Nehemia 4
1 Ary rehefa ren’ i Sanbala fa nataonay ny manda, dia tezitra sady sosotra loatra izy ka nihomehy ny Jiosy,
Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews
2 dia niteny teo anatrehan’ ny namany sy ny miaramilan’ i Samaria hoe: Inona no ataon’ ireo Jiosy osa ireo? Hahaleo tena va ireo? Hahavono zavatra hatao fanatitra va ireo? Hahatsangana indray andro va ireo? Hahatsangana ny vato avy amin’ ny lavenona miavosa va ireo?
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 Ary Tobia Amonita dia teo anilan’ i Sanbala ka niteny hoe: Na dia amboahaolo aza miakatra eo amin’ izay atsangany, dia haharava ny manda vato ataony.
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 Mihainoa, ry Andriamanitray ô, fa atao tsinontsinona izahay; koa atsingereno ho eo an-dohany ihany ny latsa ataony, ary aoka ho babo any amin’ ny tany izay ahababoany izy.
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 Aza manarona ny helony, ary aza vonoina tsy ho eo anatrehanao ny fahotany; fa efa nampahatezitra Anao teo anatrehan’ ireo mandrafitra izy.
Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders.
6 Ka dia narafitray ihany ny manda ka tafakambana avokoa hatramin’ ny antsasany miakatra; fa nazoto niasa ny olona.
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 Ary rehefa ren’ i Sanbala sy Tobia sy ny Arabo sy ny Amonita ary ny Asdodita fa voatsangana ny mandan’ i Jerosalema, ka efa ho voavoatra izay rava, dia nirehitra mafy ny fahatezerany.
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 Ary niray tetika izy rehetra handeha hamely an’ i Jerosalema ka hanimba ny asa.
and all of them conspired to come and fight against Jerusalem and create a hindrance.
9 Dia nivavaka tamin’ Andriamanitra izahay ka nametraka mpiambina hiandry azy andro aman’ alina noho ny fahatahoranay azy.
So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.
10 Ary hoy ny Joda: Mihena ny herin’ ny mpitondra entana, ary be ny korontam-bato sy ny tany; ka dia tsy maharafitra ny manda izahay.
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 Ary hoy kosa ny fahavalonay: Tsy hahalala izy, na hahita, raha tsy tonga eo afovoany isika ka mahafaty azy ary mampitsahatra ny asa.
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 Ary rehefa tonga ny Jiosy izay nonina teo akaikin’ ireo ka nanao taminay im-polo hoe: Na avy aiza na avy aiza ianareo, dia miverena atỳ aminay,
At that time the Jews who lived nearby came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
13 dia nasiako olona teo amin’ ny fitoerana ambany, teo ivelan’ ny manda sy teo an-karihary; eny, nalahatro ny olona araka ny fokony avy, samy nitàna sabatra sy lefona ary tsipìka.
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 Dia nijery aho sady nitsangana ka nilaza tamin’ ny manan-kaja sy ny mpanapaka mbamin’ ny vahoaka sisa hoe: Aza matahotra azy ianareo; ny Tompo lehibe sy mahatahotra no tsarovy, ka miadia hiaro ny rahalahinareo sy ny zanakareo-lahy sy ny zanakareo-vavy sy ny vadinareo ary ny tranonareo.
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 Ary nony ren’ ny fahavalontsika fa efa fantatray izany, sady efa nofoanan’ Andriamanitra ny heviny, dia niverina ho amin’ ny manda izahay rehetra, samy ho amin’ ny asany avy indray.
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 Ary hatramin’ izay andro izay ny antsasaky ny zatovoko dia nanao ny asa, ary ny antsasany kosa nitàna lefona aman’ ampinga sy tsipìka ary akanjo fiarovan-tratra; ary ny mpanapaka dia teo ivohon’ ny fianakaviana rehetra amin’ ny Joda.
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 Ary izay nandrafitra ny manda sy ny mpitondra entana izay nanangona ny korontam-bato sy ny tany dia samy niasa tamin’ ny tànany anankiray, ary nitan-defona kosa ny tànany anankiray.
who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.
18 Ary ny mpandrafitra rehetra dia samy nanana ny sabany voafehy tamin’ ny valahany avy, ka dia nandrafitra. Ary ny mpitsoka ny anjomara dia teo anilako.
And each of the builders worked with his sword strapped at his side. But the trumpeter stayed beside me.
19 Ary hoy izaho tamin’ ny manan-kaja sy ny mpanapaka ary ny vahoaka sisa: Be sady malalaka ny asa, ka dia misaratsaraka eny ambonin’ ny manda isika ka mifanalavitra.
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 Koa eo amin’ izay fitoerana andrenesanareo ny feon’ ny anjomara dia mivoria ho any aminay ianareo; fa Andriamanitsika no hiady ho antsika.
Wherever you hear the sound of the horn, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!”
21 Dia nanao ny asa izahay, ary ny antsasany kosa nitan-defona hatramin’ ny mazavaratsy ka mandra-piposaky ny kintana.
So we continued the work, while half of the men held spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.
22 Ary tamin’ izany andro izany dia hoy koa aho tamin’ ny olona: Samia mitoetra ato Jerosalema ianareo mbamin’ ny zatovonareo, mba hiambina antsika raha alina ireo ary hiasa raha antoandro.
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 Fa izaho sy ny rahalahiko mbamin’ ny zatovoko sy ny mpiambina, izay nanaraka ahy, dia samy tsy niala akanjo, sady tsy nisy nandro akory.
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.
