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.
When Sanballat found out that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious—really mad! He made fun of 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?
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 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.
Tobiah the Ammonite, standing beside him, commented, “Even a fox walking on what they're building would knock down their wall of stones!”
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;
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 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.
Don't forgive their guilt or blot out their sins, for they have made you angry in front of the builders.”
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.
So we rebuilt the wall until it was all connected, reaching half its height, because the people were keen to 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.
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 Na ka whakatupu ngatahi ratou katoa i te he, kia haere mai ki te whawhai ki Hiruharama, whakaware ai.
They all plotted together to come and attack Jerusalem and to throw everything into confusion.
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.
So we prayed to our God, and we had guards ready to defend against them day and night.
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 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 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.
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 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.
The Jews who lived close by came and told us over and over again, “They're going to attack us from all directions!”
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 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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
who were building the wall. Those carrying materials worked with one hand, holding a weapon in the other.
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.
All the builders carried a sword strapped to their side, and the trumpeter stood 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;
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 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.
Wherever you are and you hear the sound of the trumpet, run to join us there. Our God will fight for us!”
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.
We went on working, with half of the men holding spears from dawn until the stars came 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.
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 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.
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.
