< Nehemiah 4 >

1 But when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, then was he wroth and sore grieued, and mocked the Iewes,
Kwasekusithi uSanibhalathi esezwile ukuthi siyawakha umduli, wathukuthela wacunuka kakhulu, wawahleka usulu amaJuda.
2 And sayde before his brethren and the armie of Samaria, thus he sayde, What doe these weake Iewes? wil they fortifie them selues? wil they sacrifice? will they finish it in a day? will they make the stones whole againe out of the heapes of dust, seeing they 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 And Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and said, Although they buylde, yet if a foxe goe vp, he shall euen breake downe their stonie wall.
LoTobiya umAmoni wayelaye, wathi: Lalokho akwakhayo, uba ikhanka likhwela phezulu, lingawudiliza umduli wawo wamatshe.
4 Heare, O our God (for we are despised) and turne their shame vpon their owne head, and giue them vnto a pray in the lande of their captiuitie,
Zwana, Nkulunkulu wethu, ngoba siyeyiswa; ubuyisele ukukloloda kwabo ekhanda labo, ubanikele babe yimpango elizweni lokuthunjwa;
5 And couer not their iniquitie, neither let their sinne be put out in thy presence: for they haue prouoked vs before the builders.
ungaligubuzeli icala labo, lesono sabo singacitshwa phambi kwakho, ngoba bathukuthelisile maqondana labakhi.
6 So we built the wall, and all the wall was ioyned vnto the halfe thereof, and the heart of the people was to worke.
Sawakha-ke umduli, waze wahlangana wonke umduli kuze kube yingxenye yawo, ngoba abantu babelenhliziyo yokusebenza.
7 But when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodims heard that the walles of Ierusalem were repayred, (for 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 together to come and to fight against Ierusalem, and to hinder them.
Basebesenza ugobe bonke ndawonye ukuthi beze balwe leJerusalema, lokuthi badunge phakathi kwayo.
9 The we prayed vnto our God, and set watchmen by them, day and night, because of them.
Kodwa sakhuleka kuNkulunkulu wethu, sabeka abalindi ukumelana labo emini lebusuku, ngenxa yabo.
10 And Iudah said, The strength of the bearers is weakened, and there is much earth, so that we are not able to build the wall.
Kodwa uJuda wathi: Amandla abathwali bomthwalo adedile, lezibi zinengi, ngakho thina kasilakho ukwakha umduli.
11 Also our aduersaries had sayde, They shall not knowe, neither see, till we come into the middes of them and slay them, and cause the worke to cease.
Lezitha zethu zathi: Kabayikwazi, kabayikubona, size singene phakathi kwabo sibabulale, siwumise umsebenzi.
12 But when the Iewes (which dwelt beside them) came, they told vs ten times, From all places whence ye shall returne, they wil be vpon vs.
Kwasekusithi amaJuda ayehlala duze lazo esefika athi kithi katshumi: Livela endaweni zonke kumele libuyele kithi.
13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall vpon the toppes of the stones, and placed the people by their families, with their swordes, their speares and their bowes.
Ngasengimisa endaweni eziphansi kakhulu ngemva komduli endaweni ezisobala, ngamisa abantu ngensapho belezinkemba zabo, imikhonto yabo, lamadandili abo.
14 Then I behelde, and rose vp, and said vnto the Princes, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not afrayde of them: remember the great Lord, and fearefull, and fight for your brethren, your sonnes, and your daughters, your wiues, 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 when our enemies heard that it was knowen vnto vs, then God brought their counsell to nought, and we turned all againe to the wall, euery one vnto his worke.
Kwasekusithi izitha zethu sezizwile ukuthi sekusaziwa yithi lokuthi uNkulunkulu ufubisile icebo labo, sabuyela sonke emdulini, wonke emsebenzini wakhe.
16 And from that day, halfe of the yong men did the labour, and the other halfe part of them helde the speares, and shieldes, and bowes, and habergins: and the rulers stoode behinde all the house of Iudah.
Kwasekusithi kusukela mhlalokho ingxenye yezisebenzi zami yayisebenza emsebenzini, lengxenye yazo yabamba imikhonto, izihlangu, lamadandili, lamabhatshi ensimbi. Lababusi babengemuva kwendlu yonke yakoJuda.
17 They that buylded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, and they that laded, did the worke with one hand, and with the other helde the sworde.
Ababesakha emdulini, lababethwala imithwalo, ababelayitshela, ngesinye sezandla zakhe wayesebenza emsebenzini, lesinye sibambelele isikhali.
18 For euery one of the buylders had his sworde girded on his loynes, and so buylded: and he that blewe the trumpet, was beside me.
Labakhi, ngulowo wayebhince inkemba yakhe ekhalweni lwakhe, besakha. Lovuthela uphondo wayeseceleni kwami.
19 Then saide I vnto the Princes, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The worke is great and large, and we are separated vpon the wall, one farre from another.
Ngasengisithi kuzikhulu lakubabusi lakwabanye abantu: Umsebenzi mkhulu futhi ubanzi; lathi sehlukene phezu komduli, omunye ukhatshana lomunye.
20 In what place therefore ye heare the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither vnto vs: our God shall fight for vs.
Endaweni elizakuzwa khona ukukhala kophondo, lizabuthana lapho kithi; uNkulunkulu wethu uzasilwela.
21 So we laboured in the worke, and halfe of them helde the speares, from the appearing of the morning, till the starres came foorth.
Ngokunjalo sasebenza emsebenzini; ingxenye yabo yayibambe imikhonto kusukela emadabukakusa kuze kuphume izinkanyezi.
22 And at the same time said I vnto the people, Let euery one with his seruant lodge within Ierusalem, that they may be a watch for vs in the night, and labour in the day.
Langalesosikhathi ngathi ebantwini: Ngulowo lenceku yakhe kabalale phakathi kweJerusalema ukuze babe ngabalindi bethu ebusuku, lemini emsebenzini.
23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my seruants, nor the men of the warde, (which followed me) none of vs did put off our clothes, saue euery one put them off for washing.
Ngakho kakho, mina, labafowethu, lenceku zami, lamadoda omlindo abangemva kwami, kakho kithi owakhulula izigqoko zethu, ngulowo wazikhululela ukuzihlanza.

< Nehemiah 4 >