Nehemia 4
1 Ary rehefa ren’ i Sanbala fa nataonay ny manda, dia tezitra sady sosotra loatra izy ka nihomehy ny Jiosy,
But when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and was very indignant, 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?
He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burnt?”
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, “What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would 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, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their reproach on their own head. Give them up for a plunder in 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.
Don’t cover their iniquity. Don’t let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders.”
6 Ka dia narafitray ihany ny manda ka tafakambana avokoa hatramin’ ny antsasany miakatra; fa nazoto niasa ny olona.
So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together 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.
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, they were very angry;
8 Ary niray tetika izy rehetra handeha hamely an’ i Jerosalema ka hanimba ny asa.
and they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion amongst us.
9 Dia nivavaka tamin’ Andriamanitra izahay ka nametraka mpiambina hiandry azy andro aman’ alina noho ny fahatahoranay azy.
But we made our prayer to 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.
Judah said, “The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading and there is much rubble, 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.
Our adversaries said, “They will not know or see, until we come in amongst them and kill 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,
When the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, “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.
Therefore I set guards in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places. I set the people by family groups 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.
I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, 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.
When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, all of us returned 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.
From that time forth, half of my servants did the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the coats of mail; 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.
Those who built the wall, and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands did the work, and with the other held his 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.
Amongst the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the shofar 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.
I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.
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 shofar, rally there to us. 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 did the work. Half of the people held the spears from the rising of the morning until 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 I said to the people, “Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labour in 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 brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.
