Nehemia 4
1 Sanbalati alipoposikia tulikuwa tukijenga ukuta, akaghadhabika ndani yake, naye akakasirika sana, akawacheka 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 ndugu zake na jeshi la Samaria, akasema, “Wayahudi dhaifu hawa wanafanya nini? Je, watajifanyia mji wenyewe? Je, watatoa dhabihu? Je, wataimaliza kazi siku moja? Je! Watawaletea mawe kutoka kwenye kifusi baada ya kuchomwa moto?
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 burnt?”
3 Tobia Mwamoni alikuwa pamoja naye, naye akasema, 'Ikiwa tu mbweha angepanda juu ya hichi wanachokijenga, angeubomoa ukuta huo wa mawe.”
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 Tusikilize, Mungu wetu, kwa maana sisi tunatukanwa. Rudisha malalamiko yao juu ya vichwa vyao wenyewe na kuwapa wapate kutekwa katika nchi ambapo wao ni wafungwa.
“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 Usiufunike uovu wao, wala usiondoe dhambi zao mbele yako; kwa sababu wamewachukiza wanaojenga.
Don’t cover their iniquity. Don’t let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders.”
6 Kwa hiyo tulijenga ukuta na ukuta wote uliunganishwa kwa nusu ya urefu wake, kwa kuwa watu walikuwa na hamu ya kufanya kazi
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 Sanbalati, Tobia, Waarabu, Waamoni, na Waashdodi waliposikia kwamba kazi ya ukarabati wa kuta za Yerusalemu ilikuwa ikiendelea, na kwamba sehemu zilizovunjika katika ukuta zilikuwa zimefungwa, ghadhabu kubwa ikawaka ndani yao.
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, na walikuja kupigana dhidi ya Yerusalemu na kusababisha machafuko ndani yake.
and they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion amongst us.
9 Lakini tuliomba kwa Mungu wetu na kuweka walinzi kama ulinzi dhidi yao mchana na usiku kwa sababu ya tishio lao.
But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night because of them.
10 Kisha watu wa Yuda wakasema, “Nguvu ya wale wanaobeba mizigo inashindwa. Kuna kifusi kikubwa, na hatuwezi kujenga 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 Na adui zetu wakasema,” Wala hawatajua au kuona mpaka tutakapokuja kati yao na kuwaua, na kuisimamisha kazi.”
Our adversaries said, “They will not know or see, until we come in amongst them and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”
12 Wakati huo Wayahudi waliokuwa wakiishi karibu nao walitoka pande zote na kuzungumza nasi mara kumi, wakituonya juu ya mipango waliyofanya dhidi yetu.
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 watu katika sehemu za chini za ukuta katika sehemu zilizo wazi. Niliweka kila familia wenye upanga, mikuki, na upinde.
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 Nikatazama, nikasimama, nikawaambia wakuu, na watawala, na watu wengine, “Msiogope. mkumbukeni Bwana, ambaye ni mkuu na wa kushangaza. Wapiganie ndugu zenu, wana zenu, 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, “Don’t 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 Ilipokuwa wakati adui zetu waliposikia kwamba mipango yao ilikuwa inayojulikana kwetu, na Mungu alikuwa amebatilisha mipango yao, sote tulirudi ukutani, kila mmoja kwa 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 Kwa hiyo tangu wakati huo nusu ya watumishi wangu walifanya kazi tu juu ya kujenga ukuta, na nusu yao wakaishika mikuki, ngao, pinde, na kuvaa silaha, wakati viongozi walisimama 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 Na hivyo wafanyakazi haohao ambao walikuwa wakijenga ukuta na kubeba mizigo walikuwa pia wakilinda nafasi zao. Kila mtu alifanya kazi kwa mkono mmoja, na kwa mkono mwingine alikuwa na silaha yake.
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 Kila mjenzi alivaa upanga wake ubavuni mwake na ndivyo alivyojenga. Yule aliyepiga tarumbeta akakaa karibu nami.
Amongst the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the shofar was by me.
19 Niliwaambia wakuu na viongozi na watu wengine, “Kazi ni nzuri na ya kina, na tumejitenga kwenye ukuta, mbali na mtu mwingine.
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 Lazima mkimbilie mahali ambapo mtasikia sauti ya tarumbeta na kusanyika huko. Mungu wetu atatupigania.”
Wherever you hear the sound of the shofar, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us.”
21 Kwa hiyo tulifanya kazi hiyo. Nusu yao walikuwa wakichukua mikuki kutoka kupambazuka asubuhi hadi kutokea kwa nyota.
So we did the work. Half of the people held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.
22 Nikawaambia watu wakati huo, “Kila mtu na mtumishi wake waende usiku katikati ya Yerusalemu, ili wawe walinzi wakati wa usiku na mfanyakazi wakati huo.”
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 labour in the day.”
23 Basi si mimi, wala ndugu zangu, wala watumishi wangu, wala watu wa walinzi waliokuwa wananifuata, hakuna hata mmoja wetu aliyebadili nguo zake, na kila mmoja wetu alichukua silaha yake, hata kama angeenda kwa ajili ya kuteka 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.
