Nehemia 4
1 Sanbalati aliposikia kwamba tulikuwa tunajenga ukuta upya, alikasirika na akawa na uchungu sana. Aliwadhihaki Wayahudi
But when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and was very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
2 mbele ya rafiki zake na jeshi la Samaria, akisema, “Hawa Wayahudi wanyonge wanafanya nini? Je, wataweza kuurudishia ukuta wao? Je, watatoa dhabihu? Je, wataweza kumaliza kuujenga kwa siku moja? Je, wataweza kufufua mawe kutoka malundo ya vifusi yaliyoungua hivyo?”
He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burned?”
3 Tobia Mwamoni aliyekuwa upande wake akasema, “Wanachokijenga, hata kama mbweha angepanda juu yake, huo ukuta wao wa mawe angeliubomoa!”
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, “What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall.”
4 Ee Mungu wetu, utusikie, kwa kuwa tumedharauliwa. Warudishie matukano yao kwenye vichwa vyao wenyewe. Uwatoe ili wawe nyara katika nchi ya waliowateka.
“Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their reproach on their own head. Give them up for a plunder in a land of captivity.
5 Usiusitiri uovu wao, wala usifute dhambi zao mbele zako, kwa kuwa wamewatukana wajenzi mbele.
Do not cover their iniquity. Do not let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders.”
6 Basi tuliujenga upya ukuta mpaka wote ukafikia nusu ya kimo chake, kwa kuwa watu walifanya kazi kwa moyo wote.
So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
7 Lakini wakati Sanbalati, Tobia, Waarabu, Waamoni na watu wa Ashdodi waliposikia kuwa ukarabati wa kuta za Yerusalemu ulikuwa umeendelea na mianya ilikuwa inazibwa, walikasirika sana.
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, they were very angry;
8 Wote walifanya shauri pamoja kuja kupigana dhidi ya Yerusalemu, na kuchochea machafuko dhidi yake.
and they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion among us.
9 Lakini tulimwomba Mungu wetu, na tukaweka ulinzi usiku na mchana kupambana na tishio hili.
But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night because of them.
10 Wakati ule ule, watu wa Yuda wakasema, “Nguvu za wafanyakazi zinapungua, nacho kifusi ni kingi mno, kiasi kwamba hatuwezi kuujenga upya ukuta.”
Judah said, “The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading and there is much rubble, so that we are not able to build the wall.”
11 Pia adui zetu walisema, “Kabla hawajajua au kutuona, tutakuwa palepale katikati yao, na tutawaua na kuikomesha hiyo kazi.”
Our adversaries said, “They will not know or see, until we come in among them and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”
12 Kisha Wayahudi ambao waliishi karibu nao walikuja zaidi ya mara kumi na kutuambia, “Popote mtakapoelekea, watatushambulia.”
When the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
13 Kwa hiyo nikaweka baadhi ya watu nyuma ya sehemu za chini za ukuta kwenye sehemu zilizo wazi, nikawaweka kufuatana na jamaa zao, wakiwa na panga, mikuki na pinde zao.
Therefore I set guards in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places. I set the people by family groups with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 Baada ya kuona hali ilivyo, nikasimama na kuwaambia wakuu, maafisa na wengine wote, “Msiwaogope. Mkumbukeni Bwana, ambaye ni mkuu mwenye kuogofya. Piganeni kwa ajili ya ndugu zenu, wana wenu na binti zenu, wake zenu na nyumba zenu.”
I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
15 Adui zetu waliposikia kwamba tumetambua hila yao, na kwamba Mungu amevuruga shauri lao, sote tulirudi kwenye ukuta, kila mmoja kwenye kazi yake.
When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.
16 Kuanzia siku ile na kuendelea, nusu ya watu wangu walifanya kazi ya ujenzi, na nusu nyingine wakashika mikuki, ngao, pinde na dirii. Maafisa walijipanga nyuma ya watu wote wa Yuda
From that time forth, half of my servants did the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
17 waliokuwa wakijenga ukuta. Wale waliobeba vifaa vya ujenzi walifanya kazi yao kwa mkono mmoja, na kushika silaha kwa mkono mwingine,
Those who built the wall, and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands did the work, and with the other held his weapon.
18 na kila mjenzi alijifunga upanga wake upande mmoja akiwa anafanya kazi. Lakini mtu wa kupiga baragumu alikaa pamoja nami.
Among the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me.
19 Kisha nikawaambia wakuu, maafisa na watu wengine wote, “Kazi hii ni kubwa na imeenea sehemu kubwa, nasi tumetawanyika kila mmoja akiwa mbali na mwenzake juu ya ukuta.
I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.
20 Popote mtakaposikia sauti ya baragumu, jiungeni nasi huko. Mungu wetu atatupigania!”
Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us.”
21 Basi tuliendelea na kazi, nusu ya watu wakishikilia mikuki, kuanzia mawio ya jua hadi nyota zilipoonekana.
So we did the work. Half of the people held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.
22 Wakati huo pia niliwaambia watu, “Kila mtu na msaidizi wake wakae ndani ya Yerusalemu wakati wa usiku, ili waweze kutumika kama walinzi wakati wa usiku, na kufanya kazi wakati wa mchana.”
Likewise at the same time I said to the people, “Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day.”
23 Mimi, wala ndugu zangu, wala watu wangu, wala walinzi waliokuwa pamoja nami hatukuvua nguo zetu. Kila mmoja alikuwa na silaha yake, hata alipokwenda kuchota maji.
So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.
