Nehemia 4
1 No te rongonga ia o Hanaparata kei te hanga matou i te taiepa, ka riri, nui atu te riri, ka whakahi ki nga Hurai.
Now it happened that, when Sanballat had heard that we were building the wall, he was very angry. And having been moved exceedingly, he ridiculed the Jews.
2 Na ka korero ia i te aroaro o ona teina, o te ope ano o Hamaria, ka mea, E aha ana enei Hurai ngoikore? e hanga pa ranei ratou? e mea patunga tapu ranei ratou? e oti ranei i a ratou i te ra kotahi? e whakaorangia ake ranei e ratou nga kohatu i ro to i nga puranga paru kua oti na te tahu?
And he said, before his brothers and a crowd of the Samaritans: “What are the foolish Jews doing? Can it be that the Gentiles will allow them? Will they sacrifice and finish in one day? Do they have the ability to make stones out of piles of dust that have been burned up?”
3 Na i tona taha a Topia Amoni, a ka mea ia, Ko taua mea e hanga na e ratou, ki te piki atu he pokiha, ka pakaru ta ratou taiepa kohatu.
Then too, Tobiah, an Ammonite, his assistant, said: “Let them build. When the fox climbs, he will leap over their stone wall.”
4 Whakarongo, e to matou Atua, e whakahaweatia ana hoki matou; whakahokia iho ano ta ratou taunu ki runga ki to ratou upoko; hoatu hoki ratou hei taonga parakete ki te whenua e whakaraua ai;
Listen, O our God, for we have become an object of contempt. Turn their reproach upon their own head, and grant that they may be despised in a land of captivity.
5 A kei hipokina to ratou he, kaua ano to ratou hara e murua i tou aroaro; mo ratou i whakapataritari i a koe i te aroaro o nga kaihanga.
May you not conceal their iniquity, and may their sin not be wiped away, before your face, for they have ridiculed those who are building.
6 Na hanga ana e matou te taiepa; a ka honoa te taiepa katoa, kia tae ki te hawhe ano o tona tiketike: he ngakau hoki to te iwi ki te mahi.
And so we built the wall, and we joined it together, even to the unfinished portion. And the heart of the people was stirred up for the work.
7 I te rongonga ia o Hanaparata, o Topia, o nga Arapi, o nga Amoni, o nga Aharori, kua neke haere te hanga o nga taiepa o Hiruharama, a kua timata nga wahi pakaru te kapi, na nui atu to ratou riri.
Now it happened that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabs, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites had heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been closed, and that the breaches had begun to be repaired, they were exceedingly angry.
8 Na ka whakatupu ngatahi ratou katoa i te he, kia haere mai ki te whawhai ki Hiruharama, whakaware ai.
And they all gathered together, so that they might go forth and fight against Jerusalem, and so that they might prepare ambushes.
9 Heoi inoi ana matou ki to matou Atua, whakaturia ana e matou he atiati mo ratou, i te ao, i te po, i te wehi hoki i a ratou.
And we prayed to our God, and we stationed guards upon the wall, day and night, against them.
10 Na ka mea a Hura, Kua hemo te kaha o nga kaipikau, e nui ana hoki te paru; na e kore matou e kaha ki te hanga i te taiepa.
Then Judah said: “The strength of those who carry has diminished, and the amount of material is very great, and so we will not be able to build the wall.”
11 I mea ano o matou hoariri, E kore ratou e mohio, e kore e kite, kia tae atu ra ano tatou ki waenganui i a ratou, ko reira tatou tukituki ai i a ratou, whakamutu ai hoki i te mahi.
And our enemies said: “Let them neither know, nor realize, until we arrive in their midst, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”
12 A, no te taenga mai o nga Hurai e noho ana i to ratou taha, tekau a ratou meatanga mai ki a matou i nga wahi katoa, Me hoki mai koutou ki a matou.
Now it happened that, on ten occasions, some Jews arrived who were living near them, from all the places from which they came to us, and they told us this.
