Nehemia 4
1 Ɛberɛ a Sanbalat tee sɛ yɛreto ɔfasuo no, ne bo fuu yie. Nʼani beree yie, dii Yudafoɔ no ho fɛ,
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 wɔ ne nnamfonom ne Samaria asraafoɔ mpanimfoɔ anim sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na Yudafoɔ ahiafoɔ, mmɔborɔfoɔ ekuo yi dwene sɛ wɔreyɛ? Wɔgye di sɛ, sɛ wɔbɔ afɔdeɛ sɛ ɛdeɛn koraa a, wɔbɛtumi de ɛda koro ato ɔfasuo yi anaa? Monhwɛ aboɔ a ahye asɛeɛ yi a wɔreyiyi afiri nkunkumaboɔ yi mu de ayɛ adwuma bio?”
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 Na Amonni Tobia a na ɔgyina ne nkyɛn kaa sɛ, “Saa aboɔ ɔfasuo yi deɛ, sɛ sakraman koraa fa so a, ɛbɛdwiri agu fam!”
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 Na mebɔɔ mpaeɛ sɛ, “Ao yɛn Onyankopɔn, tie yɛn, na wɔredi yɛn ho fɛ. Ma wɔn fɛdie no mmɔ wɔn ara wɔn tiri so, na ma wɔn ankasa nkɔyɛ nnommumfoɔ wɔ amamfrafoɔ asase so.
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 Mmu wʼani ngu wɔn afɔdie so. Mpepa wɔn bɔne, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔahyɛ wo abufuo wɔ adansifoɔ yi anim.”
and do not cover [their] iniquity.
6 Yei nyinaa akyi, wɔtoo ɔfasuo no kɔsii dada no ɔsorokɔ fa twaa kuro no ho hyiaeɛ, ɛfiri sɛ, ɔmanfoɔ no yɛɛ adwumaden.
7 Na ɛberɛ a Sanbalat ne Tobia ne Arabfoɔ ne Amonfoɔ ne Asdodfoɔ tee sɛ adwuma no rekɔ so na wɔretuatua ɔfasuo no mu ntokuro no, wɔn bo fuu yie.
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 Wɔn nyinaa yɛɛ nhyehyɛeɛ sɛ wɔbɛba abɛko atia Yerusalem, na wɔama basabasayɛ aba hɔ.
And all of them assembled together, to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to destroy it utterly.
9 Nanso, yɛbɔɔ yɛn Onyankopɔn mpaeɛ, wɛnee kuro no awia ne anadwo de bɔɔ yɛn ho ban.
So we prayed to our God and set watchmen against them day and night, because of them.
10 Afei, nnipa a wɔwɔ Yuda no hyɛɛ aseɛ nwiinwiiɛ kaa sɛ, “Adwumayɛfoɔ no rebrɛ, na nkunkumaboɔ no dɔɔso, na yɛn nko ara rentumi nyɛ adwuma no.”
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 Ɛberɛ korɔ no ara mu no na yɛn atamfoɔ nso reka sɛ, “Ansa na wɔn ani bɛba wɔn ho so no, na yɛato ahyɛ wɔn so, akunkum wɔn, ama adwuma no aba awieeɛ.”
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 Yudafoɔ a na wɔtete bɛn atamfoɔ no bɛbɔɔ yɛn amaneɛ mpɛn bebree sɛ, “Wɔbɛfiri afanan nyinaa abɛto ahyɛ yɛn so.”
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 Enti, mede awɛmfoɔ a wɔkura akodeɛ kɔtenaa baabi a ɔfasuo no yɛ tia, wɔ mmeammea a ɛhɔ deda hɔ. Memaa mmusuakuo no gyinagyinaa sɛ awɛmfoɔ a wɔkurakura akofena, mpea ne nnyan.
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 Afei, mehwɛɛ sɛdeɛ nneɛma teɛ no, mefrɛɛ ntuanofoɔ no ne ɔmanfoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monnsuro atamfoɔ no! Monkae Awurade a ɔyɛ ɔkɛseɛ ne onimuonyamfoɔ no na monko mma mo nnamfonom, mo mmusua ne mo afie.”
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 Ɛberɛ a yɛn atamfoɔ tee sɛ yɛahunu wɔn atirimpɔ ne sɛdeɛ Onyankopɔn asɛe saa atirimpɔ no, yɛn nyinaa sane kɔɔ ɔfasuo no ho, kɔtoaa yɛn adwuma so.
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 Na ɛfiri saa ɛberɛ no, me mmarima no mu fa pɛ na wɔyɛɛ adwuma, na nkaeɛ no wɛnee wɔ hɔ a wɔkurakura mpea, akokyɛm, nnyan, hyehyɛɛ akotaadeɛ wɛnee hɔ. Mpanimfoɔ no gyinagyinaa Yudafoɔ no a
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 na wɔreto ɔfasuo no akyi. Apaafoɔ no biara de nsa baako yɛɛ adwuma wɔ ɛberɛ a nsa baako nso kura akodeɛ mu.
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 Adansifoɔ no mu biara wɔ akofena a ɛbɔ nʼataaso. Totorobɛntohyɛnni no gyinaa me nkyɛn, na biribi si a, wahyɛn nʼabɛn.
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 Afei, mekyerɛɛ mu kyerɛɛ atitire ne adwumayɛfoɔ ne ɔmanfoɔ no nyinaa sɛ, “Adwuma no atrɛ, na yɛn ntam nso woware wɔ ɔfasuo no so.
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 Na sɛ mote totorobɛnto no nnyegyeeɛ a, monyɛ ntɛm nkɔ baabi a nnyegyeeɛ no wɔ. Na yɛn Onyankopɔn bɛko ama yɛn.”
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 Yɛkɔɔ adwuma ntɛm tenaa so kyɛree firi ɛberɛ a owia pue kɔsi ɛberɛ a owia kɔtɔ. Na ɛberɛ biara na nnipa no mu fa rewɛn.
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 Afei, mesane ka kyerɛɛ wɔn a wɔtete ɔfasuo no akyi no sɛ, wɔntu nkɔ Yerusalem. Sɛ wɔyɛ saa a, wɔne wɔn asomfoɔ bɛtumi awɛn anadwo, na wayɛ adwuma awiaberɛ mu.
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 Saa ɛberɛ no, yɛn mu biara, sɛ ɛyɛ me anaa me fiefoɔ anaa mʼasomfoɔ anaa awɛmfoɔ a na wɔne me wɔ hɔ no anworɔ yɛn ntadeɛ da. Sɛ yɛrekɔpɛ nsuo mpo a na yɛkurakura yɛn akodeɛ.
And I was [there], and the watchmen behind me, and there was not a man of us that put off his garments.
