Opposition to the Rebuilding
In Hebrew texts 4:1-6 is numbered 3:33-38, and 4:7-23 is numbered 4:1-17. 1When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”
3Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”
4Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 5Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of4:5 Or have aroused your anger before the builders.
6So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
7But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. 9But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
10Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”
11Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”
12Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
13Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 14After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
15When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.
16From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah 17who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, 18and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.
19Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. 20Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”
21So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. 22At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day.” 23Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.4:23 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
Àtakò sí àtúnkọ́ odi Jerusalẹmu
1Nígbà tí Sanballati gbọ́ pé àwa ń tún odi náà mọ, ó bínú, ó sì bínú púpọ̀. Ó fi àwọn ará Júù ṣe ẹlẹ́yà, 2ó sọ níwájú àwọn ẹlẹgbẹ́ rẹ̀ àti níwájú àwọn ọmọ-ogun Samaria pé, “Kí ni àwọn aláìlera Júù wọ̀nyí ń ṣe yìí? Ṣé wọn yóò mú odi wọn padà ni? Ṣé wọn yóò rú ẹbọ ni? Ṣé wọn yóò parí i rẹ̀ lóòjọ́ ni bí? Ṣé wọ́n lè mú òkúta tí a ti sun láti inú òkìtì padà bọ̀ sípò tí ó jóná bí wọ́n ṣe wà?”
3Tobiah ará Ammoni, ẹni tí ó wà lẹ́gbẹ̀ẹ́ rẹ̀, wí pé, “Ohun tí wọ́n ń mọ—bí kọ̀lọ̀kọ̀lọ̀ lásán bá gùn ún sókè, yóò fọ́ odi òkúta wọn lulẹ̀!”
4Gbọ́ ti wa, Ọlọ́run wa, nítorí àwa di ẹni ẹ̀gàn. Dá ẹ̀gàn wọn padà sórí ara wọn. Kí o sì fi wọ́n fún ìkógun ní ilẹ̀ ìgbèkùn. 5Má ṣe bo ẹ̀bi wọn tàbí wẹ àwọn ẹ̀ṣẹ̀ wọn nù kúrò níwájú rẹ, nítorí wọ́n mú ọ bínú níwájú àwọn ọ̀mọ̀lé.
6Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni àwa mọ odi náà títí gbogbo rẹ̀ fi dé ìdajì gíga rẹ̀, nítorí àwọn ènìyàn ṣiṣẹ́ pẹ̀lú gbogbo ọkàn an wọn.
7Ṣùgbọ́n nígbà tí Sanballati, Tobiah, àwọn ará Arabia, ará Ammoni, àti àwọn ènìyàn Aṣdodu gbọ́ pé àtúnṣe odi Jerusalẹmu ti ga dé òkè àti pé a ti mọ àwọn ibi tí ó yá dí, inú bí wọn gidigidi. 8Gbogbo wọn jọ gbìmọ̀ pọ̀ láti wá bá Jerusalẹmu jà àti láti dìde wàhálà sí í. 9Ṣùgbọ́n àwa gbàdúrà sí Ọlọ́run wa, a sì yan olùṣọ́ ọ̀sán àti ti òru láti kojú ìhàlẹ̀ yìí.
10Lákòókò yìí, àwọn ènìyàn Juda wí pé, “Agbára àwọn òṣìṣẹ́ ti dínkù, àlàpà púpọ̀ ni ó wà tó bẹ́ẹ̀ tí àwa kò fi le è mọ odi náà.”
11Bẹ́ẹ̀ sì ni àwọn ọ̀tá wa wí pé, “Kí wọn tó mọ̀ tàbí kí wọn tó rí wa, àwa yóò ti dé àárín wọn, a ó sì pa wọ́n, a ó sì dá iṣẹ́ náà dúró.”
12Nígbà náà ni àwọn Júù tí ó ń gbé ní ẹ̀gbẹ́ wọn wá sọ fún wa ní ìgbà mẹ́wàá pé, “Ibikíbi tí ẹ̀yin bá padà sí, wọn yóò kọlù wá.”
