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.
Nehemiah’s Enemies Oppose the Rebuilding
1Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall. So he became very angry and upset. He made fun of the Jews. 2He spoke to his friends and the army of Samaria. He said, “What are those Jews trying to do? Can they make their city wall like new again? Will they offer sacrifices? Can they finish everything in a single day? The stones from their city wall and buildings are piled up like trash. And everything has been badly burned. Can they use those stones to rebuild everything again?”
3Tobiah from Ammon was at Sanballat’s side. He said, “What are they building? They’re putting up a stone wall. But suppose a fox climbs on top of it. Even that will break it down!”
4I prayed to God. I said, “Our God, please listen to our prayer. Some people hate us. They’re saying bad things about us. So let others say bad things about them. Let them be carried off like stolen goods. Let them be taken to another country as prisoners. 5Don’t hide your eyes from their guilt. Don’t forgive their sins. They have said bad things about the builders.”
6So we rebuilt the wall. We repaired it until all of it was half as high as we wanted it to be. The people worked with all their heart.
7But Sanballat and Tobiah heard that Jerusalem’s walls continued to be repaired. The Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard about it too. They heard that the gaps in the wall were being filled in. So they were very angry. 8All of them made evil plans to come and fight against Jerusalem. They wanted to stir up trouble against it. 9But we prayed to our God. We put guards on duty day and night to watch out for danger.
10During that time, the people in Judah spoke up. They said, “The workers are getting weaker and weaker all the time. Broken stones are piled up everywhere. They are in our way. So we can’t rebuild the wall.”
11And our enemies said, “We will be right there among them. We’ll kill them. We’ll put an end to their work. We’ll do it before they even know it or see us.”
12Then the Jews who lived near our enemies came to us. They told us ten times, “No matter where you are, they’ll attack us.”
13So I stationed some people behind the lowest parts of the wall. That’s where our enemies could easily attack us. I stationed the people family by family. They had their swords, spears and bows with them. 14I looked things over. Then I stood up and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people. I said, “Don’t be afraid of your enemies. Remember the Lord. He is great and powerful. So fight for your families. Fight for your sons and daughters. Fight for your wives and homes.”
15Our enemies heard that we knew what they were trying to do. They heard that God had blocked their evil plans. So all of us returned to the wall. Each of us did our own work.
16From that day on, half of my men did the work. The other half were given spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers stationed themselves behind all the people of Judah. 17The people continued to build the wall. The people who carried supplies did their work with one hand. They held a weapon in the other hand. 18Each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who blew the trumpet stayed with me.
19Then I spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people. I said, “This is a big job. It covers a lot of territory. We’re separated too far from one another along the wall. 20When you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us at that location. Our God will fight for us!”
21So we continued the work. Half of the men held spears. We worked from the first light of sunrise until the stars came out at night. 22At that time I also spoke to the people. I told them, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night. Then they can guard us at night. And they can work during the day.” 23My relatives and I didn’t take off our clothes. My men and the guards didn’t take theirs off either. Each man kept his weapon with him, even when he went to get water.
