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.
When Sanballat found out that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious—really mad! He made fun of 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?”
in front of his colleagues and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these useless Jews trying to achieve? Do they think they can rebuild the wall? Are they going to offer sacrifices? Are they going to finish it in a day? Do they think they can re-use stones from piles of rubble and dirt, especially since they've all been burned?”
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!”
Tobiah the Ammonite, standing beside him, commented, “Even a fox walking on what they're building would knock 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.
I prayed, “Lord, please listen to us, because we are being treated with contempt. Rain down their insults on their own heads! Let them be taken away like plunder, prisoners in a foreign land!
5 Elefula mmehie ha anya, agbagharakwala ha, nʼihi na ha ledara gị anya, ledakwa anyị anya, bụ ndị na-ewuzi mgbidi gị.”
Don't forgive their guilt or blot out their sins, for they have made you angry in front of 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 it was all connected, reaching half its height, because the people were keen 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, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being filled in, they were furious.
8 Ha niile gbara izu ịchịrị ndị agha bịa imegide Jerusalem, ime ka ọgbaaghara dị nʼobodo ahụ.
They all plotted together to come and attack Jerusalem and to throw everything into confusion.
9 Ma anyị kpere ekpere nye Chineke, kwụbakwa ndị nche iguzogide ha ehihie na abalị.
So we prayed to our God, and we had guards ready to defend 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.
Then people of Judah started grumbling, saying, “The workmen are exhausted. There's just too much rubble to clear. We'll never be able to finish 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.
Our enemies were saying to themselves, “Before they know it, before they're aware of anything, we'll appear right in among them, kill them, and put a stop to what they're doing.”
12 Ndị Juu ndị bi ha nso bịara ọtụtụ mgbe gwa anyị, “Ebe ọbụla unu gbagara, ha ga-ebuso unu agha.”
The Jews who lived close by came and told us over and over again, “They're going to attack us from all directions!”
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 positioned defenders behind the lowest, most vulnerable sections, of the wall. I had them take their positions by families, armed 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 inspecting our defenses, I stood up and addressed the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, saying, “Don't be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is powerful and formidable! 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 discovered that we knew about their plan, and that God had foiled it, we all went back to our 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.
From then on, half of my men were doing the work while the other half were ready to fight, holding their spears, shields, bows, and armor. The leaders stood 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 building the wall. Those carrying materials worked with one hand, holding a weapon in 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.
All the builders carried a sword strapped to their side, and the trumpeter stood 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 told the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “We have a lot to do everywhere, so we're very spread out 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 are and you hear the sound of the trumpet, run to join 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.
We went on working, with half of the men holding spears from 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.
I also told the people, “Everyone including servants must spend the night inside Jerusalem, so they can be on guard duty at night and work during the 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.
During that time none of us changed our clothes—not me or my brothers or my men or the guards with me. Everyone carried their weapons at all times, even to go for water.
