< Nehemiah 4 >
1 But when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and was very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
Bere a Sanbalat tee sɛ yɛreto ɔfasu no, ne bo fuw yiye. Nʼani beree yiye, dii Yudafo no ho fɛw,
2 He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burnt?”
wɔ ne nnamfonom ne Samaria asraafo mpanyimfo anim se, “Dɛn na Yudafo ahiafo, mmɔborɔfokuw yi dwene sɛ wɔreyɛ? Wogye di sɛ, sɛ wɔbɔ afɔre sɛ dɛn koraa a, wobetumi de da koro ato ɔfasu yi ana? Monhwɛ abo a ahyew asɛe yi a wɔreyiyi afi afabo yi mu de ayɛ adwuma bio?”
3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, “What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall.”
Na Amonni Tobia a na ogyina ne nkyɛn kae se, “Saa abo fasu yi de, sɛ sakraman koraa fa so a, ebedwiriw agu fam!”
4 “Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their reproach on their own head. Give them up for a plunder in a land of captivity.
Na mebɔɔ mpae se, “Yɛn Nyankopɔn, tie yɛn, na wɔredi yɛn ho fɛw. Ma wɔn fɛwdi no mmɔ wɔn ara wɔn ti so, na ma wɔn ankasa nkɔyɛ nnommum wɔ ananafo asase so.
5 Don’t cover their iniquity. Don’t let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders.”
Mmu wʼani ngu wɔn afɔdi so. Mpepa wɔn bɔne, efisɛ wɔahyɛ wo abufuw wɔ adansifo yi anim.”
6 So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
Eyi nyinaa akyi no, wɔtoo ɔfasu no kosii dedaw no sorokɔ fa twaa kurow no ho hyiae, efisɛ ɔmanfo no yɛɛ adwumaden.
7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, they were very angry;
Na bere a Sanbalat ne Tobia ne Arabfo ne Amonfo ne Asdodfo tee sɛ adwuma no rekɔ so na wɔretuatua ɔfasu no mu atokuru no, wɔn bo fuw yiye.
8 and they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion amongst us.
Wɔn nyinaa yɛɛ nhyehyɛe sɛ wɔbɛba abɛko atia Yerusalem, na wɔama basabasayɛ aba hɔ.
9 But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night because of them.
Nanso yɛbɔɔ yɛn Nyankopɔn mpae, wɛn kurow no awia ne anadwo de bɔɔ yɛn ho ban.
10 Judah said, “The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading and there is much rubble, so that we are not able to build the wall.”
Afei, nnipa a wɔwɔ Yuda no fii ase nwiinwii kae se, “Adwumayɛfo no rebrɛ, na afabo no dɔɔso, na yɛn nko ara rentumi nyɛ adwuma no.”
11 Our adversaries said, “They will not know or see, until we come in amongst them and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”
Bere koro no ara mu no na yɛn atamfo nso reka se, “Ansa na wɔn ani bɛba wɔn ho so no, na yɛatow ahyɛ wɔn so, akunkum wɔn, ama adwuma no aba awiei.”
12 When the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
Yudafo a na wɔte bɛn atamfo no bɛbɔɔ yɛn amanneɛ mpɛn bebree se, “Wobefi afanan nyinaa abɛtow ahyɛ yɛn so.”
13 Therefore I set guards in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places. I set the people by family groups with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
Enti mede awɛmfo a wokura akode kɔtenaa baabi a ɔfasu no yɛ tia, wɔ mmeaemmeae a ɛhɔ deda hɔ. Memaa mmusuakuw no gyinagyinaa sɛ awɛmfo a, wokurakura afoa, mpeaw ne agyan.
14 I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
Mehwɛɛ sɛnea nneɛma te no, mefrɛɛ ntuanofo no ne ɔmanfo no ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Munnsuro atamfo no! Monkae Awurade a ɔyɛ ɔkɛse ne onuonyamfo no na monko mma mo nnamfonom, mo mmusua ne mo afi.”
15 When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.
Bere a yɛn atamfo tee sɛ yɛahu wɔn atirimpɔw ne sɛnea Onyankopɔn asɛe saa atirimpɔw no, yɛn nyinaa san kɔɔ ɔfasu no ho kɔtoaa yɛn adwuma so.
16 From that time forth, half of my servants did the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
Na efi saa bere no, me mmarima no dodow mu fa pɛ na wɔyɛɛ adwuma, na nkae no wɛn hɔ a wokurakura mpeaw, nkatabo, agyan, hyehyɛɛ akotade wɛn hɔ. Mpanyimfo no gyinagyinaa Yudafo no a
17 Those who built the wall, and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands did the work, and with the other held his weapon.
na wɔreto ɔfasu no akyi. Apaafo no biara de ne nsa baako yɛɛ adwuma bere a nsa baako nso kura akode mu,
18 Amongst the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the shofar was by me.
na adansifo no mu biara wɔ afoa a ɛbɔ nʼataaso. Torobɛntohyɛnni no gyinaa me nkyɛn, na biribi si a, wahyɛn nʼabɛn.
19 I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.
Afei, mekyerɛɛ mu kyerɛɛ atitiriw ne adwumayɛfo ne ɔmanfo no nyinaa se, “Adwuma no atrɛw, na yɛn ntam nso woware wɔ ɔfasu no so.
20 Wherever you hear the sound of the shofar, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us.”
Na sɛ mote torobɛnto no nnyigyei a, monyɛ ntɛm nkɔ baabi a nnyigyei no wɔ. Na yɛn Nyankopɔn bɛko ama yɛn.”
21 So we did the work. Half of the people held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.
Yɛkɔɔ adwuma ntɛm tenaa so kyɛe fi bere a owia pue kosi bere a owia kɔtɔ. Na bere biara na nnipa no mu fa rewɛn.
22 Likewise at the same time I said to the people, “Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labour in the day.”
Saa bere no meka kyerɛɛ wɔn a wɔtete ɔfasu no akyi no nso se, “Obiara ne ne boafo ntu nkɔ Yerusalem anadwo na ama wɔatumi awɛn anadwo, na wɔayɛ adwuma awia.”
23 So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.
Saa bere no, yɛn mu biara, sɛ ɛyɛ me anaa me fifo anaa mʼasomfo anaa awɛmfo a na wɔne me wɔ hɔ no anworɔw ne ntade da. Sɛ yɛrekɔpɛ nsu mpo a na yekurakura yɛn akode.