Nehemia 4
1 Aa naho jinanji’ i Sanbalate t’ie namboatse i kijoliy, le niboseke vaho am-piforoforoañe mandofiry ty nañabiaña’e o nte-Iehodao.
When Sanballat found out that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious—really mad! He made fun of the Jews
2 Nisaontsie’e añatrefa’ o rahalahi’eo naho o lahindefo’ i Someroneo ty hoe: Ino ty amboare’ o nte-Iehodà mavozoo? Hamboatse an-tsatrin-troke hao? Hanao soroñe hao? Ho fonire’ iareo ami’ty andro’e hao? Hampisotrafe’ iereo amo votrim-porompotse niforototoe’ iereoo hao o vatoo?
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 Aa hoe t’i Tobià nte Amore mpiama’e: Toe hirotsake i kijolim-batoy te anganiha’ ty fanaloke i amboare’ iareoy.
Tobiah the Ammonite, standing beside him, commented, “Even a fox walking on what they're building would knock down their wall of stones!”
4 Mijanjiña ry Andrianañahare’ay fa sirikaen-jahay, le afotero añ’ ambone’ iareo o inje’ iareoo, le atoloro ho kopaheñe an-tanem-pandrohizañe añe;
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 le ko takonañe o hakeo’eo vaho ko faopaoheñe añatrefa’o o tahi’eo, ie mikai-jaka ama’o añatrefa’ o mpamboatseo.
Don't forgive their guilt or blot out their sins, for they have made you angry in front of the builders.”
6 Aa le namboare’ay i kijoliy vaho nifampikatoke iaby i kijoliy pak’ami’ty antsasa’ ty haabo’e; ie nitoloñeñe an-joton-troke.
So we rebuilt the wall until it was all connected, reaching half its height, because the people were keen to work.
7 Ie jinanji’ i Sanbalate naho i Tobià naho o nte-Arabeo naho o nte Amoneo naho o nte-Asdodeo te niraorao ty fandrafetañe ty kijoli’ Ierosalaime naho fa ho nikiteke iaby o heba’eo, le niforoforo
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 vaho fonga nitrao-pikinia ho mb’eo hialy am’ Ierosalaime hampifandrakaraka ty ao.
They all plotted together to come and attack Jerusalem and to throw everything into confusion.
9 F’ie nihalaly aman’ Añaharentika, vaho nampijadoñe fijilovañe handro an-kaleñe ty am’ iereo.
So we prayed to our God, and we had guards ready to defend against them day and night.
10 Le hoe t’Iehoda: fa nifotsake ty haozara’ o mpijinio naho maro o forompotseo; aa le sarotse’ ama’ay ty mandranjy i kijoliy.
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 Le hoe o rafelahi’aio: Tsy hahafohiñe tsy hahaisake ampara’ te añivo ao tika hanjamañe iereo, hanjitse i fitoloñañey.
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 Ie amy zao, niheo mb’ama’ay mb’eo o nte-Iehoda nimoneñe marine iereoo, le tinaro’ iareo ama’ay im-polo te ho horidañeñe ndra aia’aia ty itolihañe.
The Jews who lived close by came and told us over and over again, “They're going to attack us from all directions!”
13 Aa le navotrako ankalo’ o fange’e loho ambane amy kijoliio, toe amo heba’eo, ty ondaty, sindre ty amo hasavereña’eo, reketse ty fibara’e naho lefo’e vaho fale’e.
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 Ie nisary iraho le niongake nanao ty hoe amo mpifeheo naho am’ ondaty ila’eo, ty hoe: Ko ihembañañe, tiahio i Talè jabahinake naho maharevendreveñey vaho mialia ho an-drolongo’ areo, o ana-dahi’ areoo naho o anak’ ampela’ areoo, o tañanjomba’ areoo vaho o anjomba’ areoo.
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 Aa ie jinanji’ o rafelahintikañeo t’ie napota’ay naho te nikoahen’ Añahare i fikililia’ iareoy, le songa nihereñe mb’an-kijoly mb’eo zahay, sindre mb’ am-pitoloña’e mb’eo.
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 Aa ie henane zay, nifanehak’ amy fitoloñañey ty vaki’ o mpitorokoo, le nitan-defoñe naho fikalan-defo naho fale vaho sikim-bý ty vaki’e; le nijadoñe amboho’ i anjomba’ Iehodà iabio o mpifeheo.
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 Le songa nifanehake am-pità’e raik’ amy fitoloñañey vaho nitàm-pialiañe ty ila’ o nandranjy i kijoliio naho o mpijiny kilankañeo.
who were building the wall. Those carrying materials worked with one hand, holding a weapon in the other.
18 Le o mpandranjio; songa an-deme’e eo ty kotram-pibara’e, ie nitolom-pandranjy avao. Nirekets’ amako ty mpampipopò antsiva.
All the builders carried a sword strapped to their side, and the trumpeter stood beside me.
19 Aa hoe iraho amo mpiaoloo naho amo mpifeheo naho am’ondaty ila’eo, Jabajaba naho mamalan-tane i fitoloñañey, le miparaitak’ amy kijoliy tika, mifankalavitse.
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 Aa ndra an-toetse aia aia ty ijanjiña’ areo i fivolan’ antsivay le mihitrifa mb’ ama’ay mb’eo, fa hialy ho antika t’i Andrianañaharen-tika.
Wherever you are and you hear the sound of the trumpet, run to join us there. Our God will fight for us!”
21 Aa le nifanehak’ amy fitoloñañey zahay naho nitàn-defoñe ty vaki’e, sikal’ ami’ty manjirik’ andro ampara’ ty fanjoam-basiañe.
We went on working, with half of the men holding spears from dawn until the stars came out.
22 Le hoe ka iraho henane zay am’ondatio: Ehe te songa hitobe e Ierosalaime atoy reke-mpitoroñe ondatio, hañambenan-tika haleñe vaho hifanehake handro.
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 Aa le tsy izaho, ndra o mpitorokoo, ndra o mpiamo mpañambeñe nañorik’ ahio, eka, leo raik’ ama’ay tsy nañafa-tsiky; sindre ninday ty fialia’e mb’an-drano mb’eo.
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.
