Nehemiæ 4
1 Factum est autem, cum audisset Sanaballat quod aedificaremus murum, iratus est valde: et motus nimis subsannavit Iudaeos,
Now when Sanballat heard we were building the wall, it burned within him, and he was furiously angry, and he mocked 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?
In the presence of his brothers and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore the city for themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish the work in a day? Will they bring to life the stones from the piles of rubble after they were burned?
3 Sed et Tobias Ammanites proximus eius, ait: Aedificent: si ascenderit vulpes, transiliet murum eorum lapideum.
Tobiah the Ammonite was with him, and he said, “If only a fox went up on what they are building, it would break down their stone wall!”
4 Audi Deus noster, quia facti sumus despectui: converte opprobrium super caput eorum, et da eos in despectionem in terra captivitatis.
Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunts on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are prisoners.
5 Ne operias iniquitatem eorum, et peccatum eorum coram facie tua non deleatur, quia irriserunt aedificantes.
Do not cover over their iniquity and do not erase their sin from before you, for they have provoked the builders to anger.
6 Itaque aedificavimus murum, et coniunximus totum usque ad partem dimidiam: et provocatum est cor populi ad operandum.
So we built the wall and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a desire 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.
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the work of repairing the walls of Jerusalem was going forward, and that the broken places in the wall were being closed up, a great anger burned within them.
8 Et congregati sunt omnes pariter ut venirent, et pugnarent contra Ierusalem, et molirentur insidias.
They all conspired together, and they came to fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.
9 Et oravimus Deum nostrum, et posuimus custodes super murum die ac nocte contra eos.
But we prayed to our God and set a guard as protection against them day and night because of their threat.
10 Dixit autem Iudas: Debilitata est fortitudo portantis, et humus nimia est, et nos non poterimus aedificare murum.
Then the people of Judah said, “The strength of those who carry the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble, and we are not 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.
Our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them and kill them, and stop 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 near them came from all directions and spoke to us ten times, warning us about the schemes they were making against us.
13 statui in loco post murum per circuitum populum in ordinem cum gladiis suis, et lanceis, et arcubus.
So I positioned people in the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I positioned each family 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.
Then I looked, and stood up, and I said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Call to mind the Lord, who is great and awesome. Fight for your families, 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.
It came about when our enemies heard that their plans were known to us, and God had frustrated their plans, all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work.
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
So from that time half of my servants worked only on rebuilding the wall, and half of them held spears, shields, bows, and wore armor, while the leaders stood behind all the people of Judah.
17 aedificantium in muro, et portantium onera, et imponentium: una manu sua faciebat opus, et altera tenebat gladium:
The same workers who were building the wall and carrying loads were also guarding their positions. Everyone worked with one hand, and with the other hand he held his weapon.
18 aedificentium enim unusquisque gladio erat accinctus renes. Et aedificabant, et clangebant buccina iuxta me.
Every builder wore his sword on his side and that is how he worked. The one who sounded the trumpet 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:
I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.
20 in loco quocumque audieritis clangorem tubae, illuc concurrite ad nos: Deus noster pugnabit pro nobis.
You must rush to the place where you hear the trumpet sound and assemble 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 were doing the work. Half of them were holding spears from the rising of the dawn until the coming out of the stars.
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.
I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant spend the night in the middle of Jerusalem, so they may be for us a guard during the night and a worker in the 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 men of the guard who followed me, none of us changed our clothes, and each of us carried his weapon, even if he went for water.
