Nehemiah 4
1 And it came to pass, that when Sanaballat heard that we were building the wall he was angry: and being moved exceedingly he scoffed at the Jews.
Kwasekusithi uSanibhalathi esezwile ukuthi siyawakha umduli, wathukuthela wacunuka kakhulu, wawahleka usulu amaJuda.
2 And said before his brethren, and the multitude of the Samaritans: What are the silly Jews doing? Will the Gentiles let them alone? will they sacrifice and make an end in a day? are they able to raise stones out of the heaps of the rubbish, which are burnt?
Wasekhuluma phambi kwabafowabo lebutho leSamariya wathi: La amaJuda abuthakathaka enzani? Azaziqinisa yini? Azahlaba yini? Azaqeda ngosuku yini? Azavuselela amatshe yini ezinqwabeni zengcekeza, ezitshileyo?
3 Tobias also the Ammonite who was by him said: Let them build: if a fox go up, he will leap over their stone wall.
LoTobiya umAmoni wayelaye, wathi: Lalokho akwakhayo, uba ikhanka likhwela phezulu, lingawudiliza umduli wawo wamatshe.
4 Hear thou our God, for we are despised: turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them to be despised in a land of captivity.
Zwana, Nkulunkulu wethu, ngoba siyeyiswa; ubuyisele ukukloloda kwabo ekhanda labo, ubanikele babe yimpango elizweni lokuthunjwa;
5 Cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thy face, because they have mocked thy builders.
ungaligubuzeli icala labo, lesono sabo singacitshwa phambi kwakho, ngoba bathukuthelisile maqondana labakhi.
6 So we built the wall, and joined it all together unto the half thereof: and the heart of the people was excited to work.
Sawakha-ke umduli, waze wahlangana wonke umduli kuze kube yingxenye yawo, ngoba abantu babelenhliziyo yokusebenza.
7 And it came to pass, when Sanaballat, and Tobias, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Azotians heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and the breaches began to be closed, that they were exceedingly angry.
Kodwa kwathi oSanibhalathi loTobiya lamaArabhiya lamaAmoni labeAshidodi sebezwile ukuthi ukulungiswa kwemiduli yeJerusalema kuyenyuka, ukuthi izikhala seziqala ukuvaleka, bathukuthela kakhulu.
8 And they all assembled themselves together, to come, and to fight against Jerusalem, and to prepare ambushes.
Basebesenza ugobe bonke ndawonye ukuthi beze balwe leJerusalema, lokuthi badunge phakathi kwayo.
9 And we prayed to our God, and set watchmen upon the wall day and night against them.
Kodwa sakhuleka kuNkulunkulu wethu, sabeka abalindi ukumelana labo emini lebusuku, ngenxa yabo.
10 And Juda said: The strength of the bearer of burdens is decayed, and the rubbish is very much, and we shall not be able to build the wall.
Kodwa uJuda wathi: Amandla abathwali bomthwalo adedile, lezibi zinengi, ngakho thina kasilakho ukwakha umduli.
11 And our enemies said: Let them not know, nor understand, till we come in the midst of them, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.
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 ten times, out of all the places from whence they came to us,
Kwasekusithi amaJuda ayehlala duze lazo esefika athi kithi katshumi: Livela endaweni zonke kumele libuyele kithi.
13 I set the people in the place behind the wall round about in order, with their swords, and spears, and 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 I said to the chief men and the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: be not afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, and 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, when our enemies heard that the thing had been told us, that God defeated their counsel. And we returned all of us to the walls, every man to his work.
Kwasekusithi izitha zethu sezizwile ukuthi sekusaziwa yithi lokuthi uNkulunkulu ufubisile icebo labo, sabuyela sonke emdulini, wonke emsebenzini wakhe.
16 And it came to pass from that day forward, that half of their young men did the work, and half were ready for to fight, with spears, and shields, and bows, and coats of mail, and the rulers were behind them in all the house of Juda.
Kwasekusithi kusukela mhlalokho ingxenye yezisebenzi zami yayisebenza emsebenzini, lengxenye yazo yabamba imikhonto, izihlangu, lamadandili, lamabhatshi ensimbi. Lababusi babengemuva kwendlu yonke yakoJuda.
17 Of them that built on the wall and that carried burdens, and that laded: with one of his hands he did the work, and with the other he held a sword.
Ababesakha emdulini, lababethwala imithwalo, ababelayitshela, ngesinye sezandla zakhe wayesebenza emsebenzini, lesinye sibambelele isikhali.
18 For every one of the builders was girded with a sword about his reins. And they built, and sounded with a trumpet by me.
Labakhi, ngulowo wayebhince inkemba yakhe ekhalweni lwakhe, besakha. Lovuthela uphondo wayeseceleni kwami.
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 one far from another:
Ngasengisithi kuzikhulu lakubabusi lakwabanye abantu: Umsebenzi mkhulu futhi ubanzi; lathi sehlukene phezu komduli, omunye ukhatshana lomunye.
20 In what place soever you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, run all thither unto us: our God will fight for us.
Endaweni elizakuzwa khona ukukhala kophondo, lizabuthana lapho kithi; uNkulunkulu wethu uzasilwela.
21 And let us do the work: and let one half of us hold our spears from the rising of the morning, till the stars appear.
Ngokunjalo sasebenza emsebenzini; ingxenye yabo yayibambe imikhonto kusukela emadabukakusa kuze kuphume izinkanyezi.
22 At that time also I said to the people: Let every one with his servant stay in the midst of Jerusalem, and let us take our turns in the night, and by day, to work.
Langalesosikhathi ngathi ebantwini: Ngulowo lenceku yakhe kabalale phakathi kweJerusalema ukuze babe ngabalindi bethu ebusuku, lemini emsebenzini.
23 Now I and my brethren, and my servants, and the watchmen that followed me, did not put off our clothes: only every man stripped himself when he was to be washed.
Ngakho kakho, mina, labafowethu, lenceku zami, lamadoda omlindo abangemva kwami, kakho kithi owakhulula izigqoko zethu, ngulowo wazikhululela ukuzihlanza.
