Nehemiah 4
1 Now when Sanballat heard we were building the wall, it burned within him, and he was furiously angry, and he 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 In the presence of his brothers and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore the city for themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish the work in a day? Will they bring to life the stones from the piles of rubble after they were burned?
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 Tobiah the Ammonite was with him, and he said, “If only a fox went up on what they are building, it 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, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunts on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are prisoners.
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 Do not cover over their iniquity and do not erase their sin from before you, for they have provoked the builders to anger.
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 joined together to half its height, for the people had a desire 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 when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the work of repairing the walls of Jerusalem was going forward, and that the broken places in the wall were being closed up, a great anger burned within them.
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 They all conspired together, and they came to fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.
都聯合起來，圖謀來攻打耶路撒冷，擾亂我們。
9 But we prayed to our God and set a guard as protection against them day and night because of their threat.
我們一面祈求我們的天主，一面派了衛隊，日夜防守。
10 Then the people of Judah said, “The strength of those who carry the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble, and we are not able to rebuild 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 Our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them and kill them, and stop the work.”
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 At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and spoke to us ten times, warning us about the schemes they were making against 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 positioned people in the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I positioned each family with their swords, spears, and 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 stood up, and I said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Call to mind the Lord, who is great and awesome. Fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
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 It came about when our enemies heard that their plans were known to us, and God had frustrated their plans, all of us returned to the wall, each one to 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 So from that time half of my servants worked only on rebuilding the wall, and half of them held spears, shields, bows, and wore armor, while the leaders stood behind all the people 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 The same workers who were building the wall and carrying loads were also guarding their positions. Everyone worked with one hand, and with the other hand he held his 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 Every builder wore his sword on his side and that is how he worked. The one who sounded the trumpet stayed beside me.
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 I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.
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 You must rush to the place where you hear the trumpet sound and assemble there. 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 doing the work. Half of them were holding spears from the rising 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 I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant spend the night in the middle of Jerusalem, so they may be for us a guard during the night and a worker in the day.”
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 brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us changed our clothes, and each of us carried his weapon, even if he went for 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。
