Nehemia 4

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

But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked 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 he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are 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.

Now Tobiah the Ammonite [was] by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.

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, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the 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.

And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked [thee] to anger before the builders.

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

So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: 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.

But it came to pass, [that] when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, [and] that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,

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

And conspired all of them together to come [and] to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.

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

Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a 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 bearers of burdens is decayed, and [there is] much rubbish; so that we are not able to build 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 adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

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 to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us [they will be upon you].

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.

Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, [and] on the higher places, I even set the people after their 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 I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, [which is] great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, 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 it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto 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 it came to pass from that time forth, [that] the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers [were] behind all the house 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.

They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, [every one] with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other [hand] held a weapon.

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.

For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and [so] builded. And he that sounded the trumpet [was] by 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.

And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work [is] great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.

20 Koa eo amin’ izay fitoerana andrenesanareo ny feon’ ny anjomara dia mivoria ho any aminay ianareo; fa Andriamanitsika no hiady ho antsika.

In what place [therefore] ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall 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 laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

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.

Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on 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.

So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, [saving that] every one put them off for washing.