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 it happened that, when Sanballat had heard that we were building the wall, he was very angry. And having been moved exceedingly, 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?”
And he said, before his brothers and a crowd of the Samaritans: “What are the foolish Jews doing? Can it be that the Gentiles will allow them? Will they sacrifice and finish in one day? Do they have the ability to make stones out of piles of dust that have been burned up?”
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 too, Tobiah, an Ammonite, his assistant, said: “Let them build. When the fox climbs, he will leap over their stone wall.”
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.
Listen, O our God, for we have become an object of contempt. Turn their reproach upon their own head, and grant that they may be despised in 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.”
May you not conceal their iniquity, and may their sin not be wiped away, before your face, for they have ridiculed those who are building.
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.
And so we built the wall, and we joined it together, even to the unfinished portion. And the heart of the people was stirred up for the 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.
Now it happened that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabs, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites had heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been closed, and that the breaches had begun to be repaired, they were exceedingly angry.
8 Ha niile gbara izu ịchịrị ndị agha bịa imegide Jerusalem, ime ka ọgbaaghara dị nʼobodo ahụ.
And they all gathered together, so that they might go forth and fight against Jerusalem, and so that they might prepare ambushes.
9 Ma anyị kpere ekpere nye Chineke, kwụbakwa ndị nche iguzogide ha ehihie na abalị.
And we prayed to our God, and we stationed guards upon the wall, day and night, against them.
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.
Then Judah said: “The strength of those who carry has diminished, and the amount of material is very great, and so we will not be able to build 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: “Let them neither know, nor realize, until we arrive in their midst, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”
12 Ndị Juu ndị bi ha nso bịara ọtụtụ mgbe gwa anyị, “Ebe ọbụla unu gbagara, ha ga-ebuso unu agha.”
Now it happened that, on ten occasions, some Jews arrived who were living near them, from all the places from which they came to us, and they told us this.
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 the people in order, in places behind the wall, all around it, with their swords, and lances, 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.”
And I gazed around, and I rose up. And I said to the nobles, and to the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: “Do not be afraid before their face. Remember the great and terrible Lord, and fight on behalf of your brothers, your sons and your daughters, and your wives and your households.”
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.
Then it happened that, when our enemies had heard that it had been reported to us, God defeated their counsel. And we all returned to the walls, each one to his own work.
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 it happened that, from that day, half of their young men were doing the work, and half were prepared for war with lances, and shields, and bows, and armor. And the leaders were behind them in all the house 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.
As for those building the wall, and carrying the burdens, and setting things in place: one of his hands was doing the work, and the other was holding a sword.
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.
For each one of the builders was girded with a sword at the waist. And they were building, and they were sounding a trumpet 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.
And I said to the nobles, and to the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: “The work is great and wide, and we are separated on the wall far from one another.
20 Ya mere, mgbe ọbụla unu nụrụ ụda opi, gbaranụ ọsọ bịa nʼebe m nọ. Chineke ga-alụkwara anyị ọgụ.”
At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rush to that place for us. Our God will fight on our behalf.
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.
And so let us accomplish the work. And let one half part of us hold spears, from the ascent of dawn until the stars come 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.
Also at that time, I said to the people: “Let each one with his servant remain in the midst of Jerusalem. And let us take turns, throughout the night and day, in doing the work.”
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.
But I and my brothers, and my servants, and the guards who were behind me, we did not take off our clothes; each one only removed his clothes to wash.
