Nehemiæ 4

1 factum est autem cum audisset Sanaballat quod aedificaremus murum iratus est valde et motus nimis subsannavit Iudaeos

But it came to pass that, when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked 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

And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said: 'What do these feeble Jews? will they restore at will? will they sacrifice? will they make an end this day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned?'

3 sed et Tobias Ammanites proximus eius ait aedificent si ascenderit vulpis transiliet murum eorum lapideum

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said: 'Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall.'

4 audi Deus noster quia facti sumus despectio converte obprobrium super caput eorum et da eos in despectionem in terra captivitatis

Hear, O our God; for we are despised; and turn back their reproach upon their own head, and give them up to spoiling in a land of captivity;

5 ne operias iniquitatem eorum et peccatum eorum coram facie tua non deleatur quia inriserunt aedificantes

and cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before Thee; for they have vexed Thee before the builders.

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 unto half the height thereof; 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

But it came to pass that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth;

8 et congregati omnes pariter ut venirent et pugnarent contra Hierusalem et molirentur insidias

and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein.

9 et oravimus Deum nostrum et posuimus custodes super murum die et nocte contra eos

But we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

10 dixit autem Iudas debilitata est fortitudo portantis et humus nimia est et nos non poterimus aedificare murum

And Judah said: 'The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.'

11 et dixerunt hostes nostri nesciant et ignorent donec veniamus in medio eorum et interficiamus eos et cessare faciamus opus

And our adversaries said: 'They shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.'

12 factum est autem venientibus Iudaeis qui habitabant iuxta eos et dicentibus nobis per decem vices ex omnibus locis quibus venerant ad nos

And it came to pass that, when the Jews that dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times: 'Ye must return unto us from all places.'

13 statui in loco post murum per circuitum populum in ordine cum gladiis suis et lanceis et arcis

Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their 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

And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people: 'Be not ye afraid of them; remember the Lord, who is great and awful, and fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses.'

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

And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.

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 it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants wrought in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

17 aedificantium in muro et portantium onera et inponentium una manu sua faciebat opus et altera tenebat gladium

They that builded the wall and they that bore burdens laded themselves, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other held his weapon;

18 aedificantium enim unusquisque gladio erat accinctus renes et aedificabant et clangebant bucina iuxta me

and the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the horn was by 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

And I said unto 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 in loco quocumque audieritis clangorem tubae illuc concurrite ad nos Deus noster pugnabit pro nobis

in what place soever ye hear the sound of the horn, resort ye thither unto us; 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 wrought in the work; and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

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

Likewise at the same time said I unto the people: 'Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labour 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 brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard that followed me, none of us put off our clothes, every one that went to the water had his weapon.