Nehemiah's Enemies
1 When Sanballat, the governor of Samaria, heard that we were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, he became angry and started insulting our people. 2 In front of his friends and the Samaritan army he said, “What is this feeble bunch of Jews trying to do? Are they going to rebuild the wall and offer sacrifices all in one day? Do they think they can make something out of this pile of scorched stones?”
3 Tobiah from Ammon was standing beside Sanballat and said, “Look at the wall they are building! Why, even a fox could knock over this pile of stones.”
4 But I prayed, “Our God, these people hate us and have wished horrible things for us. Please answer our prayers and make their insults fall on them! Let them be the ones to be dragged away as prisoners of war. 5 Don't forgive the mean and evil way they have insulted the builders.”
6 The people worked hard, and we built the walls of Jerusalem halfway up again. 7 But Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people from the city of Ashdod saw the walls going up and the holes being repaired. So they became angry 8 and decided to stir up trouble, and to fight against the people of Jerusalem. 9 But we kept on praying to our God, and we also stationed guards day and night.
10 Meanwhile, the people of Judah were singing a sorrowful song:
“So much rubble for us to haul!
Worn out and weary,
will we ever finish this wall?”
11 Our enemies were saying, “Before those Jews know what has happened, we will sneak up and kill them and put an end to their work.”
12 On at least ten different occasions, the Jews living near our enemies warned us against attacks from every side, 13 and so I sent people to guard the wall at its lowest places and where there were still holes in it. I placed them according to families, and they stood guard with swords and spears and with bows and arrows. 14 Then I looked things over and told the leaders, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Don't be afraid of your enemies! The Lord is great and fearsome. So think of him and fight for your relatives and children, your wives and homes!”
15 Our enemies found out that we knew about their plot against us, but God kept them from doing what they had planned. So we went back to work on the wall.
16 From then on, I let half of the young men work while the other half stood guard. They wore armor and had spears and shields, as well as bows and arrows. The leaders helped the workers 17 who were rebuilding the wall. Everyone who hauled building materials kept one hand free to carry a weapon. 18 Even the workers who were rebuilding the wall strapped on a sword. The worker who was to blow the signal trumpet stayed with me.
19 I told the people and their officials and leaders, “Our work is so spread out, that we are a long way from one another. 20 If you hear the sound of the trumpet, come quickly and gather around me. Our God will help us fight.”
21 Every day from dawn to dark, half of the workers rebuilt the walls, while the rest stood guard with their spears.
22 I asked the men in charge and their workers to stay inside Jerusalem and stand guard at night. So they guarded the city at night and worked during the day. 23 I even slept in my work clothes at night; my relatives, the workers, and the guards slept in theirs as well. And we always kept our weapons close by.
Nehemiya unokunda zwita zwizwe
1 Kwakati Sanibalati ehwa kuti takabetimusa guma kazhala bushongola bukulu, kagwadzika kwazo ngono katangisa kadadila Bajuta, 2 Ngono kaleba mbeli kwe bashingi naye ne nlauli we babhayani be Samariya eti “Bajuta ibaba basakasima banozwidwa beti banothamani wali? Banozwidwa beti banowomusa makuma abo kene? Banozwidwa beti banodusa zwibhayilo kene? Banozwidwa beti banowopedza nge zhuba kene? Banozwidwa beti bangadusa mabgwe aka vukidzigwa mu zwizhalanlota kene?”
3 Tobiya we N'amoni wakabe alimile wunde naye ngono kati “Guma labanobaka ne phungubgwe ha ingatjulukila lingawa!” 4 “Mutihwilileni Ndzimu wedu! Ngobe tolingigwa pasi. Bgwilizani masapa abo ku bali kakale mu baletje batapiwe se thundu yakatapiwa mu shango ye busungwa, mubaletjedze batolegwe ku shango ye busungwa. 5 Musitongo bazwibhatigwa jinyo ne bubi gwa bakathama, ngobe bakatuka babaki.”
6 Ngono takabaka guma lose kupoteleka ngobe bathu bakabe beshinga bakasima.
7 Koga Sanibalati na Tobiya ne Baarabu ne Baamoni ne Baashidoti bakati behwa kuti ku musa makuma e Jerusalema kwakadwilila kakale banoyenda bezwina apaje na apaje ngono bakagwadza moyo kwazo. 8 Bakabalukila gwanga kuti bazhe bowogwisa Jerusalema ne kuthama kuti kube ne kudzongeka muili. 9 Ngono takatembezela Ndzimu wedu kakale tikabiga nlingi kuti agale akabalinga siku ne sikati.
10 Nekwakajalo Bajuta bakabe bakabhata bemba beti, “Simba le bashingi lopela, kakale kuna malala manjisa anotithama kuti tisitubule kuwidza nshingo wekumusa guma!” 11 Ngono zwita zwedu zwikati “Banowoti basathu bakaziba kene basathu bakatibona towobetili apajee, pakati kwabo, ngono towobabulaya ne nshingo wabo ukama.” 12 Bajuta bakabaka kubapa nabo bakatibezha bakatidwa kanjinji kungabhata gumi beti “Kumwe ne kumwe kwa munoyenda banowotinginilila.”
13 Ndizo pamwe ne pamwe panoboneka mu guma ndakabiga bathu nge misha yabo bakabhata zwibhayano zwakathubukana. 14 Ndakati ndisina kulingisisa zwithu izwezwi amilika ngono adwa makombgwa ne makulukota ne bathu bose ati, “Musitongo batja, kumbulani Yahwe, iye nkulu kunotjenamisa, ndizo mu gwile makamu enyu ne bakololo benyu ne bakololokadzi benyu ne bakadzi benyu ne mizi yenyu.” 15 Ngono zwita zwedu zwakati zwihwa kuti taziba nkumbulo wazo kakale Ndzimu waka udzibilidza, mmwe ne mmwe kabgwilila ku nshingo uwe we ku musa guma.
16 Kudwa mu zhuba ilelo gwamu limwe le balanda bangu bakabe be bumba bamwe bakabhata zwibhayano zwakasiyana ngono batungamili bedu bali mile ne bathu be Juda, 17 bakabe bebaka guma. Basengi be zwinobaka bakabe bezwisenga nge luboko gu n'gompela gumwe gwakabhata tjibhayano, 18 mbumbi mmwe ne mmwe wakabe akadedela bukanu gugwe mu thunji tjibaka tjose eshinga. Ngono nlume iye wakabe elidza lunyanga wakabe egala pandili. 19 Kudwapo ndakadwa makombgwa ne makulukota ne bathu bose nditi “Nshingo njinji kakale wakaandama ngono naswibo takalangana nge guma kwazo. 20 Ngono ndizo ha muhwa lunyanga gulila mubuye mushangane naswi ikweno. Ndzimu wedu unotigwila!”
21 Takadwilila nge nshingo, gwamu limwe le balume lakabhata makanu kudwa tjose busikwana kunoswika madekwana kwabhata ne nyenyedzi dzoboneka. 22 Mu tjibaka itjetjo ndakadwa bathu kakale ati “Nlume mmwe ne mmwe ne mbhatshi mmwe ne mmwe balale mu Jerusalema kuti ndizo balale bali balingi busiku, ngono masikati babe bashingi.” 23 Takati tinoizela imi ne bamwe nami ne balanda bangu ne balindi bangu, takaizela takaambala ntome takabhata zwibhayano zwedu.