Nehemiah 4
1 And it comes to pass, when Sanballat has heard that we are building the wall, that it is displeasing to him, and he is very angry and mocks at the Jews,
Sanbalati aliposikia kwamba tulikuwa tunajenga ukuta upya, alikasirika na akawa na uchungu sana. Aliwadhihaki Wayahudi
2 and says before his brothers and the force of Samaria, indeed, he says, “What [are] the weak Jews doing? Are they left to themselves? Do they sacrifice? Do they complete in a day? Do they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish—and they are burned?”
mbele ya rafiki zake na jeshi la Samaria, akisema, “Hawa Wayahudi wanyonge wanafanya nini? Je, wataweza kuurudishia ukuta wao? Je, watatoa dhabihu? Je, wataweza kumaliza kuujenga kwa siku moja? Je, wataweza kufufua mawe kutoka malundo ya vifusi yaliyoungua hivyo?”
3 And Tobiah the Ammonite [is] by him and says, “Also, that which they are building—if a fox goes up, then it has broken down their stone wall.”
Tobia Mwamoni aliyekuwa upande wake akasema, “Wanachokijenga, hata kama mbweha angepanda juu yake, huo ukuta wao wa mawe angeliubomoa!”
4 Hear, O our God, for we have been despised; and return their reproach on their own head, and give them for a spoil in a land of captivity;
Ee Mungu wetu, utusikie, kwa kuwa tumedharauliwa. Warudishie matukano yao kwenye vichwa vyao wenyewe. Uwatoe ili wawe nyara katika nchi ya waliowateka.
5 and do not cover over their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You, for they have provoked [You] to anger in front of those building.
Usiusitiri uovu wao, wala usifute dhambi zao mbele zako, kwa kuwa wamewatukana wajenzi mbele.
6 And we build the wall, and all the wall is joined—to its half, and the people have a heart to work.
Basi tuliujenga upya ukuta mpaka wote ukafikia nusu ya kimo chake, kwa kuwa watu walifanya kazi kwa moyo wote.
7 And it comes to pass, when Sanballat has heard, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, that lengthening has gone up to the walls of Jerusalem, that the breeches have begun to be stopped, then it is very displeasing to them,
Lakini wakati Sanbalati, Tobia, Waarabu, Waamoni na watu wa Ashdodi waliposikia kuwa ukarabati wa kuta za Yerusalemu ulikuwa umeendelea na mianya ilikuwa inazibwa, walikasirika sana.
8 and they conspire, all of them together, to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to do to it injury.
Wote walifanya shauri pamoja kuja kupigana dhidi ya Yerusalemu, na kuchochea machafuko dhidi yake.
9 And we pray to our God, and appoint a watch against them, by day and by night, because of them.
Lakini tulimwomba Mungu wetu, na tukaweka ulinzi usiku na mchana kupambana na tishio hili.
10 And Judah says, “The power of the burden-bearers has become feeble, and the rubbish [is] abundant, and we are not able to build on the wall.”
Wakati ule ule, watu wa Yuda wakasema, “Nguvu za wafanyakazi zinapungua, nacho kifusi ni kingi mno, kiasi kwamba hatuwezi kuujenga upya ukuta.”
11 And our adversaries say, “They do not know, nor see, until we come into their midst, and have slain them, and caused the work to cease.”
Pia adui zetu walisema, “Kabla hawajajua au kutuona, tutakuwa palepale katikati yao, na tutawaua na kuikomesha hiyo kazi.”
12 And it comes to pass, when the Jews have come who are dwelling near them, that they say to us ten times from all the places to where you return—[they are] against us.
Kisha Wayahudi ambao waliishi karibu nao walikuja zaidi ya mara kumi na kutuambia, “Popote mtakapoelekea, watatushambulia.”
13 And I appoint at the lowest of the places, at the back of the wall, in the clear places, indeed, I appoint the people, by their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
Kwa hiyo nikaweka baadhi ya watu nyuma ya sehemu za chini za ukuta kwenye sehemu zilizo wazi, nikawaweka kufuatana na jamaa zao, wakiwa na panga, mikuki na pinde zao.
14 And I see, and rise up, and say to the nobles, and to the prefects, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord, the great and the fearful, and fight for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
Baada ya kuona hali ilivyo, nikasimama na kuwaambia wakuu, maafisa na wengine wote, “Msiwaogope. Mkumbukeni Bwana, ambaye ni mkuu mwenye kuogofya. Piganeni kwa ajili ya ndugu zenu, wana wenu na binti zenu, wake zenu na nyumba zenu.”
15 And it comes to pass, when our enemies have heard that it has been known to us, and God frustrates their counsel, and we return, all of us, to the wall, each to his work;
Adui zetu waliposikia kwamba tumetambua hila yao, na kwamba Mungu amevuruga shauri lao, sote tulirudi kwenye ukuta, kila mmoja kwenye kazi yake.
16 indeed, it comes to pass, from that day, half of my servants are working in the business, and half of them are keeping hold of both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the heads [are] behind all the house of Judah.
Kuanzia siku ile na kuendelea, nusu ya watu wangu walifanya kazi ya ujenzi, na nusu nyingine wakashika mikuki, ngao, pinde na dirii. Maafisa walijipanga nyuma ya watu wote wa Yuda
17 The builders on the wall, and the bearers of the burden, those loading, [each] with one of his hands is working in the business, and one is laying hold of the missile.
waliokuwa wakijenga ukuta. Wale waliobeba vifaa vya ujenzi walifanya kazi yao kwa mkono mmoja, na kushika silaha kwa mkono mwingine,
18 And the builders [are] each with his sword, girded on his loins, and building, and he who is blowing with a horn [is] beside me.
na kila mjenzi alijifunga upanga wake upande mmoja akiwa anafanya kazi. Lakini mtu wa kupiga baragumu alikaa pamoja nami.
19 And I say to the nobles, and to the prefects, and to the rest of the people, “The work is abundant, and large, and we are separated on the wall, far off from one another;
Kisha nikawaambia wakuu, maafisa na watu wengine wote, “Kazi hii ni kubwa na imeenea sehemu kubwa, nasi tumetawanyika kila mmoja akiwa mbali na mwenzake juu ya ukuta.
20 in the place that you hear the voice of the horn there you are gathered to us; our God fights for us.”
Popote mtakaposikia sauti ya baragumu, jiungeni nasi huko. Mungu wetu atatupigania!”
21 And we are working in the business, and half of them are keeping hold of the spears, from the going up of the dawn until the coming forth of the stars.
Basi tuliendelea na kazi, nusu ya watu wakishikilia mikuki, kuanzia mawio ya jua hadi nyota zilipoonekana.
22 Also, at that time I said to the people, “Let each lodge with his servant in the midst of Jerusalem, and they have been a watch for us by night, and [for] the work by day”:
Wakati huo pia niliwaambia watu, “Kila mtu na msaidizi wake wakae ndani ya Yerusalemu wakati wa usiku, ili waweze kutumika kama walinzi wakati wa usiku, na kufanya kazi wakati wa mchana.”
23 and there are none—I, and my brothers, and my servants, the men of the watch who [are] after me—there are none of us putting off our garments, each [has] his vessel of water.
Mimi, wala ndugu zangu, wala watu wangu, wala walinzi waliokuwa pamoja nami hatukuvua nguo zetu. Kila mmoja alikuwa na silaha yake, hata alipokwenda kuchota maji.
