UNehemiya 4
1 Kwasekusithi uSanibhalathi esezwile ukuthi siyawakha umduli, wathukuthela wacunuka kakhulu, wawahleka usulu 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 Wasekhuluma phambi kwabafowabo lebutho leSamariya wathi: La amaJuda abuthakathaka enzani? Azaziqinisa yini? Azahlaba yini? Azaqeda ngosuku yini? Azavuselela amatshe yini ezinqwabeni zengcekeza, ezitshileyo?
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 LoTobiya umAmoni wayelaye, wathi: Lalokho akwakhayo, uba ikhanka likhwela phezulu, lingawudiliza umduli wawo 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 Zwana, Nkulunkulu wethu, ngoba siyeyiswa; ubuyisele ukukloloda kwabo ekhanda labo, ubanikele babe yimpango elizweni lokuthunjwa;
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, lesono sabo singacitshwa phambi kwakho, ngoba bathukuthelisile maqondana labakhi.
and do not cover [their] iniquity.
6 Sawakha-ke umduli, waze wahlangana wonke umduli kuze kube yingxenye yawo, ngoba abantu babelenhliziyo yokusebenza.
7 Kodwa kwathi oSanibhalathi loTobiya lamaArabhiya lamaAmoni labeAshidodi sebezwile ukuthi ukulungiswa kwemiduli yeJerusalema kuyenyuka, ukuthi izikhala seziqala ukuvaleka, bathukuthela 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 Basebesenza ugobe bonke ndawonye ukuthi beze balwe leJerusalema, lokuthi badunge phakathi kwayo.
And all of them assembled together, to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to destroy it utterly.
9 Kodwa sakhuleka kuNkulunkulu wethu, sabeka abalindi ukumelana labo emini lebusuku, ngenxa yabo.
So we prayed to our God and set watchmen against them day and night, because of them.
10 Kodwa uJuda wathi: Amandla abathwali bomthwalo adedile, lezibi zinengi, ngakho thina kasilakho ukwakha 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 Lezitha zethu zathi: Kabayikwazi, kabayikubona, size singene phakathi kwabo sibabulale, siwumise umsebenzi.
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 ayehlala duze lazo esefika athi kithi katshumi: Livela endaweni zonke kumele libuyele kithi.
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 endaweni eziphansi kakhulu ngemva komduli endaweni ezisobala, ngamisa abantu ngensapho belezinkemba zabo, imikhonto yabo, lamadandili abo.
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 Ngasengikhangela ngasukuma ngathi kuzikhulu lakubabusi lakwabanye abantu: Lingabesabi. Khumbulani iNkosi enkulu leyesabekayo, lilwele abafowenu, amadodana enu, lamadodakazi enu, omkenu, lezindlu zenu.
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 Kwasekusithi izitha zethu sezizwile ukuthi sekusaziwa yithi lokuthi uNkulunkulu ufubisile icebo labo, sabuyela sonke emdulini, wonke emsebenzini wakhe.
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 Kwasekusithi kusukela mhlalokho ingxenye yezisebenzi zami yayisebenza emsebenzini, lengxenye yazo yabamba imikhonto, izihlangu, lamadandili, lamabhatshi ensimbi. Lababusi babengemuva kwendlu yonke yakoJuda.
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 emdulini, lababethwala imithwalo, ababelayitshela, ngesinye sezandla zakhe wayesebenza emsebenzini, lesinye sibambelele 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 Labakhi, ngulowo wayebhince inkemba yakhe ekhalweni lwakhe, besakha. Lovuthela uphondo wayeseceleni kwami.
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 kuzikhulu lakubabusi lakwabanye abantu: Umsebenzi mkhulu futhi ubanzi; lathi sehlukene phezu komduli, omunye ukhatshana lomunye.
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 Endaweni elizakuzwa khona ukukhala kophondo, lizabuthana lapho 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 Ngokunjalo sasebenza emsebenzini; ingxenye yabo yayibambe imikhonto kusukela emadabukakusa 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 Langalesosikhathi ngathi ebantwini: Ngulowo lenceku yakhe kabalale phakathi kweJerusalema ukuze babe ngabalindi bethu ebusuku, lemini emsebenzini.
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 Ngakho kakho, mina, labafowethu, lenceku zami, lamadoda omlindo abangemva kwami, kakho kithi owakhulula izigqoko zethu, ngulowo wazikhululela ukuzihlanza.
And I was [there], and the watchmen behind me, and there was not a man of us that put off his garments.
