Nehemiah 4
1 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.
Ɛberɛ a Sanbalat tee sɛ yɛreto ɔfasuo no, ne bo fuu yie. Nʼani beree yie, dii Yudafoɔ no ho fɛ,
2 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?”
wɔ ne nnamfonom ne Samaria asraafoɔ mpanimfoɔ anim sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na Yudafoɔ ahiafoɔ, mmɔborɔfoɔ ekuo yi dwene sɛ wɔreyɛ? Wɔgye di sɛ, sɛ wɔbɔ afɔdeɛ sɛ ɛdeɛn koraa a, wɔbɛtumi de ɛda koro ato ɔfasuo yi anaa? Monhwɛ aboɔ a ahye asɛeɛ yi a wɔreyiyi afiri nkunkumaboɔ yi mu de ayɛ adwuma bio?”
3 Then too, Tobiah, an Ammonite, his assistant, said: “Let them build. When the fox climbs, he will leap over their stone wall.”
Na Amonni Tobia a na ɔgyina ne nkyɛn kaa sɛ, “Saa aboɔ ɔfasuo yi deɛ, sɛ sakraman koraa fa so a, ɛbɛdwiri agu fam!”
4 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.
Na mebɔɔ mpaeɛ sɛ, “Ao yɛn Onyankopɔn, tie yɛn, na wɔredi yɛn ho fɛ. Ma wɔn fɛdie no mmɔ wɔn ara wɔn tiri so, na ma wɔn ankasa nkɔyɛ nnommumfoɔ wɔ amamfrafoɔ asase so.
5 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.
Mmu wʼani ngu wɔn afɔdie so. Mpepa wɔn bɔne, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔahyɛ wo abufuo wɔ adansifoɔ yi anim.”
6 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.
Yei nyinaa akyi, wɔtoo ɔfasuo no kɔsii dada no ɔsorokɔ fa twaa kuro no ho hyiaeɛ, ɛfiri sɛ, ɔmanfoɔ no yɛɛ adwumaden.
7 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.
Na ɛberɛ a Sanbalat ne Tobia ne Arabfoɔ ne Amonfoɔ ne Asdodfoɔ tee sɛ adwuma no rekɔ so na wɔretuatua ɔfasuo no mu ntokuro no, wɔn bo fuu yie.
8 And they all gathered together, so that they might go forth and fight against Jerusalem, and so that they might prepare ambushes.
Wɔn nyinaa yɛɛ nhyehyɛeɛ sɛ wɔbɛba abɛko atia Yerusalem, na wɔama basabasayɛ aba hɔ.
9 And we prayed to our God, and we stationed guards upon the wall, day and night, against them.
Nanso, yɛbɔɔ yɛn Onyankopɔn mpaeɛ, wɛnee kuro no awia ne anadwo de bɔɔ yɛn ho ban.
10 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.”
Afei, nnipa a wɔwɔ Yuda no hyɛɛ aseɛ nwiinwiiɛ kaa sɛ, “Adwumayɛfoɔ no rebrɛ, na nkunkumaboɔ no dɔɔso, na yɛn nko ara rentumi nyɛ adwuma no.”
11 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.”
Ɛberɛ korɔ no ara mu no na yɛn atamfoɔ nso reka sɛ, “Ansa na wɔn ani bɛba wɔn ho so no, na yɛato ahyɛ wɔn so, akunkum wɔn, ama adwuma no aba awieeɛ.”
12 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.
Yudafoɔ a na wɔtete bɛn atamfoɔ no bɛbɔɔ yɛn amaneɛ mpɛn bebree sɛ, “Wɔbɛfiri afanan nyinaa abɛto ahyɛ yɛn so.”
13 So I stationed the people in order, in places behind the wall, all around it, with their swords, and lances, and bows.
Enti, mede awɛmfoɔ a wɔkura akodeɛ kɔtenaa baabi a ɔfasuo no yɛ tia, wɔ mmeammea a ɛhɔ deda hɔ. Memaa mmusuakuo no gyinagyinaa sɛ awɛmfoɔ a wɔkurakura akofena, mpea ne nnyan.
14 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.”
Afei, mehwɛɛ sɛdeɛ nneɛma teɛ no, mefrɛɛ ntuanofoɔ no ne ɔmanfoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monnsuro atamfoɔ no! Monkae Awurade a ɔyɛ ɔkɛseɛ ne onimuonyamfoɔ no na monko mma mo nnamfonom, mo mmusua ne mo afie.”
15 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.
Ɛberɛ a yɛn atamfoɔ tee sɛ yɛahunu wɔn atirimpɔ ne sɛdeɛ Onyankopɔn asɛe saa atirimpɔ no, yɛn nyinaa sane kɔɔ ɔfasuo no ho, kɔtoaa yɛn adwuma so.
16 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.
Na ɛfiri saa ɛberɛ no, me mmarima no mu fa pɛ na wɔyɛɛ adwuma, na nkaeɛ no wɛnee wɔ hɔ a wɔkurakura mpea, akokyɛm, nnyan, hyehyɛɛ akotaadeɛ wɛnee hɔ. Mpanimfoɔ no gyinagyinaa Yudafoɔ no a
17 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.
na wɔreto ɔfasuo no akyi. Apaafoɔ no biara de nsa baako yɛɛ adwuma wɔ ɛberɛ a nsa baako nso kura akodeɛ mu.
18 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.
Adansifoɔ no mu biara wɔ akofena a ɛbɔ nʼataaso. Totorobɛntohyɛnni no gyinaa me nkyɛn, na biribi si a, wahyɛn nʼabɛn.
19 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.
Afei, mekyerɛɛ mu kyerɛɛ atitire ne adwumayɛfoɔ ne ɔmanfoɔ no nyinaa sɛ, “Adwuma no atrɛ, na yɛn ntam nso woware wɔ ɔfasuo no so.
20 At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rush to that place for us. Our God will fight on our behalf.
Na sɛ mote totorobɛnto no nnyegyeeɛ a, monyɛ ntɛm nkɔ baabi a nnyegyeeɛ no wɔ. Na yɛn Onyankopɔn bɛko ama yɛn.”
21 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.”
Yɛkɔɔ adwuma ntɛm tenaa so kyɛree firi ɛberɛ a owia pue kɔsi ɛberɛ a owia kɔtɔ. Na ɛberɛ biara na nnipa no mu fa rewɛn.
22 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.”
Afei, mesane ka kyerɛɛ wɔn a wɔtete ɔfasuo no akyi no sɛ, wɔntu nkɔ Yerusalem. Sɛ wɔyɛ saa a, wɔne wɔn asomfoɔ bɛtumi awɛn anadwo, na wayɛ adwuma awiaberɛ mu.
23 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.
Saa ɛberɛ no, yɛn mu biara, sɛ ɛyɛ me anaa me fiefoɔ anaa mʼasomfoɔ anaa awɛmfoɔ a na wɔne me wɔ hɔ no anworɔ yɛn ntadeɛ da. Sɛ yɛrekɔpɛ nsuo mpo a na yɛkurakura yɛn akodeɛ.
