< 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.
But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and felt great indignation, and mocked 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 spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they finish in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are 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!”
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox should go up, he would even break down 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.
Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a spoil in the 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.”
And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before 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 built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to the half of it: 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.
But it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were set up, and that the breaches began to be closed, then they were very angry,
8 Ha niile gbara izu ịchịrị ndị agha bịa imegide Jerusalem, ime ka ọgbaaghara dị nʼobodo ahụ.
And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
9 Ma anyị kpere ekpere nye Chineke, kwụbakwa ndị nche iguzogide ha ehihie na abalị.
Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of 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.
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is failing, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not 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 adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay 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.”
And it came to pass, that when the Jews who dwelt by them came, they said to us ten times, From all places where ye shall return to us they will be upon you.
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.
Therefore I set in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people according to their families with their swords, their spears, and their 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 looked, and arose, and said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be ye not afraid of them: remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
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.
And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one to his 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 came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind 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.
They who built on the wall, and they that bore burdens, burdened themselves, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
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 the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so built. And he that sounded the trumpet was by 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 rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
20 Ya mere, mgbe ọbụla unu nụrụ ụda opi, gbaranụ ọsọ bịa nʼebe m nọ. Chineke ga-alụkwara anyị ọgụ.”
In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye there to us: our God shall 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 laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
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.
Likewise at the same time said I to the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour in 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.
So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us put off our clothes, except that every one put them off for washing.