Nehemiah 4
1 When Sanballat found out that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious—really mad! He made fun of the Jews
Ɛberɛ a Sanbalat tee sɛ yɛreto ɔfasuo no, ne bo fuu yie. Nʼani beree yie, dii Yudafoɔ no ho fɛ,
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?”
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 Tobiah the Ammonite, standing beside him, commented, “Even a fox walking on what they're building would knock down their wall of stones!”
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 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!
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 Don't forgive their guilt or blot out their sins, for they have made you angry in front of the builders.”
Mmu wʼani ngu wɔn afɔdie so. Mpepa wɔn bɔne, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔahyɛ wo abufuo wɔ adansifoɔ yi anim.”
6 So we rebuilt the wall until it was all connected, reaching half its height, because the people were keen to work.
Yei nyinaa akyi, wɔtoo ɔfasuo no kɔsii dada no ɔsorokɔ fa twaa kuro no ho hyiaeɛ, ɛfiri sɛ, ɔmanfoɔ no yɛɛ adwumaden.
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.
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 They all plotted together to come and attack Jerusalem and to throw everything into confusion.
Wɔn nyinaa yɛɛ nhyehyɛeɛ sɛ wɔbɛba abɛko atia Yerusalem, na wɔama basabasayɛ aba hɔ.
9 So we prayed to our God, and we had guards ready to defend against them day and night.
Nanso, yɛbɔɔ yɛn Onyankopɔn mpaeɛ, wɛnee kuro no awia ne anadwo de bɔɔ yɛn ho ban.
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.”
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 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.”
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 The Jews who lived close by came and told us over and over again, “They're going to attack us from all directions!”
Yudafoɔ a na wɔtete bɛn atamfoɔ no bɛbɔɔ yɛn amaneɛ mpɛn bebree sɛ, “Wɔbɛfiri afanan nyinaa abɛto ahyɛ yɛn so.”
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.
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 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!”
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 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.
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 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
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 who were building the wall. Those carrying materials worked with one hand, holding a weapon in the other.
na wɔreto ɔfasuo no akyi. Apaafoɔ no biara de nsa baako yɛɛ adwuma wɔ ɛberɛ a nsa baako nso kura akodeɛ mu.
18 All the builders carried a sword strapped to their side, and the trumpeter stood beside me.
Adansifoɔ no mu biara wɔ akofena a ɛbɔ nʼataaso. Totorobɛntohyɛnni no gyinaa me nkyɛn, na biribi si a, wahyɛn nʼabɛn.
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.
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 Wherever you are and you hear the sound of the trumpet, run to join us there. Our God will fight for us!”
Na sɛ mote totorobɛnto no nnyegyeeɛ a, monyɛ ntɛm nkɔ baabi a nnyegyeeɛ no wɔ. Na yɛn Onyankopɔn bɛko ama yɛn.”
21 We went on working, with half of the men holding spears from dawn until the stars came 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 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.”
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 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.
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.