13Nítorí náà mo dá ènìyàn díẹ̀ dúró níbi tí ó rẹlẹ̀ jù lẹ́yìn odi ní ibi gbangba, mo fi wọ́n síbẹ̀ nípa àwọn ìdílé wọn, pẹ̀lú àwọn idà wọn, àwọn ọ̀kọ̀ wọn àti àwọn ọrun wọn. 14Lẹ́yìn ìgbà tí mo wo àwọn nǹkan yíká, mo dìde mo sì wí fún àwọn ọlọ́lá àwọn ìjòyè àti àwọn ènìyàn tókù pé, “Ẹ má ṣe bẹ̀rù u wọn. Ẹ rántí Olúwa, ẹni tí ó tóbi, tí ó sì ní ẹ̀rù, kí ẹ sì jà fún àwọn arákùnrin yín, àwọn ọmọkùnrin yín, àwọn ọmọbìnrin yín, àwọn ìyàwó yín àti àwọn ilé yín.”
15Nígbà tí àwọn ọ̀tá wa gbọ́ pé àwa ti mọ èrò wọn àti wí pé Ọlọ́run ti bà á jẹ́, gbogbo wa padà sí ibi odi, ẹnìkọ̀ọ̀kan sí ibi iṣẹ́ tirẹ̀.
16Láti ọjọ́ náà lọ, ìdajì àwọn ènìyàn ń ṣe iṣẹ́ náà, nígbà tí àwọn ìdajì tókù múra pẹ̀lú ọ̀kọ̀, asà, ọrun àti ìhámọ́ra. Àwọn ìjòyè sì pín ara wọn sẹ́yìn gbogbo ènìyàn Juda. 17Àwọn ẹni tí ó ń mọ odi. Àwọn tí ń ru àwọn ohun èlò ṣe iṣẹ́ náà pẹ̀lú ọwọ́ kan, wọ́n sì fi ọwọ́ kejì di ohun ìjà mú, 18olúkúlùkù àwọn ọ̀mọ̀lé fi idà wọn sí ẹ̀gbẹ́ wọn bí wọ́n ṣe ń ṣiṣẹ́. Ṣùgbọ́n ọkùnrin tí ń fọn ìpè dúró pẹ̀lú mi.
19Nígbà náà ni mo sọ fún àwọn ọlọ́lá, àwọn ìjòyè àti àwọn ènìyàn tókù pé, “Iṣẹ́ náà fẹ̀ ó sì pọ̀, a sì ti jìnnà sí ara wa púpọ̀ lórí odi. 20Níbikíbi tí ẹ bá ti gbọ́ ohùn ìpè, ẹ da ara pọ̀ mọ́ wa níbẹ̀. Ọlọ́run wa yóò jà fún wa!”
21Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni àwa ṣe iṣẹ́ náà pẹ̀lú àwọn ìdajì ènìyàn tí ó di ọ̀kọ̀ mú, láti òwúrọ̀ kùtùkùtù títí di ìgbà tí ìràwọ̀ yóò fi yọ. 22Ní ìgbà náà mo tún sọ fún àwọn ènìyàn pé, “Jẹ́ kí olúkúlùkù ènìyàn àti olùrànlọ́wọ́ rẹ̀ dúró ní Jerusalẹmu ní òru, nítorí kí wọn le jẹ́ ẹ̀ṣọ́ fún wa ní òru, kí wọn sì le ṣe iṣẹ́ ní ọ̀sán.” 23Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni èmi àti àwọn arákùnrin mi àti àwọn ènìyàn mi àti àwọn ẹ̀ṣọ́ tí ó wà pẹ̀lú mi kò bọ́ aṣọ wa, olúkúlùkù wa ní ohun ìjà tirẹ̀, kódà nígbà tí wọ́n bá ń lọ pọn omi.
