UNehemiya 4
1 Kwathi uSanibhalathi esizwa ukuthi sasiwuvusa umduli, wazonda waze wagcwalelana. Wabahleka ulunya amaJuda,
And it came to pass, that when Sanaballat heard that we were building the wall he was angry: and being moved exceedingly he scoffed at 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 said before his brethren, and the multitude of the Samaritans: What are the silly Jews doing? Will the Gentiles let them alone? will they sacrifice and make an end in a day? are they able to raise stones out of the heaps of the rubbish, which are burnt?
3 UThobhiya umʼAmoni, owayeseceleni kwakhe wathi, “Lokhu abakwakhayo, loba nje ikhanka lingakhwela phezu kwakho, lingawudiliza umduli wabo wamatshe!”
Tobias also the Ammonite who was by him said: Let them build: if a fox go up, he will leap over their stone wall.
4 Sizwe, Oh Nkulunkulu wethu, ngoba siyeyiswa. Phindisela kubo emakhanda izithuko zabo. Banikele babe yimpango elizweni lobugqili.
Hear thou our God, for we are despised: turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them to be despised in a land of captivity.
5 Ungaligubuzeli icala labo kumbe wesule izono zabo emehlweni akho, ngoba bebehlambaza abakhi.
Cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thy face, because they have mocked thy builders.
6 Ngakho sawakha umduli wonke waze waphakama okufika ingxenye yobude bawo, ngoba abantu basebenza ngenhliziyo yabo yonke.
So we built the wall, and joined it all together unto the half thereof: and the heart of the people was excited to work.
7 Kodwa kwathi ukuba uSanibhalathi, loThobhiya, lama-Arabhu, lama-Amoni lamadoda ase-Ashidodi besizwa ukuthi ukuvuselelwa kwemiduli yaseJerusalema kwasekuqhubekile njalo lezikhala zazivalwa bazonda kakhulu.
And it came to pass, when Sanaballat, and Tobias, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Azotians heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and the breaches began to be closed, that they were exceedingly angry.
8 Baceba ukuba beze bazohlasela iJerusalema bavuse uthuli kulo.
And they all assembled themselves together, to come, and to fight against Jerusalem, and to prepare ambushes.
9 Kodwa sakhuleka kuNkulunkulu wethu sabeka abalindi emini lebusuku ukuthi balindele lokhukuhlaselwa.
And we prayed to our God, and set watchmen upon the wall day and night against them.
10 Kusenjalo, abantu bakoJuda bathi, “Amandla abasebenzi asededa, ikanti izibi zisezinengi okokuthi siyehluleka ukuqhubeka ngokwakha umduli.”
And Juda said: The strength of the bearer of burdens is decayed, and the rubbish is very much, 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 our enemies said: Let them not know, nor understand, till we come in 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, that when the Jews that dwelt by them came and told us ten times, out of all the places from whence they came to us,
13 Ngasengimisa abanye abantu ngezimuli zabo ezindaweni lapho umduli owawuphansi khona, ezazingeneka lula, behlomile ngezinkemba, lemikhonto langemitshoko.
I set the people in the place behind the wall round about in order, with their swords, and spears, and 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 rose up: and I said to the chief men and the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: be not afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, and 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 the thing had been told us, that God defeated their counsel. And we returned all of us to the walls, 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 forward, that half of their young men did the work, and half were ready for to fight, with spears, and shields, and bows, and coats of mail, and the rulers were behind them in all the house of Juda.
17 ababesakha umduli. Labo ababethwala izinto zokwakha babesenza umsebenzi ngesandla esisodwa ngesinye umuntu ephethe isikhali,
Of them that built on the wall and that carried burdens, and that laded: with one of his hands he did the work, and with the other he held a sword.
18 njalo ngulowo lalowo umakhi wayehlome inkemba ilengiswe eceleni kwakhe nxa esebenza. Kodwa indoda yokutshaya icilongo yahlala ikimi.
For every one of the builders was girded with a sword about his reins. And they built, and sounded with a trumpet by me.
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 magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: The work is great and wide, and we are separated on the wall one far from another:
20 Lingezwa ingabe kungaphi okukhala khona icilongo, phuthumani khona lize kithi. UNkulunkulu wethu uzasilwela!”
In what place soever you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, run all thither unto us: our God will fight for us.
21 Yikho sawuqhuba umsebenzi ingxenye yamadoda ihlomile ngemikhonto, kusukela emathathakusa kuze kuphume izinkanyezi.
And let us do the work: and let one half of us hold our spears from the rising of the morning, till the stars appear.
22 Ngasonaleso isikhathi ngabuye ngathi ebantwini, “Akuthi yonke indoda kanye lomsizi wayo balale ngaphakathi kweJerusalema ebusuku, ukuze babengabalindi bethu ebusuku, babe ngabasebenzi emini.”
At that time also I said to the people: Let every one with his servant stay in the midst of Jerusalem, and let us take our turns in the night, and by day, to work.
23 Mina labafowethu, lamadoda ayelami, labalindi ababelami kasizange sihlubule izigqoko zethu; ngulowo waphatha isikhali sakhe loba engena emanzini.
Now I and my brethren, and my servants, and the watchmen that followed me, did not put off our clothes: only every man stripped himself when he was to be washed.
