, and the amount of material is very great, and so we will not be able to build the wall.”
11 Og vore Modstandere sagde: De skulle ikke vide og ikke se det, førend vi komme midt iblandt dem og slaa dem ihjel; og vi ville gøre, at Gerningen skal holde op.
And our enemies said: “Let them neither know, nor realize, until we arrive in their midst, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”
12 Og det skete, der Jøderne, som boede hos dem, kom og sagde vel ti Gange til os: I, som ere komne fra alle Steder, vender tilbage til os!
Now it happened that, on ten occasions, some Jews arrived who were living near them, from all the places from which they came to us, and they told us this.
13 da stillede jeg Folket neden for Stedet, bag om Muren, paa de frie Pladser; og jeg stillede Folket efter Slægter med deres Sværd, deres Spyd og deres Buer.
So I stationed the people in order, in places behind the wall, all around it, with their swords, and lances, and bows.
14 Og jeg saa til og rejste mig og sagde til de ypperste og til Forstanderne og til det øvrige Folk: Frygter ikke for deres Ansigt, tænker paa den store og forfærdelige Herre og strider før eders Brødre, eders Sønner og eders Døtre, eders Hustruer og eders Huse!
And I gazed around, and I rose up. And I said to the nobles, and to the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: “Do not be afraid before their face. Remember the great and terrible Lord, and fight on behalf of your brothers, your sons and your daughters, and your wives and your households.”
15 Og det skete, der vore Fjender hørte, at det var os tilkendegivet, og at Gud havde gjort deres Raad til intet, da vendte vi os alle til Muren igen, hver til sin Gerning.
Then it happened that, when our enemies had heard that it had been reported to us, God defeated their counsel. And we all returned to the walls, each one to his own work.
16 Og det skete fra den samme Dag af, at Halvdelen af mine unge Karle udførte Arbejdet, og den anden halve Del af dem holdt baade Spydene, Skjoldene og Buerne og Panserne, og Øversterne stode bag det ganske Judas Hus.
And it happened that, from that day, half of their young men were doing the work, and half were prepared for war with lances, and shields, and bows, and armor. And the leaders were behind them in all the house of Judah.
17 De, som byggede paa Muren, og Lastdragerne og de, som læssede paa, udførte med, deres ene Haand Arbejdet, og med den anden holdt de Vaabnet.
As for those building the wall, and carrying the burdens, and setting things in place: one of his hands was doing the work, and the other was holding a sword.
18 Og de, som byggede, havde hver sit Sværd bundet ved sine Lænder og byggede saa; og den, som blæste i Trompeten, var hos mig.
For each one of the builders was girded with a sword at the waist. And they were building, and they were sounding a trumpet beside me.
19 Og jeg sagde til de ypperste og til Forstanderne og til det øvrige Folk: Arbejdet er stort og vidtløftigt; men vi ere adspredte paa Murene, den ene langt fra den anden.
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 far from one another.
20 Paa hvilket Sted I høre Trompetens Lyd, samler eder derhen til os; vor Gud skal stride for os.
At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rush to that place for us. Our God will fight on our behalf.
21 Saa udførte vi Arbejdet, medens Halvdelen af dem holdt paa Spydene, fra Morgenrøden gik op, indtil Stjernerne kom frem.
And so let us accomplish the work. And let one half part of us hold spears, from the ascent of dawn until the stars come out.”
22 Ogsaa sagde jeg paa samme Tid til Folket: Hver blive med sin Tjener Natten over midt i Jerusalem, at vi maa have dem om Natten til Vagt og om Dagen til Gerningen.
Also at that time, I said to the people: “Let each one with his servant remain in the midst of Jerusalem. And let us take turns, throughout the night and day, in doing the work.”
23 Men hverken jeg eller mine Brødre eller mine Tjenere eller de Mænd paa Vagten, som vare bag mig, førte os af vore Klæder; hver havde sit Vaaben hos sig og Vand.
But I and my brothers, and my servants, and the guards who were behind me, we did not take off our clothes; each one only removed his clothes to wash.