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.
Nemaya Pe kyila'baazi Losi Ndaro rote Ṛe
1 Ondro Sanebalata kerite ama Yudai màgo màte tiṛi obe oko, nda a'dote kyilaro amba, ago eto Yudai ugu te. 2 Ago nda atate mile azi ndaro ro ndi kyila'bai Samaria ro robe yasi ekye: “Yudai se mbaraako kwoi kayi 'do e'di oye ya? Inye'do ànya ogo obena vo ono gindi ya? Inye'do ànya olona tori gindi ya? Inye'do ànya ondena losi ono gindi u'du alo siya? Inye'do ànya uninayi gindi ogone kuni zo obero ewene ni turu'du kaŋwa ro se kujebe ono yasi ya?”
3 Tobia Amona'ba edrevoya lau gbo sanebalata ro ya, atate ekye: “Tiṛi gyi ànya kabe obena ono, ca mututu kutube driigye perena ru ndi riya!”
4 Mämätute makye: “Äye Lu amaro, nyeri ànya kayi ama mawo; nyologo ŋgamawo ànyaro gi ànya modo dri, mi'ba otopa ŋga ànya ro wari se äru ànya be kamba'ba ro kigye ana ya. 5 Nye'be ànya ko ta taenji ànya ro rota, ago mi'ba takozi ànyaro konaru koni mimilesi; tana ànya 'dayi ama se màbe ugu tiṛi obe ono te.”
6 Ta'dota mugu tiṛi obe te, ago sate le kitoriya ogwana roya. Tana lidri orivoya nja losi oyene.
7 Ondro Sanebalata, Tobia, ago lidri Arabia ro, Amona'bai ro ndi Asedodo'bai yibe keriyi tate ekye ago ate ugu tiṛi Yerusalema ro obena mile yaro ago lakole tiṛi ro se uŋbo iyi ate tisina kpakyi oko, ànya a'doyite kyilaro ndra. 8 Ta'dota ànya äyiyitate troalo ikyine Yerusalema gotane ago ŋga gburu oyene kigye. 9 Oko màye mätu te Lu amaro ri, ago màra lidri te vookwane ni ànyari kitu si ago kpa ŋgäkyi si.
10 Lidri Yuda ro ekye:
“Mbara ŋgaläŋgyi uŋgyi'ba ro kate okye; ago kaŋwa te orivoya amba mänina tiṛi ono obene eŋwanyeya?”
11 Kyila'baazii amaro ekye: Yudai unina ko tase kabe ugu a'do unine kode ondrene madale mìkyina lutu ànya lako, ànya tufune ago mèdrena losi gwo. 12 Oko Yudai se koriyibe ànya lako ikyiyite amare ago itiyi tate ämäri perena 'bute ekye: “Kyila'baazii amaro ikyinayi 'da ama gotane ni vose cini ama be kigye yasi.” 13 Ta'dota ma'ba lidri te tiṛi kundusi vose drigba ande ko 'do ya, vose uŋbo ro yasi, ago mara ànya te ba käläsikalai voro bandoi, äzui, ndi kusui ànyaro yibe. 14 Mandre vote ago maŋgate, ndi matate dri'bai ri ndi dri'bai losiro be ri ndi lidri cini beri makye: “Nyà'do ko turiro ni ànya ri. Mìyi ta OPI se 'desi ago mbaraekye ono ro, ago mìye kyila ta ädrupii amiro rota, ta ŋgwàagoro amiro, ndiriŋwa amiro, 'ditoko amiro ndi 'bädri amiro be rota.”
15 Ondro kyila'baazii amaro keriyite mäni ta cini te, ago Lu gburu tase cini ànya korayibe te oko; ama cini màgote tiṛi obene 'dialo gi losi ndaro ya. 16 Eto ṛoni tu ana si telesi lidri maro ro yeyi losi te vo ŋgaobe roya, ago telesina ruyi äzui, ŋga ruotaroi, kusui ndi lakazà kyila ro be te, ago dri'bai yeyi ŋgaopa amba te lidri Yuda ro, 17 se kayibe tiṛi obe kai ri. Ca 'dise kayibe lakazà ŋgaobero uŋgyina kai yeyi losi te drì alo si ago ŋgyiyi ŋga kyila oyero te drì telesi ya. 18 'Dise cini kayibe tiṛi obe kai embeyi bando ànyaro te kyinikunduro ànyaro yasi tiṛi obevoya. Mano se kabe cekuṛe ovo rite mare. 19 Matate 'desii ndi dri'bai losiro ndi lidri cini be ri makye: “Losi te orivoya amba ago käräbäbäro, ago lewe ama te tiṛi drisi, pere pere ni azi resi, 20 ondro ka'do nyèri cekuṛe te vo aza ya nyòtokala amare lau. Lu amaro oyena kyila 'da ama ta.” 21 Ta'dota mugu losi oyete, ago rukä amaro edrete vookwane äzu be, eto ṛoni 'buzevoosivoya madale 'bi'bi efogwo ŋgäkyi si.
22 Tu gi ana si mata kpate lidri ri makye, Miba 'dialo ndi ruindu'ba ndaro be orine Yerusalema ya ŋgäkyi si, tana ànya ka'do robe vookwa'baro ämäri ŋgäkyi si ago koyeyi losi robe kitu si. 23 Ta'dota ca ma, ca ädrupii maro ca ruindu'bai maro, ca vo maro okwa'bai mòtotri boŋgo kote ni ama lomvosi ŋgäkyi si; ago 'dialo ru lakazà kyila ro ndaro gyi nda rigye.