Nehemiah 4
1 When Sanballat found out that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious—really mad! He made fun of the Jews
factum est autem cum audisset Sanaballat quod aedificaremus murum iratus est valde et motus nimis subsannavit Iudaeos
2 in front of his colleagues and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these useless Jews trying to achieve? Do they think they can rebuild the wall? Are they going to offer sacrifices? Are they going to finish it in a day? Do they think they can re-use stones from piles of rubble and dirt, especially since they've all been burned?”
et dixit coram fratribus suis et frequentia Samaritanorum quid Iudaei inbecilli faciunt num dimittent eos gentes num sacrificabunt et conplebunt in una die numquid aedificare poterunt lapides de acervis pulveris qui conbusti sunt
3 Tobiah the Ammonite, standing beside him, commented, “Even a fox walking on what they're building would knock down their wall of stones!”
sed et Tobias Ammanites proximus eius ait aedificent si ascenderit vulpis transiliet murum eorum lapideum
4 I prayed, “Lord, please listen to us, because we are being treated with contempt. Rain down their insults on their own heads! Let them be taken away like plunder, prisoners in a foreign land!
audi Deus noster quia facti sumus despectio converte obprobrium super caput eorum et da eos in despectionem in terra captivitatis
5 Don't forgive their guilt or blot out their sins, for they have made you angry in front of the builders.”
ne operias iniquitatem eorum et peccatum eorum coram facie tua non deleatur quia inriserunt aedificantes
6 So we rebuilt the wall until it was all connected, reaching half its height, because the people were keen to work.
itaque aedificavimus murum et coniunximus totum usque ad partem dimidiam et provocatum est cor populi ad operandum
7 When Sanballat and Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being filled in, they were furious.
factum est autem cum audisset Sanaballat et Tobias et Arabes et Ammanitae et Azotii quod obducta esset cicatrix muri Hierusalem et quod coepissent interrupta concludi irati sunt nimis
8 They all plotted together to come and attack Jerusalem and to throw everything into confusion.
et congregati omnes pariter ut venirent et pugnarent contra Hierusalem et molirentur insidias
9 So we prayed to our God, and we had guards ready to defend against them day and night.
et oravimus Deum nostrum et posuimus custodes super murum die et nocte contra eos
10 Then people of Judah started grumbling, saying, “The workmen are exhausted. There's just too much rubble to clear. We'll never be able to finish the wall.”
dixit autem Iudas debilitata est fortitudo portantis et humus nimia est et nos non poterimus aedificare murum
11 Our enemies were saying to themselves, “Before they know it, before they're aware of anything, we'll appear right in among them, kill them, and put a stop to what they're doing.”
et dixerunt hostes nostri nesciant et ignorent donec veniamus in medio eorum et interficiamus eos et cessare faciamus opus
12 The Jews who lived close by came and told us over and over again, “They're going to attack us from all directions!”
factum est autem venientibus Iudaeis qui habitabant iuxta eos et dicentibus nobis per decem vices ex omnibus locis quibus venerant ad nos
13 So I positioned defenders behind the lowest, most vulnerable sections, of the wall. I had them take their positions by families, armed with their swords, spears, and bows.
statui in loco post murum per circuitum populum in ordine cum gladiis suis et lanceis et arcis
14 After inspecting our defenses, I stood up and addressed the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, saying, “Don't be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is powerful and formidable! Fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes!”
perspexi atque surrexi et aio ad optimates et ad magistratus et ad reliquam partem vulgi nolite timere a facie eorum Domini magni et terribilis mementote et pugnate pro fratribus vestris filiis vestris et filiabus vestris uxoribus vestris et domibus
15 When our enemies discovered that we knew about their plan, and that God had foiled it, we all went back to our work on the wall.
factum est autem cum audissent inimici nostri nuntiatum esse nobis dissipavit Deus consilium eorum et reversi sumus omnes ad muros unusquisque ad opus suum
16 From then on, half of my men were doing the work while the other half were ready to fight, holding their spears, shields, bows, and armor. The leaders stood behind all the people of Judah
et factum est a die illa media pars iuvenum eorum faciebant opus et media parata erat ad bellum et lanceae et scuta et arcus et loricae et principes post eos in omni domo Iuda
17 who were building the wall. Those carrying materials worked with one hand, holding a weapon in the other.
aedificantium in muro et portantium onera et inponentium una manu sua faciebat opus et altera tenebat gladium
18 All the builders carried a sword strapped to their side, and the trumpeter stood beside me.
aedificantium enim unusquisque gladio erat accinctus renes et aedificabant et clangebant bucina iuxta me
19 Then I told the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “We have a lot to do everywhere, so we're very spread out along the wall.
et dixi ad optimates et ad magistratus et ad reliquam partem vulgi opus grande est et latum et nos separati sumus in muro procul alter ab altero
20 Wherever you are and you hear the sound of the trumpet, run to join us there. Our God will fight for us!”
in loco quocumque audieritis clangorem tubae illuc concurrite ad nos Deus noster pugnabit pro nobis
21 We went on working, with half of the men holding spears from dawn until the stars came out.
et nos ipsi faciamus opus et media pars nostrum teneat lanceas ab ascensu aurorae donec egrediantur astra
22 I also told the people, “Everyone including servants must spend the night inside Jerusalem, so they can be on guard duty at night and work during the day.”
in tempore quoque illo dixi populo unusquisque cum puero suo maneat in medio Hierusalem et sint vobis vices per noctem et diem ad operandum
23 During that time none of us changed our clothes—not me or my brothers or my men or the guards with me. Everyone carried their weapons at all times, even to go for water.
ego autem et fratres mei et pueri mei et custodes qui erant post me non deponebamus vestimenta nostra unusquisque tantum nudabatur ad baptismum
