Nehemia 4

1 Ary rehefa ren’ i Sanbala fa nataonay ny manda, dia tezitra sady sosotra loatra izy ka nihomehy ny Jiosy,

Now, Sanballat, hearing that we were building the wall, was very angry, and in his wrath made sport of 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?

And in the hearing of his countrymen and the army of Samaria he said, What are these feeble Jews doing? will they make themselves strong? will they make offerings? will they get the work done in a day? will they make the stones which have been burned come again out of the dust?

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.

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Such is their building that if a fox goes up it, their stone wall will be broken down.

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.

Give ear, O our God, for we are looked down on: let their words of shame be turned back on themselves, and let them be given up to wasting in a land where they are prisoners:

5 Aza manarona ny helony, ary aza vonoina tsy ho eo anatrehanao ny fahotany; fa efa nampahatezitra Anao teo anatrehan’ ireo mandrafitra izy.

Let not their wrongdoing be covered or their sin washed away from before you: for they have made you angry before the builders.

6 Ka dia narafitray ihany ny manda ka tafakambana avokoa hatramin’ ny antsasany miakatra; fa nazoto niasa ny olona.

So we went on building the wall; and all the wall was joined together half-way up: for the people were working hard.

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.

But when it came to the ears of Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites, that the building of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and the broken places were being made good, they were full of wrath;

8 Ary niray tetika izy rehetra handeha hamely an’ i Jerosalema ka hanimba ny asa.

And they made designs, all of them together, to come and make an attack on Jerusalem, causing trouble there.

9 Dia nivavaka tamin’ Andriamanitra izahay ka nametraka mpiambina hiandry azy andro aman’ alina noho ny fahatahoranay azy.

But we made our prayer to God, and had men on watch against them day and night because of them.

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.

And Judah said, The strength of the workmen is giving way, and there is much waste material; it is impossible for us to put up 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 those who were against us said, Without their knowledge and without their seeing us, we will come among them and put them to death, causing the work to come to a stop.

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,

And it came about that when the Jews who were living near them came, they said to us ten times, From all directions they are coming against 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 in the lowest part of the space at the back of the walls, in the open places, I put the people by families, with their swords, their spears, and their 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.

And after looking, I got up and said to the great ones and to the chiefs and to the rest of the people, Have no fear of them: keep in mind the Lord who is great and greatly to be feared, and take up arms for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives and your houses.

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.

And when it came to the ears of those who were against us, that we had knowledge of their designs and that God had made their purpose come to nothing, we all went back to the wall, everyone to his work

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 time, half of my servants were doing their part of the work, and half kept the spears and body-covers and the bows and the metal war-dresses; and the chiefs were at the back of the men 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.

Those who were building the wall and those who were moving material did their part, everyone working with one hand, with his spear in 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.

Every builder was working with his sword at his side. And by my side was a man for sounding the horn.

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.

And I said to the great ones and the chiefs and the rest of the people, The work is great and widely spaced and we are far away from one another on 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 may be when the horn is sounded, come here to us; our God will be fighting for us.

21 Dia nanao ny asa izahay, ary ny antsasany kosa nitan-defona hatramin’ ny mazavaratsy ka mandra-piposaky ny kintana.

So we went on with the work: and half of them had spears in their hands from the dawn of the morning till the stars were seen.

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.

And at the same time I said to the people, Let everyone with his servant come inside Jerusalem for the night, so that at night they may keep watch for us, and go on working 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 not one of us, I or my brothers or my servants or the watchmen who were with me, took off his clothing, everyone went armed to the water.