Nehemiæ 4

1 Factum est autem, cum audisset Sanaballat quod ædificaremus murum, iratus est valde: et motus nimis subsannavit Iudæos,

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 et dixit coram fratribus suis, et frequentia Samaritanorum: Quid Iudæi faciunt imbecilles? Num dimittent eos Gentes? Num sacrificabunt, et complebunt in una die? Numquid ædificare poterunt lapides de acervis pulveris, qui combusti sunt?

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 Sed et Tobias Ammanites proximus eius, ait: Ædificent: si ascenderit vulpes, transiliet murum eorum lapideum.

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 Audi, Deus noster, quia facti sumus despectui: converte opprobrium super caput eorum, et da eos in despectionem in terra captivitatis.

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 Ne operias iniquitatem eorum, et peccatum eorum coram facie tua non deleatur, quia irriserunt ædificantes.

and do not cover [their] iniquity.

6 Itaque ædificavimus murum, et coniunximus totum usque ad partem dimidiam: et provocatum est cor populi ad operandum.

7 Factum est autem, cum audisset Sanaballat, et Tobias, et Arabes, et Ammanitæ, et Azotii, quod obducta esset cicatrix muri Ierusalem, et quod cœpissent interrupta concludi, irati sunt nimis.

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 Et congregati sunt omnes pariter ut venirent, et pugnarent contra Ierusalem, et molirentur insidias.

And all of them assembled together, to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to destroy it utterly.

9 Et oravimus Deum nostrum, et posuimus custodes super murum die ac nocte contra eos.

So we prayed to our God and set watchmen against them day and night, because of them.

10 Dixit autem Iudas: Debilitata est fortitudo portantis, et humus nimia est, et nos non poterimus ædificare murum.

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 Et dixerunt hostes nostri: Nesciant, et ignorent donec veniamus in medium eorum, et interficiamus eos, et cessare faciamus opus.

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 Factum est autem venientibus Iudæis, qui habitabant iuxta eos, et dicentibus nobis per decem vices ex omnibus locis quibus venerant ad nos,

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 statui in loco post murum per circuitum populum in ordinem cum gladiis suis, et lanceis, et arcubus.

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 Et perspexi atque surrexi: et aio ad optimates et magistratus, et ad reliquam partem vulgi: Nolite timere a facie eorum. Domini magni et terribilis mementote, et pugnate pro fratribus vestris, filiis vestris, et filiabus vestris, et uxoribus vestris, et domibus vestris.

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 Factum est autem, cum audissent inimici nostri nunciatum esse nobis, dissipavit Deus consilium eorum. Et reversi sumus omnes ad muros, unusquisque ad opus suum.

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 Et factum est a die illa, media pars iuvenum eorum faciebat opus, et media parata erat ad bellum, et lanceæ, et scuta, et arcus, et loricæ, et principes post eos in omni domo Iuda.

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 Ædificantium in muro, et portantium onera, et imponentium: una manu sua faciebat opus, et altera tenebat gladium:

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 ædificentium enim unusquisque gladio erat accinctus renes. Et ædificabant, et clangebant buccina iuxta me.

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 Et dixi ad optimates, et ad magistratus, et ad reliquam partem vulgi: Opus grande est et latum, et nos separati sumus in muro procul alter ab altero:

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 in loco quocumque audieritis clangorem tubæ, illuc concurrite ad nos: Deus noster pugnabit pro nobis.

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 Et nosipsi faciamus opus: et media pars nostrum teneat lanceas ab ascensu auroræ donec egrediantur astra.

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 In tempore quoque illo dixi populo: Unusquisque cum puero suo maneat in medio Ierusalem, et sint nobis vices per noctem, et diem, ad operandum.

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 Ego autem et fratres mei, et pueri mei, et custodes, qui erant post me, non deponebamus vestimenta nostra: unusquisque tantum nudabatur ad baptismum.

And I was [there], and the watchmen behind me, and there was not a man of us that put off his garments.