UNehemiya 4

1 Kwasekusithi uSanibhalathi esezwile ukuthi siyawakha umduli, wathukuthela wacunuka kakhulu, wawahleka usulu amaJuda.

But it came to pass that, when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked 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 spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said: 'What do these feeble Jews? will they restore at will? will they sacrifice? will they make an end this day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned?'

3 LoTobiya umAmoni wayelaye, wathi: Lalokho akwakhayo, uba ikhanka likhwela phezulu, lingawudiliza umduli wawo wamatshe.

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said: 'Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall.'

4 Zwana, Nkulunkulu wethu, ngoba siyeyiswa; ubuyisele ukukloloda kwabo ekhanda labo, ubanikele babe yimpango elizweni lokuthunjwa;

Hear, O our God; for we are despised; and turn back their reproach upon their own head, and give them up to spoiling in a land of captivity;

5 ungaligubuzeli icala labo, lesono sabo singacitshwa phambi kwakho, ngoba bathukuthelisile maqondana labakhi.

and cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before Thee; for they have vexed Thee before the builders.

6 Sawakha-ke umduli, waze wahlangana wonke umduli kuze kube yingxenye yawo, ngoba abantu babelenhliziyo yokusebenza.

So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto half the height thereof; for the people had a mind to work.

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 that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth;

8 Basebesenza ugobe bonke ndawonye ukuthi beze balwe leJerusalema, lokuthi badunge phakathi kwayo.

and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein.

9 Kodwa sakhuleka kuNkulunkulu wethu, sabeka abalindi ukumelana labo emini lebusuku, ngenxa yabo.

But we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

10 Kodwa uJuda wathi: Amandla abathwali bomthwalo adedile, lezibi zinengi, ngakho thina kasilakho ukwakha umduli.

And Judah said: 'The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.'

11 Lezitha zethu zathi: Kabayikwazi, kabayikubona, size singene phakathi kwabo sibabulale, siwumise umsebenzi.

And our adversaries said: 'They shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them, and slay 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 that, when the Jews that dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times: 'Ye must return unto us from all places.'

13 Ngasengimisa endaweni eziphansi kakhulu ngemva komduli endaweni ezisobala, ngamisa abantu ngensapho belezinkemba zabo, imikhonto yabo, lamadandili abo.

Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I even set the people after 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 rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people: 'Be not ye afraid of them; remember the Lord, who is great and awful, and fight for your brethren, your sons and 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 known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto 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 time forth, that half of my servants wrought in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

17 Ababesakha emdulini, lababethwala imithwalo, ababelayitshela, ngesinye sezandla zakhe wayesebenza emsebenzini, lesinye sibambelele isikhali.

They that builded the wall and they that bore burdens laded themselves, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other held his weapon;

18 Labakhi, ngulowo wayebhince inkemba yakhe ekhalweni lwakhe, besakha. Lovuthela uphondo wayeseceleni kwami.

and the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the horn was by me.

19 Ngasengisithi kuzikhulu lakubabusi lakwabanye abantu: Umsebenzi mkhulu futhi ubanzi; lathi sehlukene phezu komduli, omunye ukhatshana lomunye.

And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people: 'The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another;

20 Endaweni elizakuzwa khona ukukhala kophondo, lizabuthana lapho kithi; uNkulunkulu wethu uzasilwela.

in what place soever ye hear the sound of the horn, resort ye thither unto us; our God will fight for us.'

21 Ngokunjalo sasebenza emsebenzini; ingxenye yabo yayibambe imikhonto kusukela emadabukakusa kuze kuphume izinkanyezi.

So we wrought in the work; and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

22 Langalesosikhathi ngathi ebantwini: Ngulowo lenceku yakhe kabalale phakathi kweJerusalema ukuze babe ngabalindi bethu ebusuku, lemini emsebenzini.

Likewise at the same time said I unto the people: 'Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labour in the day.'

23 Ngakho kakho, mina, labafowethu, lenceku zami, lamadoda omlindo abangemva kwami, kakho kithi owakhulula izigqoko zethu, ngulowo wazikhululela ukuzihlanza.

So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard that followed me, none of us put off our clothes, every one that went to the water had his weapon.