Nehemia 4
1 Rĩrĩa Sanibalati aaiguire atĩ nĩtwakaga rũthingo rĩngĩ, akĩrakara na agĩthirĩka mũno. Agĩthekerera Ayahudi,
Now it came to pass, when Sanaballat heard that we were building the wall, that it was grievous to him, and he was very angry, and railed against the Jews.
2 na arĩ mbere ya athiritũ ake na mbũtũ cia ita cia Samaria, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ayahudi aya ahinyaru-rĩ, nĩ kĩĩ mareka? Nĩmegũcookereria rũthingo rwao? Nĩmekũruta magongona? Nĩmekũrĩkia wĩra ũyũ na mũthenya ũmwe? Maahota gũtũma mahiga macooke muoyo kuuma hĩba-inĩ ici cia mahuti maya mahĩĩte ũũ wothe?”
And he said before his brethren (that [is] the army of the Samaritans) [Is it true] that these Jews are building their city? do they indeed offer sacrifices? will they prevail? and will they this day restore the stones, after they have been burnt and made a heap of rubbish?
3 Tobia ũrĩa Mũamoni, ũrĩa warĩ mwena wake, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Rũthingo rũu rwa mahiga maraaka-rĩ, o na mbwe ĩngĩrũhaica no ĩrũmomore!”
And Tobias the Ammanite came near to him, and said to them, Do they sacrifice or eat in their place? shall not a fox go up and pull down their wall of stones?
4 No rĩrĩ, Wee Ngai witũ tũthikĩrĩrie, tondũ tũrĩ andũ anyarare. Garũra irumi icio ciao imacookerere. Maneane ta matahĩtwo bũrũri-inĩ wa ũkombo.
Hear, O our God, for we have become a scorn; and return you their reproach upon their head, and make them a scorn in a land of captivity,
5 Ndũkahithĩrĩre mahĩtia mao kana weherie mehia mao kuuma ũthiũ-inĩ waku, nĩgũkorwo nĩmarumĩte andũ arĩa maraaka.
and do not cover [their] iniquity.
6 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio tũgĩaka rũthingo rũu rĩngĩ o nginya ruothe rũgĩkinya nuthu ya ũraihu waruo, nĩgũkorwo andũ acio maarutire wĩra na ngoro cia kwĩyendera.
7 No hĩndĩ ĩrĩa Sanibalati, na Tobia, na Aarabu, na Aamoni, na andũ a Ashidodi maiguire atĩ thingo cia Jerusalemu nĩciathiiaga na mbere gũcookererio na atĩ mĩanya nĩyathingagwo-rĩ, makĩrakara mũno.
But it came to pass, when Sanaballat and Tobia, and the Arabians, and the Ammanites, heard that the building of the walls of Jerusalem was advancing, [and] that the breaches began to be stopped, that it appeared very grievous to them.
8 Magĩthiĩ ndundu marĩ othe, magĩciira ũrĩa megũka mahũũrane na Jerusalemu, na mambĩrĩrie ngũĩ kuo.
And all of them assembled together, to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to destroy it utterly.
9 No nĩtwahooire Ngai witũ na tũkĩiga arangĩri a gũtũgitĩra mũthenya na ũtukũ nĩ ũndũ nĩtwehĩtĩirwo.
So we prayed to our God and set watchmen against them day and night, because of them.
10 O ihinda rĩu, andũ a Juda makiuga atĩrĩ, “Aruti a wĩra nĩmaroorwo nĩ hinya, na nĩ kũrĩ na mahuti maingĩ mũno matangĩreka twake rũthingo rũu rĩngĩ.”
And Juda said, The strength of the enemies is broken, yet [there is] much rubbish, and we shall not be able to build the wall.
11 O nacio thũ ciitũ ikiuga atĩrĩ, “Mũira wa mamenye ũhoro kana matuone, tũgũkorwo hamwe nao, tũmoorage na tũtũme wĩra ũcio ũtige kũrutwo.”
And they that afflicted us said, They shall not know, and they shall not see, until we come into the midst of them, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.
12 Hĩndĩ ĩyo Ayahudi arĩa maatũũraga hakuhĩ na thũ icio magĩũka, magĩtwĩra maita ikũmi atĩrĩ, “O kũrĩa mũngĩũrĩra-rĩ, nĩmegũtũtharĩkĩra.”
And it came to pass, when the Jews who lived near them came, that they said to us, They are coming up against us from every quarter.
