Nehemia 4
1 Ary rehefa ren’ i Sanbala fa nataonay ny manda, dia tezitra sady sosotra loatra izy ka nihomehy ny Jiosy,
When Sanballat found out that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious—really mad! He made fun 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?
in front of his colleagues and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these useless Jews trying to achieve? Do they think they can rebuild the wall? Are they going to offer sacrifices? Are they going to finish it in a day? Do they think they can re-use stones from piles of rubble and dirt, especially since they've all been burned?”
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.
Tobiah the Ammonite, standing beside him, commented, “Even a fox walking on what they're building would knock 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.
I prayed, “Lord, please listen to us, because we are being treated with contempt. Rain down their insults on their own heads! Let them be taken away like plunder, prisoners in a foreign land!
5 Aza manarona ny helony, ary aza vonoina tsy ho eo anatrehanao ny fahotany; fa efa nampahatezitra Anao teo anatrehan’ ireo mandrafitra izy.
Don't forgive their guilt or blot out their sins, for they have made you angry in front of 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 it was all connected, reaching half its height, because the people were keen 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, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being filled in, they were furious.
8 Ary niray tetika izy rehetra handeha hamely an’ i Jerosalema ka hanimba ny asa.
They all plotted together to come and attack Jerusalem and to throw everything into confusion.
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 we had guards ready to defend 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.
Then people of Judah started grumbling, saying, “The workmen are exhausted. There's just too much rubble to clear. We'll never be able to finish 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.
Our enemies were saying to themselves, “Before they know it, before they're aware of anything, we'll appear right in among them, kill them, and put a stop to what they're doing.”
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,
The Jews who lived close by came and told us over and over again, “They're going to attack us from all directions!”
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 positioned defenders behind the lowest, most vulnerable sections, of the wall. I had them take their positions by families, armed 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 inspecting our defenses, I stood up and addressed the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, saying, “Don't be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is powerful and formidable! 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 discovered that we knew about their plan, and that God had foiled it, we all went back to our 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.
From then on, half of my men were doing the work while the other half were ready to fight, holding their spears, shields, bows, and armor. The leaders stood 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 building the wall. Those carrying materials worked with one hand, holding a weapon 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.
All the builders carried a sword strapped to their side, and the trumpeter stood 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 told the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “We have a lot to do everywhere, so we're very spread out 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 are and you hear the sound of the trumpet, run to join 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.
We went on working, with half of the men holding spears from 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.
I also told the people, “Everyone including servants must spend the night inside Jerusalem, so they can be on guard duty at night and work during the 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.
During that time none of us changed our clothes—not me or my brothers or my men or the guards with me. Everyone carried their weapons at all times, even to go for water.
