Nehemiah 4
1 But it came to pass, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, it angered him, and he was greatly displeased, —and mocked the Jews;
桑巴拉特一聽說我們重修城垣，就大發忿怒，十分生氣，譏諷猶太人，
2 and spake before his brethren, and the army of Samaria, and said, What are, these feeble Jews, doing? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they bring to life the stones out of the heaps of dust, when, they, have been burned up?
向他們的同僚即撒瑪黎雅的軍隊說：「這些可憐的猶太人想作什麼﹖他們想要修築城垣嗎﹖想要獻祭嗎﹖想要在一天內完成嗎﹖想從那堆灰土中，在立起那些燒過的石頭來嗎﹖」
3 Now, Tobiah the Ammonite, was beside him, —so he said, Even that which they are building, if a fox should go up, he would break down their stone wall!
阿孟託人托彼雅也在旁說到：「讓他們修罷! 就是上去一隻野狗，也能推翻他們修了石牆。」
4 Hear, O our God, for we have become a contempt, and turn thou back their reproach upon their own head, —and give them up as a prey, in the land of captivity;
我們的天主，請聽! 我們是怎樣受侮辱! 請把這辱罵歸到他們的頭上，使他們在流亡之地受迫害。
5 and do not cover their iniquity, and, their sin before thee, let it not be blotted out, —for they have caused vexation before them who are building.
不要遮掩他們的罪行，他們的罪孽也不應從你面前抹去，因為他們實在侮辱了修建的人。
6 So we built the wall, and all the wall was finished unto the half thereof, —and the people had a mind to work.
我們仍繼續修建城牆，把整個城牆都聯結起來，高底已到一半，因為民眾都有心火工作。
7 But it came to pass, when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem had gone up, that the breaches began to be stopped, that it angered them exceedingly;
當桑巴拉特和托彼雅，以及阿剌伯人、阿孟人和阿市多得人，聽說耶路撒冷城垣正在進行修建中，缺口已開始修補，就大發忿怒，
8 and they conspired, all of them together, to come, to fight against Jerusalem, —and to cause it harm;
都聯合起來，圖謀來攻打耶路撒冷，擾亂我們。
9 howbeit we prayed unto our God, —and set a watch against them, day and night, because of them.
我們一面祈求我們的天主，一面派了衛隊，日夜防守。
10 Then said Judah, The strength of the burden-bearer faileth, and, the rubbish, aboundeth, —and, we, are not able to build at the wall;
有一個猶太人說︰「運夫的力量已耗盡，積土又太多，我們不能再修建城牆了! 」
11 and our adversaries have said, They shall not know, neither shall they see, until we come into their midst, and slay them, —so shall we cause the work to cease.
我們的仇敵已議決說：「不讓他們知道，不讓他們看出，我們直衝入他們中間，將他們殺掉，停止那工程。」
12 But it came to pass, when the Jews dwelling near them came in, then said they unto us, ten times, From all places whither ye shall turn, [they will be] upon us!
那時，有些靠近他們居住的猶太人，十次前來通知我們說︰「他們由所住的各方上來，攻打我們，
13 So I set—on the lower slopes of the place behind the wall in the waste grounds, —yea I set the people, by their families, with their swords, their spears and their bows.
已在城牆下低處的田野中安了營。」我就按照家族分派了人，帶上刀槍和弓。
14 Then I looked and rose up, and said—unto the nobles and unto the deputies and unto the rest of the people, Do not ye fear because of them, —the great and fearful Lord, remember ye, so shall ye fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
我巡視之後，就起來對權貴、長官和其餘的人民說︰「對他們，你們不可畏縮! 要記住吾主是偉大而可畏的：應為你們的兄弟、兒女、妻子、家庭而作戰。」
15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had overturned their counsel, then returned we, all of us, unto the wall, every man unto his work.
我們的敵人一聽說我們得了情報，同時天主也破壞了他們的陰謀，他們遂都撤退；我們也都回到城牆那裏，各返自己的工作崗位。
16 And it came to pass, from that day, the half of my young men, were working in the work, and, the half of them, were grasping the spears, the bucklers, and the bows, and the coats of mail, —but, the rulers, were behind all the house of Judah.
從那天起，我的僕人一半做工，一半佩帶著刀、矛盾、弓和鎧甲，立在全猶大家後邊，
17 They who were building at the wall and they who were carrying burdens, they who were lifting, [each man], with his one hand, was working at the work, and, with the other, was grasping the weapon.
即在城牆作工的人後邊。那些搬運的人，也都武裝起來︰一手作工，一手拿著武器；
18 Even they who were building, every man, had his sword girded upon his loins, and so was building, —and, he that sounded the horn, was by my side.
修牆的工人，每人腰間都配著刀工作。吹號筒的站在我身旁。
19 So I said unto the nobles and unto the deputies, and unto the rest of the people, The work, is great and large, —and, we, are separated upon the wall, far away, each man from his brother:
我向權貴、長官和其餘的人民說︰「這工程範圍很大，我們在城牆上彼此分離甚遠，
20 In what place soever ye shall hear the sound of the horn, thither, gather yourselves unto us, —our God, will fight for us.
所以你們無論在什麼地方，一聽到號聲，就立時聚集在我們身旁；我們的天主必為我們戰爭。」
21 So, we, were working at the work, —one half of them, grasping the spears, from the uprisings of the dawn, until the coming out of the stars.
我們便這樣繼續工作，由旭日初昇，直到星辰出現。
22 Moreover, at that time, I said to the people, Let, every one with his young man, lodge for the night in the midst of Jerusalem, —so shall they serve us, in the night, as a watch, and, the day, for work.
同時我又吩咐民眾說：「每人和他的僕人，應在耶路撒冷過夜。如此在夜間可為我們守衛，白天可以工作。」
23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my young men, nor the men of the watch that followed me, none of us, put off our clothes, —every one [went] with his weapon to the water.
至於我和我的兄弟，以及我的僕人和跟隨我、護衛我的人，沒有一人脫過衣服，各人手中常拿著武器。
