Neyemi 4
1 Tango Sanibala ayokaki ete tozali kotonga lisusu mir, asepelaki ata moke te mpe atombokaki makasi. Akomaki kotiola Bayuda
Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews
2 mpe koloba liboso ya baninga na ye mpe ya mampinga ya Samari: — Bayuda oyo balemba-lemba boye bazali kosala nini? Bakanisi ete bakotelemisa lisusu mir na bango to kobonza lisusu mbeka? Bakanisi penza ete, mokolo moko, bakosilisa mosala oyo to bakokoka solo kopesa bomoi na mabanga oyo ekundama na se ya mabele mpe esila kozika?
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 Tobiya, moto ya Amoni, oyo azalaki pembeni na ye alobaki: — Nini yango penza bazali kotonga! Mir oyo, soki ata mbwa moko ya zamba emati na likolo na yango, ekokweya!
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 Oh Nzambe na biso, yoka biso, pamba te totiolami! Sala ete kotiola na bango ezonga na mito na bango moko! Kaba bango na mboka ya bowumbu lokola bomengo ya bitumba.
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 Kozipa mabe na bango te mpe kolongola masumu na bango na miso na Yo te, pamba te basili kofinga bato oyo bazali kotonga mir.
Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders.
6 Bongo tokobaki kotonga mir yango kino nyonso ekomaki na kati-kati ya bosanda, pamba te moto nyonso azalaki kosala mosala na motema na ye mobimba.
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 Tango Sanibala, Tobiya, bato ya mokili ya Arabi, ya Amoni mpe ya Asidodi bayokaki ete misala ya kobongisa bamir ya Yelusalemi mpe ya kobamba madusu na yango epusani, batombokaki makasi.
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 Bango nyonso basanganaki mpo na koya kobundisa Yelusalemi mpe kotia mobulu kati na yango.
and all of them conspired to come and fight against Jerusalem and create a hindrance.
9 Kasi tosambelaki Nzambe na biso mpe totiaki bakengeli, butu mpe moyi, mpo ete babundela biso liboso na bango.
So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.
10 Nzokande, na tango yango kaka, bato ya Yuda bazalaki koyimayima: « Awa bato oyo bazali komema mabele bazali lisusu na makasi te, mpe mipiku ya mabanga ya mir oyo ekweya ezali nanu ya komata, tokotikala kolonga te kotonga lisusu mir oyo! »
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 Na ngambo ya banguna na biso, bazalaki koloba: « Liboso na bango koyeba ete ezali biso mpe komona biso na miso, tokomikotela kati na bango na pwasa mpo ete toboma bango mpe tosukisa mosala na bango. »
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 Nzokande, Bayuda oyo bazalaki kovanda kati na bango bayaki mbala zomi koyebisa biso mabongisi na bango: « Na bisika nyonso oyo bokozala, bakobundisa biso! »
At that time the Jews who lived nearby came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
13 Yango wana, natiaki bato na se, na sima ya mir, na bisika ya polele; natiaki bango na masanga kolanda bituka na bango; mpe basimbaki mipanga, makonga mpe matolotolo na bango.
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 Sima na ngai kolandela malamu makambo nyonso, natelemaki mpe nalobaki na bankumu, na bakalaka mpe na bato mosusu: « Bobanga bango te! Bokanisa Yawe oyo azali Nzambe Monene mpe ya somo, mpe bobunda mpo na bandeko na bino, mpo na bana na bino ya mibali mpe ya basi, mpo na basi na bino mpe mpo na bandako na bino! »
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 Tango banguna na biso bayokaki ete toyebi mabongisi na bango mpe ete Nzambe abebisi yango, biso nyonso tozongaki na mir; moko na moko azongelaki mosala na ye.
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 Wuta mokolo wana, kati-kati kaka ya bato na ngai nde bazalaki kosala mosala; kati-kati mosusu basimbaki makonga, banguba, matolotolo mpe balataki bilamba ya bibende oyo batiaka na tolo. Bakonzi ya basoda batelemaki na sima ya bato nyonso ya Yuda.
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 Ezala ba-oyo bazalaki kotonga mir mpe ba-oyo bazalaki komema mabele mpe biloko ya mosala, bango nyonso bazalaki kosala na loboko moko; bongo na loboko mosusu, basimbaki ebundeli.
who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.
18 Moko na moko kati na batongi ndako azalaki na mopanga na ye na loketo, mpe azalaki kosala mosala na ye ndenge wana. Na mopanzi na ngai, ezalaki na moto moko abongama mpo na kobeta kelelo.
And each of the builders worked with his sword strapped at his side. But the trumpeter stayed beside me.
19 Bongo nalobaki na bankumu, bakalaka mpe bato mosusu: — Mosala ezali nanu monene mpe ekenda na etando molayi; kasi biso topanzani mingi na mir, tozali mosika-mosika, bamoko na bamosusu.
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 Na esika nyonso oyo bokoyoka lolaka ya kelelo, boya noki kosangana na biso; Nzambe na biso akobundela biso.
Wherever you hear the sound of the horn, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!”
21 Ezali ndenge wana nde tokobaki mosala na biso elongo na ndambo ya bato basimba makonga na maboko, kobanda na tongo kino na tango oyo minzoto ebimaka.
So we continued the work, while half of the men held spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.
22 Na tango yango kaka, nalobaki lisusu na bato: « Tika ete moto nyonso alekisaka butu kati na Yelusalemi elongo na mowumbu na ye; boye na butu, bakokengela mpo na biso, mpe na moyi, bakokoba mosala. »
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 Ezala ngai, bandeko na ngai, basali na ngai to bakengeli oyo bazalaki elongo na ngai, moko te azalaki kolongola bilamba na ye; moto nyonso azalaki na ebundeli na ye na loboko ata tango azalaki kokende kosukola.
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.
