UNehemiya 4
1 Kwathi uSanibhalathi esizwa ukuthi sasiwuvusa umduli, wazonda waze wagcwalelana. Wabahleka ulunya amaJuda,
Now when Sanballat heard we were building the wall, it burned within him, and he was furiously angry, and he mocked 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?”
In the presence of his brothers and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore the city for themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish the work in a day? Will they bring to life the stones from the piles of rubble after they were burned?
3 UThobhiya umʼAmoni, owayeseceleni kwakhe wathi, “Lokhu abakwakhayo, loba nje ikhanka lingakhwela phezu kwakho, lingawudiliza umduli wabo wamatshe!”
Tobiah the Ammonite was with him, and he said, “If only a fox went up on what they are building, it would break down their stone wall!”
4 Sizwe, Oh Nkulunkulu wethu, ngoba siyeyiswa. Phindisela kubo emakhanda izithuko zabo. Banikele babe yimpango elizweni lobugqili.
Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunts on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are prisoners.
5 Ungaligubuzeli icala labo kumbe wesule izono zabo emehlweni akho, ngoba bebehlambaza abakhi.
Do not cover over their iniquity and do not erase their sin from before you, for they have provoked the builders to anger.
6 Ngakho sawakha umduli wonke waze waphakama okufika ingxenye yobude bawo, ngoba abantu basebenza ngenhliziyo yabo yonke.
So we built the wall and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a desire 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.
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the work of repairing the walls of Jerusalem was going forward, and that the broken places in the wall were being closed up, a great anger burned within them.
8 Baceba ukuba beze bazohlasela iJerusalema bavuse uthuli kulo.
They all conspired together, and they came to fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.
9 Kodwa sakhuleka kuNkulunkulu wethu sabeka abalindi emini lebusuku ukuthi balindele lokhukuhlaselwa.
But we prayed to our God and set a guard as protection against them day and night because of their threat.
10 Kusenjalo, abantu bakoJuda bathi, “Amandla abasebenzi asededa, ikanti izibi zisezinengi okokuthi siyehluleka ukuqhubeka ngokwakha umduli.”
Then the people of Judah said, “The strength of those who carry the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble, and we are not able to rebuild the wall.”
11 Izitha zethu lazo zathi, “Besalibele nje futhi bengakasiboni, bazaqabuka sesiphakathi kwabo sesibabulala siwuphethe lumsebenzi.”
Our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them and kill them, and stop the work.”
12 Kwasekusithi amaJuda ababehlala eduze labo beza bazasitshela baphindaphinda besithi, “Lingaze liqonde ngaphi bazalihlasela kuphela.”
At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and spoke to us ten times, warning us about the schemes they were making against us.
13 Ngasengimisa abanye abantu ngezimuli zabo ezindaweni lapho umduli owawuphansi khona, ezazingeneka lula, behlomile ngezinkemba, lemikhonto langemitshoko.
So I positioned people in the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I positioned each family with their swords, 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.”
Then I looked, and stood up, and I said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Call to mind the Lord, who is great and awesome. Fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
15 Kwathi izitha zethu sezizwile ukuthi sasesilazi icebo lazo lokuthi uNkulunkulu wayeselifubisile, sonke sabuyela kuwo umduli, ngulowo kowakhe umsebenzi.
It came about when our enemies heard that their plans were known to us, and God had frustrated their plans, all of us returned to the wall, each one 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
So from that time half of my servants worked only on rebuilding the wall, and half of them held spears, shields, bows, and wore armor, while the leaders stood behind all the people of Judah.
17 ababesakha umduli. Labo ababethwala izinto zokwakha babesenza umsebenzi ngesandla esisodwa ngesinye umuntu ephethe isikhali,
The same workers who were building the wall and carrying loads were also guarding their positions. Everyone worked with one hand, and with the other hand he held his weapon.
18 njalo ngulowo lalowo umakhi wayehlome inkemba ilengiswe eceleni kwakhe nxa esebenza. Kodwa indoda yokutshaya icilongo yahlala ikimi.
Every builder wore his sword on his side and that is how he worked. The one who sounded the trumpet stayed beside me.
19 Ngasengisithi ezikhulwini, lezinduna lakubantu bonke jikelele, “Umsebenzi ubanzi usabalele, njalo sehlukene kakhulu omunye komunye kulandela umduli.
I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.
20 Lingezwa ingabe kungaphi okukhala khona icilongo, phuthumani khona lize kithi. UNkulunkulu wethu uzasilwela!”
You must rush to the place where you hear the trumpet sound and assemble there. Our God will fight for us.”
21 Yikho sawuqhuba umsebenzi ingxenye yamadoda ihlomile ngemikhonto, kusukela emathathakusa kuze kuphume izinkanyezi.
So we were doing the work. Half of them were holding spears from the rising of the dawn until the coming out of the stars.
22 Ngasonaleso isikhathi ngabuye ngathi ebantwini, “Akuthi yonke indoda kanye lomsizi wayo balale ngaphakathi kweJerusalema ebusuku, ukuze babengabalindi bethu ebusuku, babe ngabasebenzi emini.”
I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant spend the night in the middle of Jerusalem, so they may be for us a guard during the night and a worker in the day.”
23 Mina labafowethu, lamadoda ayelami, labalindi ababelami kasizange sihlubule izigqoko zethu; ngulowo waphatha isikhali sakhe loba engena emanzini.
So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us changed our clothes, and each of us carried his weapon, even if he went for water.
