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.
Nehemia ma taara ovemupirukire
1 Sanbalat tja zuva kutja eṱe Ovajuda twa uta okutungurura orumbo, otja pindika na utu okutuyamburura. 2 Eye wa hungirira nai povakwawo na povira vyovarwe vOvasamaria wovita a tja: “Ovajuda, imba oviporoporo, mave ripura okutjita tjike? Mave vanga okutungurura otjihuro are? Mave ripura kutja mokupunguha ozombunguhiro mave mana oviungura meyuva rimwe are? Mave sora okuungura omawe wokutunga poviyaya mbya pya are?”
3 Tobija, Omuamoni, wa kuramene mbo posi ya Sanbalat, na weza okuhungira a tja: “Orumbo ndwa sana pi ndu mave tungu? Nangarire ombandje tji ye rivete mo maru wire pehi!”
4 Ami mba kumba e tja nai: “Puratena ku wo, tji mave tu nyekerere, Ndjambi! Ondjambu yawo nga i wire koviuru vyawo oveni. Ngave yekwe oviṋa avihe, mbi ve na vyo, nu ve twarewe otja ovahuurwa kehi rozonganda! 5 O ve isire ko ourunde mbu ve tjita, nu o ve zemisire ko ouvi wawo, owo tjinga amave tuyamburura, mbu matu tungu.”
6 Eṱe otji twa tungurura orumbo komurungu, nu mokamanga orwo rwa ri ohinga kokumanuka, ovandu tjinga ava ri nombango okuungura.
7 Sanbalat na Tobija nOvaaraba nOvaamoni nOvaasdod va zuva kutja otjiungura tjokutungurura orumbo rwa Jerusalem tji ryamenako komurungu, nokutja ozondovi morumbo zauta okusetikwa; nowo otji va pindika tjinene. 8 Komuhingo mbwi owo avehe otji ve rikuta kumwe kutja ve ye okurwisa Jerusalem, nu ve tji zunganise.
9 Nungwari eṱe twa kumba ku Ndjambi wetu atu twa po ovatjevere omutenya nouṱuku.
10 Ovajuda va imbura eimburiro, ndi mari tja:
“Omasa wovatjinde vomitwaro ya yanda,
nungwari ingee pe noviyaya ovingi okuisapo.
Eṱe kamaatu mana okutunga orumbo ndino.”
11 Ovanavita na eṱe ve ripura kutja katu nokuvemuna poo katu nokutjiwa mbi mavi tjitwa, nga tji ve ya kombanda yetu, ve tu zepe nu ve yandise oviungura vyetu. 12 Nungwari ovikando ovingi Ovajuda, mba turire mokati kovanavita na eṱe, ve ya okututjivisa indji ondunge ovanavita ndji va tungire eṱe. 13 Ami mba rongerisa ovandu nomangaruvyo nomanga nomauta, ne ve twa otja kozonganda zawo kongotwe yorumbo poṋa pu rwa ri aru hiya manuka.
14 Ami mba muna kutja ovandu ve nongendo, notji mba tja nai ku wo na kovanane na kovahongore vawo: “Amu tira ovanavita na eṱe. Zemburukeye kutja Muhona omunene nomutirise, nu rwireye ovakweṋu novanatje novakazendu veṋu, nozonganda zeṋu.” 15 Ovanavita na eṱe va zuva kutja eṱe twa tjiza kutja mave vanga okutusekamena, notji va tjiwa kutja Ndjambi wa pambaukisa omeripura wawo. Eṱe atuhe twa yaruka natu katungurura orumbo.
16 Okuzambo orumbembera rumwe rwovarumendu vandje aa ru tungu, ngunda indwi orukwao arwa zara ozombanda zovitenda narwe ripangaṋa nomanga notuvao nomauta otja ovatjevere. Novanane vetu va vatera otjiwaṋa atjihe, 17 tjaa tji tungu orumbo. Nangarire imba mbaa ve toora oviungurise vyomatungiro ave ungura neke rimwe, nu meke rarwe tjandje ve notjirwise. 18 Nu auhe ngwaa tungu, aa kara nengaruvyo mongonda. Omurumendu omuposise wohiva wa kuramene puna ami. 19 Ami mba raera otjiwaṋa novahongore novanane vatjo e tja: “Oviungura vyorumbo vya tandavara tjinene, nga tji twa karasana kokure nokokure kombanda yorumbo. 20 Tji mwa zuu ombosiro yohiva, woronganeneye pu ami. Ndjambi wetu me tu rwire.” 21 Eyuva arihe, okuza menyunguhuka nga kongurova ozonyose tji za munika, orumbembera rumwe rwetu aa ru ungura korumbo, indwi orukwao ngunda amaru tjevere nomanga.
22 Moruveze ndwi ami mba raera ovarumendu mba ri moviungura kutja; owo novavatere vawo avehe nga ve kare mOjerusalem ouṱuku kutja tu sore okutjevera otjihuro ouṱuku nokuungura mutenya. 23 Ami hiye rihukura ozombanda zandje, nangarire ouṱuku, na imba ovakwetu novakarere vandje novatjevere vandje vokorutu wina. Atuhe aa tu kara novirwise momake.
