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 alipoposikia tulikuwa tukijenga ukuta, akaghadhabika ndani yake, naye akakasirika sana, akawacheka 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 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 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 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 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;
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 their iniquity, and, their sin before thee, let it not be blotted out, —for they have caused vexation before them who are building.
Usiufunike uovu wao, wala usiondoe dhambi zao mbele yako; kwa sababu wamewachukiza wanaojenga.
6 So we built the wall, and all the wall was finished unto the half thereof, —and the people had a mind 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 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 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 conspired, all of them together, to come, to fight against Jerusalem, —and to cause it harm;
Wote walifanya shauri pamoja, na walikuja kupigana dhidi ya Yerusalemu na kusababisha machafuko ndani yake.
9 howbeit we prayed unto our God, —and set a watch against them, day and 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 Then said Judah, The strength of the burden-bearer faileth, and, the rubbish, aboundeth, —and, we, are not able to build at the wall;
Kisha watu wa Yuda wakasema, “Nguvu ya wale wanaobeba mizigo inashindwa. Kuna kifusi kikubwa, na hatuwezi kujenga 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.
Na adui zetu wakasema,” Wala hawatajua au kuona mpaka tutakapokuja kati yao na kuwaua, na kuisimamisha 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!
Wakati huo Wayahudi waliokuwa wakiishi karibu nao walitoka pande zote na kuzungumza nasi mara kumi, wakituonya juu ya mipango waliyofanya dhidi yetu.
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 watu katika sehemu za chini za ukuta katika sehemu zilizo wazi. Niliweka kila familia wenye upanga, mikuki, na upinde.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
Kila mjenzi alivaa upanga wake ubavuni mwake na ndivyo alivyojenga. Yule aliyepiga tarumbeta akakaa karibu 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:
Niliwaambia wakuu na viongozi na watu wengine, “Kazi ni nzuri na ya kina, na tumejitenga kwenye ukuta, mbali na mtu mwingine.
20 In what place soever ye shall hear the sound of the horn, thither, gather yourselves unto us, —our God, will fight for us.
Lazima mkimbilie mahali ambapo mtasikia sauti ya tarumbeta na kusanyika 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.
Kwa hiyo tulifanya kazi hiyo. Nusu yao walikuwa wakichukua mikuki kutoka kupambazuka asubuhi hadi kutokea kwa nyota.
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.
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 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.
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.
