Nekkemiya 4
1 Awo Sanubalaati olwawulira nga tuddaabiriza bbugwe, n’anyiiga nnyo era n’ajjula obuswandi. N’aduulira Abayudaaya
Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews
2 mu maaso ga mikwano gye ne mu maaso g’eggye ly’e Samaliya n’ayogera nti, “Bano Abayudaaya abanafu bali ku ki? Balizzaawo bbugwe waabwe? Baliwaayo ssaddaaka? Balimalira mu lunaku lumu? Bayinza okulamusa amayinja okuva mu ntuumu z’ebisaaniiko, ate ebyayokebwa?”
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 Omwamoni yali amuyimiridde kumpi, n’ayogera nti, “Ebyo bye bazimba, singa ekibe kinaalinnyako kinaasuula bbugwe waabwe ow’amayinja!”
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 Ne nsaba Katonda nti, “Otuwulire Ayi Katonda waffe kubanga tunyoomebwa. Ebivumo byabwe bizze ku mitwe gyabwe bo, era baweeyo eri okunyagibwa mu nsi eribafuula abasibe.
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 Oleme okubikka ku musango gwabwe newaakubadde ekibi kyabwe okukisangula mu maaso go kubanga bakusunguwazizza mu maaso g’abazimbi.”
Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders.
6 Awo ne tweyongerayo n’okuzimba bbugwe okutuuka wakati w’obugulumivu bwayo, kubanga abantu baakolanga n’obumalirivu.
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 Naye Sanubalaati, ne Tobiya, n’Abawalabu, n’Abamoni, n’Abasudodi bwe baawulira ng’omulimu gw’okuddaabiriza bbugwe wa Yerusaalemi gugenda mu maaso, nga tutandise n’okuziba ebituli, ne banyiiga nnyo.
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 Bonna ne beegatta wamu ne basala olukwe okulwanyisa Yerusaalemi n’okugitabulatabula.
and all of them conspired to come and fight against Jerusalem and create a hindrance.
9 Ne tusaba eri Katonda waffe, ne tuteekawo n’abakuumi abaakuumanga emisana n’ekiro.
So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.
10 Mu kiseera kyekimu abantu b’e Yuda ne boogera nti, “Abakozi bagenda baggwaamu amaanyi, ate nga wakyaliwo ebifunfugu bingi nnyo, tetuyinza kuddaabiriza bbugwe.”
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 N’abalabe baffe ne boogera nti, “Baliba tebanamanya newaakubadde okukiraba, tulibagwako kiyiifuyiifu, era tulibatta ne tukomya omulimu.”
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 Awo Abayudaaya abaali babeera okumpi nabo ne bajja ne batulabula emirundi kkumi, nga boogera nti, “Balitulumba enjuuyi zonna.”
At that time the Jews who lived nearby came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
13 Kyennava nteeka abamu ku bantu mu njuyi eza wansi eza bbugwe awali amabanga, nga balina ebitala, n’amafumu n’emitego n’obusaale.
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 Bwe namala okulaba embeera bwe yali, ne ngolokoka ne ŋŋamba abakungu, n’abakulu, n’abantu abalala nti, “Temubatya. Mujjukire Mukama, omukulu era ow’entiisa, mulwanirire baganda bammwe, ne batabani bammwe, ne bawala bammwe, ne bakyala bammwe n’amaka gammwe.”
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 Awo abalabe baffe bwe baawulira nga tutegedde olukwe lwabwe, nga Katonda alemesezza enteekateeka yaabwe, ffenna ne tuddayo ku bbugwe, buli muntu ku mulimu gwe.
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 Okuva ku lunaku olwo, ekitundu ku basajja bange bazimbanga n’ekitundu ekirala nga bakutte amafumu, n’engabo, n’obusaale n’ebyokulwanyisa ebirala. Abakulembeze bonna ne bawagira abantu bonna aba Yuda abaali bazimba bbugwe.
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 Abeetikkanga, baasitulanga n’omukono gumu eby’okuzimbisa n’omulala ne gukwata ekyokulwanyisa,
who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.
18 na buli muzimbi yalina ekitala mu kiwato kye ng’akola. Naye omusajja eyafuwanga ekkondeere yambeeranga kumpi.
And each of the builders worked with his sword strapped at his side. But the trumpeter stayed beside me.
19 Ne ŋŋamba abakungu n’abakulu n’abantu abalala nti, “Omulimu munene ate mugazi, ate twesudde amabanga ku bbugwe, buli muntu ali wala ne munne.
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 Buli kifo gye munaawuliriranga eddoboozi ly’ekkondeere nga mujja okutudduukirira. Katonda waffe alitulwanirira.”
Wherever you hear the sound of the horn, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!”
21 Ne tweyongerayo n’omulimu, ekitundu ekimu ne kikwatanga amafumu obudde we bwakereranga okutuusa emmunyeenye lwe zaalabikanga.
So we continued the work, while half of the men held spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.
22 Mu biro ebyo, ne nnyongera okutegeeza abantu nti, “Buli muntu n’oyo amubeera, basigalenga mu Yerusaalemi ekiro, bakuumenga ekiro, naye emisana babe nga bakola.”
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 Tewaali n’omu ku ffe newaakubadde nze newaakubadde baganda bange newaakubadde abasajja bange wadde abakuumi, eyayambulangamu engoye; buli omu yalina ekyokulwanyisa kye, ne bwe yagendanga ku luzzi.
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.