13 Na reira i whakaturia ai e ahau ki nga wahi o raro, ki tua mai o te taiepa, ki nga wahi tuwhera ano hoki, whakaturia ana e ahau te iwi, tenei hapu, tenei hapu, o ratou, i a ratou ano a ratou hoari, a ratou tao, a ratou kopere.
So I stationed the people in order, in places behind the wall, all around it, with their swords, and lances, and bows.
14 Na ka titiro ahau, ka whakatika ki runga, ka mea ki nga rangatira, ki nga tangata nunui, ki era atu ano o te iwi, Kaua e wehi ki a ratou. Kia mahara ki te Ariki, ki te mea nui e wehingia ana, ka whawhai kia ora ai o koutou tuakana, teina, a kout ou tama, a koutou tamahine, a koutou wahine, me o koutou whare.
And I gazed around, and I rose up. And I said to the nobles, and to the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: “Do not be afraid before their face. Remember the great and terrible Lord, and fight on behalf of your brothers, your sons and your daughters, and your wives and your households.”
15 A, ka rongo o matou hoariri ka mohiotia tera e matou, a kua whakataka nei e te Atua o ratou whakaaro, na hoki ana matou katoa ki te taiepa ki tana mahi, ki tana mahi.
Then it happened that, when our enemies had heard that it had been reported to us, God defeated their counsel. And we all returned to the walls, each one to his own work.
16 No taua ra ano ko tetahi tanga o aku tangata hei mahi i te mahi, a ko tetahi tanga o ratou hei pupuri i nga tao, i nga whakangungu rakau, i nga kopere, i nga pukupuku; ko nga rangatira, i muri ratou i te whare katoa o Hura.
And it happened that, from that day, half of their young men were doing the work, and half were prepared for war with lances, and shields, and bows, and armor. And the leaders were behind them in all the house of Judah.
17 Ko nga kaihanga i te taiepa, me nga kaiwaha i nga pikaunga, whakawaha ana ratou, a kotahi te ringa o tenei, o tenei, ki te mahi i te mahi, kotahi hei pupuri i te patu.
As for those building the wall, and carrying the burdens, and setting things in place: one of his hands was doing the work, and the other was holding a sword.
18 Na, ko nga kaihanga, whitiki rawa tana hoari ki tona taha, ki tona taha: na hanga ana ratou: i toku taha ano hoki ko te kaiwhakatangi tetere.
For each one of the builders was girded with a sword at the waist. And they were building, and they were sounding a trumpet beside me.
19 I mea ano ahau ki nga rangatira, ki nga tangata nunui, ki era atu ano o te iwi, He nui te mahi, he tatahi, kua tohatoha noa atu ano tatou ki te taiepa, matara noa tetahi i tetahi;
And I said to the nobles, and to the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: “The work is great and wide, and we are separated on the wall far from one another.
20 Ko te wahi e rongo ai koutou i te tangi o te tetere, me huihui ki a matou ki reira: ma to tatou Atua ta tatou pakanga.
At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rush to that place for us. Our God will fight on our behalf.
21 Heoi mahia ana e matou te mahi; na ko tetahi tanga ki te pupuri tao, no te haukanga ake ano o te ata a puta noa nga whetu.
And so let us accomplish the work. And let one half part of us hold spears, from the ascent of dawn until the stars come out.”
22 I mea ano ahau ki te iwi i taua wa, Kia moe tenei tangata, tenei tangata, me tana pononga ano, ki roto ki Hiruharama, a ka ai ratou hei kaitiaki mo tatou i te po, hei mahi ano i te awatea.
Also at that time, I said to the people: “Let each one with his servant remain in the midst of Jerusalem. And let us take turns, throughout the night and day, in doing the work.”
23 Heoi ko ahau, ko oku teina, ko aku pononga, me nga kaitiaki i whai mai nei i ahau, kihai i whakarerea atu o matou kakahu. Mau tonu te patu a tenei, a tenei, i te haerenga ki te wai.
But I and my brothers, and my servants, and the guards who were behind me, we did not take off our clothes; each one only removed his clothes to wash.