13 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩiga andũ amwe na thuutha wa kũrĩa rũthingo rwarĩ thĩ mũno na gũtaarĩ na ũgitĩri; ngĩmaiga kũringana na nyũmba ciao marĩ na hiũ ciao cia njora, na matimũ, na mota.
So I set [men] in the lowest part of the place behind the wall in the lurking-places, I even set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 Ndaarĩkia kuona ũrĩa maũndũ maatariĩ, ngĩrũgama ngĩĩra andũ arĩa maarĩ igweta, na anene, na andũ arĩa angĩ atĩrĩ, “Mũtikametigĩre. Ririkanai Mwathani, o we ũrĩa mũnene na wa kũmakania, nĩguo mũrũĩrĩre ariũ a thoguo, na aanake anyu, na airĩtu anyu, na atumia anyu, o na mĩciĩ yanyu.”
And I looked, and arose, and said to the nobles, and to the captains, and to the rest of the people, Be not afraid of them: remember our great and terrible God, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
15 Rĩrĩa thũ ciitũ ciamenyire atĩ nĩtwamenyete ũhoro wa ndundu yao, na atĩ Ngai nĩarigĩrĩirie ũndũ ũcio, ithuothe tũgĩcooka rũthingo-inĩ, o mũndũ agĩthiĩ wĩra-inĩ wake.
And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was made known to us, and God had frustrated their counsel, that we all returned to the wall, [every] man to his work.
16 Kuuma mũthenya ũcio nuthu ya andũ akwa nĩo maarutaga wĩra nayo nuthu ĩyo ĩngĩ yao makĩheo matimũ, na ngo, na mota, o na nguo cia kĩgera. Anene nao makĩrũgama thuutha wa andũ othe a Juda
And it came to pass from that day [that] half of them that had been driven forth, wrought the work, and half of them kept guard; and [there were] spears, and shields, and bows, and breastplates, and rulers behind the whole house of Juda,
17 arĩa maakaga rũthingo. Nao arĩa maakuuaga indo cia mwako maarutaga wĩra na guoko kũmwe, nakuo kũrĩa kũngĩ kũnyiitĩte kĩndũ kĩa mbaara,
even of them that were building the wall: —and those who carried the burdens [were] under arms: [each] with one hand wrought his work, and with the other held his dart.
18 nake mwaki o wothe aikaraga eyohete rũhiũ rwake rwa njora njohero o akĩrutaga wĩra. No mũhuhi wa karumbeta aanjikaraga hakuhĩ.
And the builders [wrought] each man having his sword girded upon his loins, and so they built: and the trumpeter with his trumpet next to him.
19 Ningĩ ngĩĩra arĩa maarĩ igweta, na anene, na andũ arĩa angĩ atĩrĩ, “Wĩra nĩ mũingĩ mũno na ũgatambũrũka, na nĩtũraihanĩrĩirie mũno mũndũ na ũrĩa ũngĩ rũthingo-inĩ.
And I said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work [is] great and abundant, and we are dispersed upon the wall, each at a great distance from his brother.
20 Rĩrĩa rĩothe mũngĩigua karumbeta kaahuhwo, mũũke harĩa tũrĩ. Ngai witũ nĩwe ũgũtũrũĩrĩra!”
In whatever place you shall hear the sound of the cornet, there gather yourselves together to us; and our God shall fight for us.
21 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio tũgĩthiĩ na mbere na kũruta wĩra, nuthu ya andũ ĩnyiitĩte matimũ kuuma rũciinĩ nginya njata cioneke hwaĩ-inĩ.
So we [continued] laboring at the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.
22 Hĩndĩ o ĩyo ngĩĩra andũ atĩrĩ, “Reke o mũndũ na mũteithia wake maikarage Jerusalemu thĩinĩ ũtukũ, nĩgeetha matũtungatagĩre ta arangĩri ũtukũ, na mũthenya makaruta wĩra.”
And at that time I said to the people, Lodge you every man with his servant in the midst of Jerusalem, and let the night be a watch-time to you, and the day a work-time.
23 Niĩ mwene, kana ariũ a baba, kana andũ akwa, kana arangĩri arĩa maarĩ hamwe na niĩ gũtirĩ warutaga nguo; o mũndũ aakoragwo na indo ciake cia mbaara o na agĩthiĩ gũtaha maaĩ.
And I was [there], and the watchmen behind me, and there was not a man of us that put off his garments.
