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 inbecilli faciunt num dimittent eos gentes num sacrificabunt et conplebunt in una die numquid aedificare poterunt lapides de acervis pulveris qui conbusti 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 vulpis 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 despectio converte obprobrium 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 inriserunt 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 Hierusalem 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 omnes pariter ut venirent et pugnarent contra Hierusalem 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 et 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 medio 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 ordine cum gladiis suis et lanceis et arcis
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 perspexi atque surrexi et aio ad optimates et ad 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 uxoribus vestris et domibus
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 nuntiatum 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 faciebant 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 inponentium 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 aedificantium enim unusquisque gladio erat accinctus renes et aedificabant et clangebant bucina 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 nos ipsi 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 Hierusalem 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.
