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.
Nehemiah Overcomes Opposition to His Work
1 When Sanballat heard that we Jews had begun rebuilding the wall, he became furious and began to ridicule us. 2 In front of his companions and the Samaritan troops he said, “What do these miserable Jews think they're doing? Do they intend to rebuild the city? Do they think that by offering sacrifices they can finish the work in one day? Can they make building stones out of heaps of burnt rubble?”
3 Tobiah was standing there beside him, and he added, “What kind of wall could they ever build? Even a fox could knock it down!”
4 I prayed, “Hear how they make fun of us, O God! Let their ridicule fall on their own heads. Let them be robbed of everything they have, and let them be taken as prisoners to a foreign land. 5 Don't forgive the evil they do and don't forget their sins, for they have insulted us who are building.”
6 So we went on rebuilding the wall, and soon it was half its full height, because the people were eager to work.
7 Sanballat, Tobiah, and the people of Arabia, Ammon, and Ashdod heard that we were making progress in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem and that the gaps in the wall were being closed, and they became very angry. 8 So they all plotted together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion, 9 but we prayed to our God and kept men on guard against them day and night.
10 The people of Judah had a song they sang:
“We grow weak carrying burdens;
There's so much rubble to take away.
How can we build the wall today?”
11 Our enemies thought we would not see them or know what was happening until they were already upon us, killing us and putting an end to our work. 12 But time after time Jews who were living among our enemies came to warn us of the plans our enemies were making against us. 13 So I armed the people with swords, spears, and bows, and stationed them by clans behind the wall, wherever it was still unfinished.
14 I saw that the people were worried, so I said to them and to their leaders and officials, “Don't be afraid of our enemies. Remember how great and terrifying the Lord is, and fight for your relatives, your children, your wives, and your homes.” 15 Our enemies heard that we had found out what they were plotting, and they realized that God had defeated their plans. Then all of us went back to rebuilding the wall.
16 From then on half of my men worked and half stood guard, wearing coats of armor and armed with spears, shields, and bows. And our leaders gave their full support to the people 17 who were rebuilding the wall. Even those who carried building materials worked with one hand and kept a weapon in the other, 18 and everyone who was building kept a sword strapped to their waist. The man who was to sound the alarm on the bugle stayed with me. 19 I told the people and their officials and leaders, “The work is spread out over such a distance that we are widely separated from one another on the wall. 20 If you hear the bugle, gather around me. Our God will fight for us.” 21 So every day, from dawn until the stars came out at night, half of us worked on the wall, while the other half stood guard with spears.
22 During this time I told the men in charge that they and all their helpers had to stay in Jerusalem at night, so that we could guard the city at night as well as work in the daytime. 23 I didn't take off my clothes even at night, neither did any of my companions nor my servants nor my bodyguards. And we all kept our weapons at hand.
