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 alipoposikia tulikuwa tukijenga ukuta, akaghadhabika ndani yake, naye akakasirika sana, akawacheka 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 ndugu zake na jeshi la Samaria, akasema, “Wayahudi dhaifu hawa wanafanya nini? Je, watajifanyia mji wenyewe? Je, watatoa dhabihu? Je, wataimaliza kazi siku moja? Je! Watawaletea mawe kutoka kwenye kifusi baada ya kuchomwa moto?
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 alikuwa pamoja naye, naye akasema, 'Ikiwa tu mbweha angepanda juu ya hichi wanachokijenga, angeubomoa ukuta huo wa mawe.”
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;
Tusikilize, Mungu wetu, kwa maana sisi tunatukanwa. Rudisha malalamiko yao juu ya vichwa vyao wenyewe na kuwapa wapate kutekwa katika nchi ambapo wao ni wafungwa.
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.
Usiufunike uovu wao, wala usiondoe dhambi zao mbele yako; kwa sababu wamewachukiza wanaojenga.
6 And we build the wall, and all the wall is joined—to its half, and the people have a heart to work.
Kwa hiyo tulijenga ukuta na ukuta wote uliunganishwa kwa nusu ya urefu wake, kwa kuwa watu walikuwa na hamu ya kufanya kazi
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 Sanbalati, Tobia, Waarabu, Waamoni, na Waashdodi waliposikia kwamba kazi ya ukarabati wa kuta za Yerusalemu ilikuwa ikiendelea, na kwamba sehemu zilizovunjika katika ukuta zilikuwa zimefungwa, ghadhabu kubwa ikawaka ndani yao.
8 and they conspire, all of them together, to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to do to it injury.
Wote walifanya shauri pamoja, na walikuja kupigana dhidi ya Yerusalemu na kusababisha machafuko ndani yake.
9 And we pray to our God, and appoint a watch against them, by day and by night, because of them.
Lakini tuliomba kwa Mungu wetu na kuweka walinzi kama ulinzi dhidi yao mchana na usiku kwa sababu ya tishio lao.
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.”
Kisha watu wa Yuda wakasema, “Nguvu ya wale wanaobeba mizigo inashindwa. Kuna kifusi kikubwa, na hatuwezi kujenga 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.”
Na adui zetu wakasema,” Wala hawatajua au kuona mpaka tutakapokuja kati yao na kuwaua, na kuisimamisha 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.
Wakati huo Wayahudi waliokuwa wakiishi karibu nao walitoka pande zote na kuzungumza nasi mara kumi, wakituonya juu ya mipango waliyofanya dhidi yetu.
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 watu katika sehemu za chini za ukuta katika sehemu zilizo wazi. Niliweka kila familia wenye upanga, mikuki, na upinde.
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.”
Nikatazama, nikasimama, nikawaambia wakuu, na watawala, na watu wengine, “Msiogope. mkumbukeni Bwana, ambaye ni mkuu na wa kushangaza. Wapiganie ndugu zenu, wana zenu, 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;
Ilipokuwa wakati adui zetu waliposikia kwamba mipango yao ilikuwa inayojulikana kwetu, na Mungu alikuwa amebatilisha mipango yao, sote tulirudi ukutani, kila mmoja kwa 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.
Kwa hiyo tangu wakati huo nusu ya watumishi wangu walifanya kazi tu juu ya kujenga ukuta, na nusu yao wakaishika mikuki, ngao, pinde, na kuvaa silaha, wakati viongozi walisimama 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.
Na hivyo wafanyakazi haohao ambao walikuwa wakijenga ukuta na kubeba mizigo walikuwa pia wakilinda nafasi zao. Kila mtu alifanya kazi kwa mkono mmoja, na kwa mkono mwingine alikuwa na silaha yake.
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.
Kila mjenzi alivaa upanga wake ubavuni mwake na ndivyo alivyojenga. Yule aliyepiga tarumbeta akakaa karibu 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;
Niliwaambia wakuu na viongozi na watu wengine, “Kazi ni nzuri na ya kina, na tumejitenga kwenye ukuta, mbali na mtu mwingine.
20 in the place that you hear the voice of the horn there you are gathered to us; our God fights for us.”
Lazima mkimbilie mahali ambapo mtasikia sauti ya tarumbeta na kusanyika 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.
Kwa hiyo tulifanya kazi hiyo. Nusu yao walikuwa wakichukua mikuki kutoka kupambazuka asubuhi hadi kutokea kwa nyota.
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”:
Nikawaambia watu wakati huo, “Kila mtu na mtumishi wake waende usiku katikati ya Yerusalemu, ili wawe walinzi wakati wa usiku na mfanyakazi wakati huo.”
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.
Basi si mimi, wala ndugu zangu, wala watumishi wangu, wala watu wa walinzi waliokuwa wananifuata, hakuna hata mmoja wetu aliyebadili nguo zake, na kila mmoja wetu alichukua silaha yake, hata kama angeenda kwa ajili ya kuteka maji.
