Nehemaya 4
1 Iwe were Sanbalat nke ukwuu mgbe ọ nụrụ na anyị na-ewuzigharị mgbidi ahụ niile. O were iwe dị ọkụ, ọnụma jukwara ya obi. Ọ chịrị ndị Juu ọchị, kwaakwa ha emo.
Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews
2 Nʼihu ndị otu ya na ndịisi agha Sameria, o kwuru si, “Gịnị ka ndị Juu ole na ole a na-adịghị ike na-eme? Ha na-achọ iwugharị mgbidi obodo a? Ha ga-achụ aja? Ha ga-arụcha ọrụ niile nʼotu ụbọchị? Ha ga-esita nʼaja a kụpịasịrị akụpịa mee ka nkume ndị a dị ndụ, ka ọ bụ site na nkume ochie ndị a akpọrọ ọkụ?”
before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?”
3 Tobaya onye Amọn, onye nọ ya nʼakụkụ mgbe ahụ, kwukwara okwu sị; “Leenụ ụdị mgbidi ha na-ewu! Ọ bụrụ na nkịta ọhịa arịkwasị ya nʼelu ọ ga-ada!”
Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!”
4 Mgbe ahụ, e kpere m ekpere sị, “Chineke, biko nụrụ emo a na-akwa anyị. Ka ịkwa emo ha laghachikwa ha nʼisi; ka a dọtakwa ha nʼagha buru ha jee mba ọzọ.
Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity.
5 Elefula mmehie ha anya, agbagharakwala ha, nʼihi na ha ledara gị anya, ledakwa anyị anya, bụ ndị na-ewuzi mgbidi gị.”
Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders.
6 Ya mere, anyị wuziri mgbidi ahụ ruo mgbe ha niile ruru ọkara nʼịdị elu ya, nʼihi na onye ọbụla wepụtara obi ya ịrụ ọrụ.
So we rebuilt the wall until all of it was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
7 Ma mgbe Sanbalat, Tobaya, ndị Arab, ndị Amọn na ndị Ashdọd nụrụ na ọrụ iwuzi mgbidi Jerusalem na-aga nʼihu, nụkwa na-emechichala ebe niile puru epu, iwe were ha nke ukwuu.
When Sanballat and Tobiah, together with the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they were furious,
8 Ha niile gbara izu ịchịrị ndị agha bịa imegide Jerusalem, ime ka ọgbaaghara dị nʼobodo ahụ.
and all of them conspired to come and fight against Jerusalem and create a hindrance.
9 Ma anyị kpere ekpere nye Chineke, kwụbakwa ndị nche iguzogide ha ehihie na abalị.
So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.
10 Mgbe ahụ, ndị Juda bidoro itamu ntamu na-asị, na ike ebidola ịgwụ ndị ọrụ ha, na mkpọmkpọ ihe fọdụrụ ka buru ibu, na naanị anyị apụghị ịrụcha mgbidi ahụ.
Meanwhile, the people of Judah said: “The strength of the laborer fails, and there is so much rubble that we will never be able to rebuild the wall.”
11 Ma nʼotu oge ahụ kwa, ndị iro anyị na-agba izu nʼakụkụ, na-achọ igbu anyị mgbe anyị na-eleghị anya ha maọbụ mara ka ọrụ ahụ kwụsị.
And our enemies said, “Before they know or see a thing, we will come into their midst, kill them, and put an end to the work.”
12 Ndị Juu ndị bi ha nso bịara ọtụtụ mgbe gwa anyị, “Ebe ọbụla unu gbagara, ha ga-ebuso unu agha.”
At that time the Jews who lived nearby came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
13 Nʼihi ya, eguzobere m ndị ụfọdụ nʼebe niile dịkarịsịrị ala nʼazụ mgbidi ahụ, nʼebe niile ghere oghe, e guzobere ha, kpanye ha mma agha, ùbe na ụta nʼaka dịka ezinaụlọ ha si dị.
So I stationed men behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows.
14 Mgbe m lezichara ihe niile anya, eguzooro m ọtọ sị ndị ahụ a na-asọpụrụ, na ndị ọchịchị niile na ndị ọzọ nʼobodo ahụ, “Unu atụla ha egwu. Chetanụ na Onyenwe anyị, nke dị ukwuu na-eyikwa egwu, ma bukwaaranụ ezinaụlọ unu, ụmụ unu ndị ikom ndị inyom, ndị nwunye unu na ụlọ unu agha.”
After I had made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
15 Mgbe ndị iro anyị chọpụtara na anyị amatala izu ọjọọ ha, na Chineke emebiekwala atụmatụ ha, anyị onwe anyị laghachiri nʼọrụ anyị nke iwuzi mgbidi ahụ.
When our enemies heard that we were aware of their scheme and that God had frustrated it, each of us returned to his own work on the wall.
16 Sitekwa nʼoge ahụ gaa nʼihu, anyị kere onwe anyị ụzọ abụọ. Ụfọdụ ndị ji ùbe, ọta na ụta na-anọ na nche mgbe ndị ọzọ na-arụ ọrụ. Ndịisi niile pụtakwara guzo nʼazụ ndị Juda niile ebe ha nọ nʼihu ọrụ ha.
And from that day on, half of my servants did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers stationed themselves behind all the people of Judah
17 Ndị na-edo nkume na ndị ọrụ ọbụla debere ngwa ọgụ ha nʼebe ọ ga-eru ha aka mgbe ọbụla ha na-arụ ọrụ.
who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.
18 Ndị ọzọ tinyere mma agha ha nʼukwu ha. Ndị na-egbu opi nọkwa m nʼakụkụ mgbe niile maka ịfụ opi mgbe a chọrọ ya.
And each of the builders worked with his sword strapped at his side. But the trumpeter stayed beside me.
19 Mgbe ahụ, asịrị m ndị niile a na-asọpụrụ, ndị ọchịchị na ndị mmadụ ọzọ ahụ niile, “Ọrụ anyị nwere ịrụ dị ukwuu, gbasapụkwa, anyị anọkọtaghị ọnụ nʼotu ebe, ekewakwara anyị ebe dị iche iche na mgbidi.
Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “The work is great and extensive, and we are spread out far from one another along the wall.
20 Ya mere, mgbe ọbụla unu nụrụ ụda opi, gbaranụ ọsọ bịa nʼebe m nọ. Chineke ga-alụkwara anyị ọgụ.”
Wherever you hear the sound of the horn, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!”
21 Ya mere, anyị nọgidere nʼọrụ anyị site nʼìhè mbụ nke ụtụtụ rụọ mgbe kpakpando pụtara. Ọkara nʼime ndị ọrụ jikwa ùbe nọrọ na nche.
So we continued the work, while half of the men held spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.
22 Agwara m ndịisi ọrụ niile okwu sị ha na onyeisi ọrụ ọbụla na ndị na-enyere ya aka nʼọrụ ga na-anọ na Jerusalem nʼabalị niile. Nʼụzọ dị otu a, ndị ọrụ ga-arụ ọrụ ha nʼoge ihe dị, ma ha ga-anọkwa na nche nʼabalị.
At that time I also said to the people, “Let every man and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day.”
23 Nʼoge ndị a niile, eyipụghị m uwe m yi nʼahụ. O nwekwaghị onye ọbụla ọzọ, maọbụ nwanne m nwoke, maọbụ ndị nche na-eso m onye yipụrụ uwe ya ma onye ukwu ma onye nta. Mma agha anyị na-adịkwa anyị nʼukwu mgbe niile, ọbụladị mgbe anyị chọrọ mmiri.
So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the guards with me changed out of our clothes; each carried his weapon, even to go for water.
