Nehemiah 4
1 And it came to pass that when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was angry and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
Kwasekusithi uSanibhalathi esezwile ukuthi siyawakha umduli, wathukuthela wacunuka kakhulu, wawahleka usulu amaJuda.
2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? shall they be permitted to go on? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, when they are burned?
Wasekhuluma phambi kwabafowabo lebutho leSamariya wathi: La amaJuda abuthakathaka enzani? Azaziqinisa yini? Azahlaba yini? Azaqeda ngosuku yini? Azavuselela amatshe yini ezinqwabeni zengcekeza, ezitshileyo?
3 And Tobijah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox went up, it would break down their stone wall. —
LoTobiya umAmoni wayelaye, wathi: Lalokho akwakhayo, uba ikhanka likhwela phezulu, lingawudiliza umduli wawo wamatshe.
4 Hear, our God, for we are despised, and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in a land of captivity!
Zwana, Nkulunkulu wethu, ngoba siyeyiswa; ubuyisele ukukloloda kwabo ekhanda labo, ubanikele babe yimpango elizweni lokuthunjwa;
5 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee; for they have provoked the builders.
ungaligubuzeli icala labo, lesono sabo singacitshwa phambi kwakho, ngoba bathukuthelisile maqondana labakhi.
6 But we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to the half thereof; for the people had a mind to work.
Sawakha-ke umduli, waze wahlangana wonke umduli kuze kube yingxenye yawo, ngoba abantu babelenhliziyo yokusebenza.
7 And it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobijah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being repaired, that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
Kodwa kwathi oSanibhalathi loTobiya lamaArabhiya lamaAmoni labeAshidodi sebezwile ukuthi ukulungiswa kwemiduli yeJerusalema kuyenyuka, ukuthi izikhala seziqala ukuvaleka, bathukuthela kakhulu.
8 and conspired all of them together to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
Basebesenza ugobe bonke ndawonye ukuthi beze balwe leJerusalema, lokuthi badunge phakathi kwayo.
9 Then we prayed to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
Kodwa sakhuleka kuNkulunkulu wethu, sabeka abalindi ukumelana labo emini lebusuku, ngenxa yabo.
10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens faileth, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build at the wall.
Kodwa uJuda wathi: Amandla abathwali bomthwalo adedile, lezibi zinengi, ngakho thina kasilakho ukwakha umduli.
11 And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them and kill them, and put an end to the work.
Lezitha zethu zathi: Kabayikwazi, kabayikubona, size singene phakathi kwabo sibabulale, siwumise umsebenzi.
12 And it came to pass that when the Jews that dwelt by them came and told us so ten times, from all the places whence they returned to us,
Kwasekusithi amaJuda ayehlala duze lazo esefika athi kithi katshumi: Livela endaweni zonke kumele libuyele kithi.
13 I set in the lower places behind the wall in exposed places, I even set the people, according to their families, with their swords, their spears and their bows.
Ngasengimisa endaweni eziphansi kakhulu ngemva komduli endaweni ezisobala, ngamisa abantu ngensapho belezinkemba zabo, imikhonto yabo, lamadandili abo.
14 And I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not 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.
Ngasengikhangela ngasukuma ngathi kuzikhulu lakubabusi lakwabanye abantu: Lingabesabi. Khumbulani iNkosi enkulu leyesabekayo, lilwele abafowenu, amadodana enu, lamadodakazi enu, omkenu, lezindlu zenu.
15 And it came to pass that when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had defeated their counsel, we returned all of us to the wall, every one to his work.
Kwasekusithi izitha zethu sezizwile ukuthi sekusaziwa yithi lokuthi uNkulunkulu ufubisile icebo labo, sabuyela sonke emdulini, wonke emsebenzini wakhe.
16 And from that time forth the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held the spears, and the shields, and the bows, and the corslets; and the captains were behind all the house of Judah.
Kwasekusithi kusukela mhlalokho ingxenye yezisebenzi zami yayisebenza emsebenzini, lengxenye yazo yabamba imikhonto, izihlangu, lamadandili, lamabhatshi ensimbi. Lababusi babengemuva kwendlu yonke yakoJuda.
17 They that built on the wall, and they that bore burdens, with those that loaded, wrought in the work with one hand, and with the other they held a weapon.
Ababesakha emdulini, lababethwala imithwalo, ababelayitshela, ngesinye sezandla zakhe wayesebenza emsebenzini, lesinye sibambelele isikhali.
18 And the builders had every one his sword girded by his side, and built. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
Labakhi, ngulowo wayebhince inkemba yakhe ekhalweni lwakhe, besakha. Lovuthela uphondo wayeseceleni kwami.
19 And I said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and extended, and we are scattered upon the wall, one far from another:
Ngasengisithi kuzikhulu lakubabusi lakwabanye abantu: Umsebenzi mkhulu futhi ubanzi; lathi sehlukene phezu komduli, omunye ukhatshana lomunye.
20 in what place ye hear the sound of the trumpet, thither shall ye assemble to us; our God will fight for us.
Endaweni elizakuzwa khona ukukhala kophondo, lizabuthana lapho kithi; uNkulunkulu wethu uzasilwela.
21 And we laboured in the work; and half of them held the spears from the rising of the dawn till the stars appeared.
Ngokunjalo sasebenza emsebenzini; ingxenye yabo yayibambe imikhonto kusukela emadabukakusa kuze kuphume izinkanyezi.
22 Likewise at the same time I said to the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and [be for] labour in the day.
Langalesosikhathi ngathi ebantwini: Ngulowo lenceku yakhe kabalale phakathi kweJerusalema ukuze babe ngabalindi bethu ebusuku, lemini emsebenzini.
23 And neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard that followed me, none of us put off our garments: every one had his weapon on his right side.
Ngakho kakho, mina, labafowethu, lenceku zami, lamadoda omlindo abangemva kwami, kakho kithi owakhulula izigqoko zethu, ngulowo wazikhululela ukuzihlanza.
