Nehemiah 4
1 But when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and was very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
Sanbalati alipoposikia tulikuwa tukijenga ukuta, akaghadhabika ndani yake, naye akakasirika sana, akawacheka Wayahudi.
2 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?”
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?
3 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.”
Tobia Mwamoni alikuwa pamoja naye, naye akasema, 'Ikiwa tu mbweha angepanda juu ya hichi wanachokijenga, angeubomoa ukuta huo wa mawe.”
4 “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.
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.
5 Do not cover their iniquity. Do not let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders.”
Usiufunike uovu wao, wala usiondoe dhambi zao mbele yako; kwa sababu wamewachukiza wanaojenga.
6 So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
Kwa hiyo tulijenga ukuta na ukuta wote uliunganishwa kwa nusu ya urefu wake, kwa kuwa watu walikuwa na hamu ya kufanya kazi
7 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;
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.
8 and they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion among us.
Wote walifanya shauri pamoja, na walikuja kupigana dhidi ya Yerusalemu na kusababisha machafuko ndani yake.
9 But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night because of them.
Lakini tuliomba kwa Mungu wetu na kuweka walinzi kama ulinzi dhidi yao mchana na usiku kwa sababu ya tishio lao.
10 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.”
Kisha watu wa Yuda wakasema, “Nguvu ya wale wanaobeba mizigo inashindwa. Kuna kifusi kikubwa, na hatuwezi kujenga ukuta.”
11 Our adversaries said, “They will not know or see, until we come in among them and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”
Na adui zetu wakasema,” Wala hawatajua au kuona mpaka tutakapokuja kati yao na kuwaua, na kuisimamisha kazi.”
12 When the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
Wakati huo Wayahudi waliokuwa wakiishi karibu nao walitoka pande zote na kuzungumza nasi mara kumi, wakituonya juu ya mipango waliyofanya dhidi yetu.
13 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.
Kwa hiyo nikaweka watu katika sehemu za chini za ukuta katika sehemu zilizo wazi. Niliweka kila familia wenye upanga, mikuki, na upinde.
14 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.”
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.
15 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.
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.
16 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.
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.
17 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.
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.
18 Among the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me.
Kila mjenzi alivaa upanga wake ubavuni mwake na ndivyo alivyojenga. Yule aliyepiga tarumbeta akakaa karibu nami.
19 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.
Niliwaambia wakuu na viongozi na watu wengine, “Kazi ni nzuri na ya kina, na tumejitenga kwenye ukuta, mbali na mtu mwingine.
20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us.”
Lazima mkimbilie mahali ambapo mtasikia sauti ya tarumbeta na kusanyika huko. Mungu wetu atatupigania.”
21 So we did the work. Half of the people held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.
Kwa hiyo tulifanya kazi hiyo. Nusu yao walikuwa wakichukua mikuki kutoka kupambazuka asubuhi hadi kutokea kwa nyota.
22 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.”
Nikawaambia watu wakati huo, “Kila mtu na mtumishi wake waende usiku katikati ya Yerusalemu, ili wawe walinzi wakati wa usiku na mfanyakazi wakati huo.”
23 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.
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.
