UNehemiya 4
1 Kwathi uSanibhalathi esizwa ukuthi sasiwuvusa umduli, wazonda waze wagcwalelana. Wabahleka ulunya amaJuda,
Now it came to pass, when Sanaballat heard that we were building the wall, that it was grievous to him, and he was very angry, and railed against the Jews.
2 wasesithi phambi kwabakhula bakhe lebutho laseSamariya, “OkungamaJuda lokhu kuthi kwenzani kambe? Kungawuvusa umduli wakho na? Kuzayenza imihlatshelo na? Kuzawuqeda ngalanga linye? Kungakubuyisa na ukuphila ematsheni lawana azinqwaba zengcekeza etshe kanjeyana?”
And he said before his brethren (that [is] the army of the Samaritans) [Is it true] that these Jews are building their city? do they indeed offer sacrifices? will they prevail? and will they this day restore the stones, after they have been burnt and made a heap of rubbish?
3 UThobhiya umʼAmoni, owayeseceleni kwakhe wathi, “Lokhu abakwakhayo, loba nje ikhanka lingakhwela phezu kwakho, lingawudiliza umduli wabo wamatshe!”
And Tobias the Ammanite came near to him, and said to them, Do they sacrifice or eat in their place? shall not a fox go up and pull down their wall of stones?
4 Sizwe, Oh Nkulunkulu wethu, ngoba siyeyiswa. Phindisela kubo emakhanda izithuko zabo. Banikele babe yimpango elizweni lobugqili.
Hear, O our God, for we have become a scorn; and return you their reproach upon their head, and make them a scorn in a land of captivity,
5 Ungaligubuzeli icala labo kumbe wesule izono zabo emehlweni akho, ngoba bebehlambaza abakhi.
and do not cover [their] iniquity.
6 Ngakho sawakha umduli wonke waze waphakama okufika ingxenye yobude bawo, ngoba abantu basebenza ngenhliziyo yabo yonke.
7 Kodwa kwathi ukuba uSanibhalathi, loThobhiya, lama-Arabhu, lama-Amoni lamadoda ase-Ashidodi besizwa ukuthi ukuvuselelwa kwemiduli yaseJerusalema kwasekuqhubekile njalo lezikhala zazivalwa bazonda kakhulu.
But it came to pass, when Sanaballat and Tobia, and the Arabians, and the Ammanites, heard that the building of the walls of Jerusalem was advancing, [and] that the breaches began to be stopped, that it appeared very grievous to them.
8 Baceba ukuba beze bazohlasela iJerusalema bavuse uthuli kulo.
And all of them assembled together, to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to destroy it utterly.
9 Kodwa sakhuleka kuNkulunkulu wethu sabeka abalindi emini lebusuku ukuthi balindele lokhukuhlaselwa.
So we prayed to our God and set watchmen against them day and night, because of them.
10 Kusenjalo, abantu bakoJuda bathi, “Amandla abasebenzi asededa, ikanti izibi zisezinengi okokuthi siyehluleka ukuqhubeka ngokwakha umduli.”
And Juda said, The strength of the enemies is broken, yet [there is] much rubbish, and we shall not be able to build the wall.
11 Izitha zethu lazo zathi, “Besalibele nje futhi bengakasiboni, bazaqabuka sesiphakathi kwabo sesibabulala siwuphethe lumsebenzi.”
And they that afflicted us said, They shall not know, and they shall not see, until we come into the midst of them, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.
12 Kwasekusithi amaJuda ababehlala eduze labo beza bazasitshela baphindaphinda besithi, “Lingaze liqonde ngaphi bazalihlasela kuphela.”
And it came to pass, when the Jews who lived near them came, that they said to us, They are coming up against us from every quarter.
13 Ngasengimisa abanye abantu ngezimuli zabo ezindaweni lapho umduli owawuphansi khona, ezazingeneka lula, behlomile ngezinkemba, lemikhonto langemitshoko.
So I set [men] in the lowest part of the place behind the wall in the lurking-places, I even set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 Ngemva kokuba sengiwuhlolisisile wonke umumo, ngasukuma ngathi ezikhulwini, lezinduna lakubantu bonke jikelele, “Lingabesabi. Khumbulani uThixo, omkhulu owesabekayo, lilwele abafowenu, amadodana lamadodakazi enu, abafazi benu lemizi yenu.”
And I looked, and arose, and said to the nobles, and to the captains, and to the rest of the people, Be not afraid of them: remember our great and terrible God, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
15 Kwathi izitha zethu sezizwile ukuthi sasesilazi icebo lazo lokuthi uNkulunkulu wayeselifubisile, sonke sabuyela kuwo umduli, ngulowo kowakhe umsebenzi.
And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was made known to us, and God had frustrated their counsel, that we all returned to the wall, [every] man to his work.
16 Kusukela ngalelolanga, ingxenye yamadoda engangilawo yenza umsebenzi, enye ingxenye yahloma ngemikhonto, lamahawu, lemitshoko lamabhatshi ensimbi. Izinduna zazimisa ngemva kwabo bonke abantu bakoJuda
And it came to pass from that day [that] half of them that had been driven forth, wrought the work, and half of them kept guard; and [there were] spears, and shields, and bows, and breastplates, and rulers behind the whole house of Juda,
17 ababesakha umduli. Labo ababethwala izinto zokwakha babesenza umsebenzi ngesandla esisodwa ngesinye umuntu ephethe isikhali,
even of them that were building the wall: —and those who carried the burdens [were] under arms: [each] with one hand wrought his work, and with the other held his dart.
18 njalo ngulowo lalowo umakhi wayehlome inkemba ilengiswe eceleni kwakhe nxa esebenza. Kodwa indoda yokutshaya icilongo yahlala ikimi.
And the builders [wrought] each man having his sword girded upon his loins, and so they built: and the trumpeter with his trumpet next to him.
19 Ngasengisithi ezikhulwini, lezinduna lakubantu bonke jikelele, “Umsebenzi ubanzi usabalele, njalo sehlukene kakhulu omunye komunye kulandela umduli.
And I said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work [is] great and abundant, and we are dispersed upon the wall, each at a great distance from his brother.
20 Lingezwa ingabe kungaphi okukhala khona icilongo, phuthumani khona lize kithi. UNkulunkulu wethu uzasilwela!”
In whatever place you shall hear the sound of the cornet, there gather yourselves together to us; and our God shall fight for us.
21 Yikho sawuqhuba umsebenzi ingxenye yamadoda ihlomile ngemikhonto, kusukela emathathakusa kuze kuphume izinkanyezi.
So we [continued] labouring at the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.
22 Ngasonaleso isikhathi ngabuye ngathi ebantwini, “Akuthi yonke indoda kanye lomsizi wayo balale ngaphakathi kweJerusalema ebusuku, ukuze babengabalindi bethu ebusuku, babe ngabasebenzi emini.”
And at that time I said to the people, Lodge you every man with his servant in the midst of Jerusalem, and let the night be a watch-time to you, and the day a work-time.
23 Mina labafowethu, lamadoda ayelami, labalindi ababelami kasizange sihlubule izigqoko zethu; ngulowo waphatha isikhali sakhe loba engena emanzini.
And I was [there], and the watchmen behind me, and there was not a man of us that put off his garments.
