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;
Sanbalati aliposikia kwamba tulikuwa tunajenga ukuta upya, alikasirika na akawa na uchungu sana. Aliwadhihaki Wayahudi
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?
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 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!
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 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;
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 their iniquity, and, their sin before thee, let it not be blotted out, —for they have caused vexation before them who are building.
Usiusitiri uovu wao, wala usifute dhambi zao mbele zako, kwa kuwa wamewatukana wajenzi mbele.
6 So we built the wall, and all the wall was finished unto the half thereof, —and the people had a mind to work.
Basi tuliujenga upya ukuta mpaka wote ukafikia nusu ya kimo chake, kwa kuwa watu walifanya kazi kwa moyo wote.
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;
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 conspired, all of them together, to come, to fight against Jerusalem, —and to cause it harm;
Wote walifanya shauri pamoja kuja kupigana dhidi ya Yerusalemu, na kuchochea machafuko dhidi yake.
9 howbeit we prayed unto our God, —and set a watch against them, day and night, because of them.
Lakini tulimwomba Mungu wetu, na tukaweka ulinzi usiku na mchana kupambana na tishio hili.
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;
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 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.
Pia adui zetu walisema, “Kabla hawajajua au kutuona, tutakuwa palepale katikati yao, na tutawaua na kuikomesha hiyo kazi.”
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!
Kisha Wayahudi ambao waliishi karibu nao walikuja zaidi ya mara kumi na kutuambia, “Popote mtakapoelekea, watatushambulia.”
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.
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 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.
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 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.
Adui zetu waliposikia kwamba tumetambua hila yao, na kwamba Mungu amevuruga shauri lao, sote tulirudi kwenye ukuta, kila mmoja kwenye kazi yake.
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.
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 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.
waliokuwa wakijenga ukuta. Wale waliobeba vifaa vya ujenzi walifanya kazi yao kwa mkono mmoja, na kushika silaha kwa mkono mwingine,
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.
na kila mjenzi alijifunga upanga wake upande mmoja akiwa anafanya kazi. Lakini mtu wa kupiga baragumu alikaa pamoja nami.
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:
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 what place soever ye shall hear the sound of the horn, thither, gather yourselves unto us, —our God, will fight for us.
Popote mtakaposikia sauti ya baragumu, jiungeni nasi huko. Mungu wetu atatupigania!”
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.
Basi tuliendelea na kazi, nusu ya watu wakishikilia mikuki, kuanzia mawio ya jua hadi nyota zilipoonekana.
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.
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 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.
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.
