Nehemiæ 4
1 Factum est autem, cum audisset Sanaballat quod aedificaremus murum, iratus est valde: et motus nimis subsannavit Iudaeos,
Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews
2 et dixit coram fratribus suis, et frequentia Samaritanorum: Quid Iudaei faciunt imbecilles? Num dimittent eos gentes? Num sacrificabunt, et complebunt in una die? Numquid aedificare poterunt lapides de acervis pulveris, qui combusti sunt?
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 Sed et Tobias Ammanites proximus eius, ait: Aedificent: si ascenderit vulpes, transiliet murum eorum lapideum.
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 Audi Deus noster, quia facti sumus despectui: converte opprobrium super caput eorum, et da eos in despectionem in terra captivitatis.
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 Ne operias iniquitatem eorum, et peccatum eorum coram facie tua non deleatur, quia irriserunt aedificantes.
Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders.
6 Itaque aedificavimus murum, et coniunximus totum usque ad partem dimidiam: et provocatum est cor populi ad operandum.
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 Factum est autem, cum audisset Sanaballat, et Tobias, et Arabes, et Ammanitae, et Azotii, quod obducta esset cicatrix muri Ierusalem, et quod coepissent interrupta concludi, irati sunt nimis.
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 Et congregati sunt omnes pariter ut venirent, et pugnarent contra Ierusalem, et molirentur insidias.
and all of them conspired to come and fight against Jerusalem and create a hindrance.
9 Et oravimus Deum nostrum, et posuimus custodes super murum die ac nocte contra eos.
So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.
10 Dixit autem Iudas: Debilitata est fortitudo portantis, et humus nimia est, et nos non poterimus aedificare murum.
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 Et dixerunt hostes nostri: Nesciant, et ignorent donec veniamus in medium eorum, et interficiamus eos, et cessare faciamus opus.
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 Factum est autem venientibus Iudaeis, qui habitabant iuxta eos, et dicentibus nobis per decem vices ex omnibus locis quibus venerant ad nos,
At that time the Jews who lived nearby came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
13 statui in loco post murum per circuitum populum in ordinem cum gladiis suis, et lanceis, et arcubus.
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 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.
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 Factum est autem, cum audissent inimici nostri nunciatum esse nobis, dissipavit Deus consilium eorum. Et reversi sumus omnes ad muros, unusquisque ad opus suum.
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 Et factum est a die illa, media pars iuvenum eorum faciebat opus, et media parata erat ad bellum, et lanceae, et scuta, et arcus, et loricae, et principes post eos in omni domo Iuda
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 aedificantium in muro, et portantium onera, et imponentium: una manu sua faciebat opus, et altera tenebat gladium:
who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.
18 aedificentium enim unusquisque gladio erat accinctus renes. Et aedificabant, et clangebant buccina iuxta me.
And each of the builders worked with his sword strapped at his side. But the trumpeter stayed beside me.
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:
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 in loco quocumque audieritis clangorem tubae, illuc concurrite ad nos: Deus noster pugnabit pro nobis.
Wherever you hear the sound of the horn, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!”
21 Et nosipsi faciamus opus: et media pars nostrum teneat lanceas ab ascensu aurorae donec egrediantur astra.
So we continued the work, while half of the men held spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.
22 In tempore quoque illo dixi populo: Unusquisque cum puero suo maneat in medio Ierusalem, et sint vobis vices per noctem, et diem, ad operandum.
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 Ego autem et fratres mei, et pueri mei, et custodes, qui erant post me, non deponebamus vestimenta nostra: unusquisque tantum nudabatur ad baptismum.
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.
