Hostility to the Work
1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
Lakini ikawa, Sanbalati aliposikia ya kwamba tulikuwa tukiujenga ukuta, akaghadhibika, akaingiwa na uchungu sana, akawadhihaki Wayahudi.
2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
Akanena mbele ya nduguze na mbele ya jeshi la Samaria, akisema, Wayahudi hawa wanyonge wanafanyaje? Je! Watajifanyizia boma? Watatoa dhabihu? Au watamaliza katika siku moja? Je! Watayafufua mawe katika chungu hizi za kifusi, nayo yameteketezwa kwa moto?
3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
Basi Tobia, Mwamoni, alikuwa karibu naye, akasema, Hata hiki wanachokijenga, angepanda mbweha, angeubomoa ukuta wao wa mawe.
4 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:
Sikia, Ee Mungu wetu; maana tunadharauliwa; ukawarudishie mashutumu yao juu ya vichwa vyao, ukawatoe watekwe katika nchi ya uhamisho;
5 and cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
wala usiusitiri uovu wao, wala isifutwe dhambi yao, mbele zako; kwa maana wamekukasirisha mbele ya hao wanaojenga.
6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
Basi tukaujenga ukuta; nao ukuta wote ukaungamanishwa kiasi cha nusu ya kimo chake; maana watu walikuwa na moyo wa kufanya kazi.
7 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
Lakini ikawa, Sanbalati, na Tobia, na Waarabu, na Waamoni, na Waashdodi, waliposikia ya kuwa kazi ya kuzitengeneza kuta za Yerusalemu inaendelea, na ya kuwa mahali palipobomoka panaanza kuzibwa, basi wakaghadhibika mno;
8 and conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
wakafanya shauri wote pamoja kuja kupigana na Yerusalemu, na kufanya machafuko humo.
Nehemiah's Response
9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
Bali sisi tulimwomba dua Mungu wetu, tena tukaweka walinzi, mchana na usiku, kwa sababu yao, ili kuwapinga.
10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
Wakasema Yuda, Nguvu zao wachukuao mizigo zimedhoofika, na kifusi tele zipo; tusiweze kuujenga ukuta.
11 And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.
Nao adui zetu wakasema, Hawatajua wala kuona, hata tutakapokuja kati yao, na kuwaua, na kuikomesha kazi hiyo.
12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you .
Kisha ikawa, Wayahudi walipokuja, wale waliokaa karibu nao, wakatuambia mara kumi, Kutoka kila mahali mtakaporejea watatushambulia.
13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
Basi, nikaweka watu, mahali pa chini pa nafasi iliyokuwa nyuma ya ukuta, mahali palipokuwa wazi, kwa kadiri ya jamaa zao, nikawaweka wenye panga zao, na mikuki yao, na pinde zao.
14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
Nikatazama, nikaondoka, nikawaambia wakuu, na mashehe, na watu wengine waliobaki, Msiwaogope; mkumbukeni Bwana, aliye mkuu mwenye kuogofya, mkawapiganie ndugu zenu, na wana wenu, na binti zenu, na wake zenu, na nyumba zenu.
15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
Kisha ikawa, adui zetu waliposikia ya kuwa tumekwisha kupata habari, na ya kuwa Mungu amelibatilisha shauri lao, ndipo sisi sote tukarudi ukutani, kila mtu kwa kazi yake.
16 And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
Ikawa tokea wakati huo, nusu ya watumishi wangu walitumika katika kazi hiyo, na nusu yao wakaishika mikuki, na ngao, na pinde, na darii; na maakida walikuwa nyuma ya nyumba yote ya Yuda.
17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
Watu wale walioujenga ukuta, na wale waliochukua mizigo, walijitweka wenyewe, kila mtu alifanya kazi kwa mkono mmoja, na kwa mkono wake wa pili alishika silaha yake;
18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
nao wajenzi, kila mtu alikuwa na upanga wake, umefungwa ubavuni mwake, ndivyo alivyojenga. Na yeye aliyepiga baragumu alikuwa karibu na mimi.
19 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
Nikawaambia wakuu, na mashehe na watu wengine; Kazi hii ni nyingi, tena kubwa, nasi tumetawanyika juu ya ukuta, kila mtu mbali na mwenzake;
20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
basi mahali po pote mtakaposikia sauti ya baragumu, enendeni huko, mkatujie; Mungu wetu atatupigania.
21 So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
Hivyo tukajitia katika kazi hiyo; na nusu yao waliishika mikuki, tangu alfajiri hata nyota zikatokea.
22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.
Kadhalika, wakati ule ule, nikawaambia watu, Kila mtu na akae ndani ya Yerusalemu pamoja na mtumishi wake, wapate kuwa walinzi wetu wakati wa usiku, na kufanya kazi wakati wa mchana.
23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.
Basi mimi, na ndugu zangu, na watumishi wangu, na watu wa ulinzi walionifuata, hatukuvua nguo zetu hata mmoja; kila mtu alikwenda kuteka maji akichukua silaha yake.
