Nehemiah's Enemies
1 When Sanballat, the governor of Samaria, heard that we were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, he became angry and started insulting our people. 2 In front of his friends and the Samaritan army he said, “What is this feeble bunch of Jews trying to do? Are they going to rebuild the wall and offer sacrifices all in one day? Do they think they can make something out of this pile of scorched stones?”
3 Tobiah from Ammon was standing beside Sanballat and said, “Look at the wall they are building! Why, even a fox could knock over this pile of stones.”
4 But I prayed, “Our God, these people hate us and have wished horrible things for us. Please answer our prayers and make their insults fall on them! Let them be the ones to be dragged away as prisoners of war. 5 Don't forgive the mean and evil way they have insulted the builders.”
6 The people worked hard, and we built the walls of Jerusalem halfway up again. 7 But Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people from the city of Ashdod saw the walls going up and the holes being repaired. So they became angry 8 and decided to stir up trouble, and to fight against the people of Jerusalem. 9 But we kept on praying to our God, and we also stationed guards day and night.
10 Meanwhile, the people of Judah were singing a sorrowful song:
“So much rubble for us to haul!
Worn out and weary,
will we ever finish this wall?”
11 Our enemies were saying, “Before those Jews know what has happened, we will sneak up and kill them and put an end to their work.”
12 On at least ten different occasions, the Jews living near our enemies warned us against attacks from every side, 13 and so I sent people to guard the wall at its lowest places and where there were still holes in it. I placed them according to families, and they stood guard with swords and spears and with bows and arrows. 14 Then I looked things over and told the leaders, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Don't be afraid of your enemies! The Lord is great and fearsome. So think of him and fight for your relatives and children, your wives and homes!”
15 Our enemies found out that we knew about their plot against us, but God kept them from doing what they had planned. So we went back to work on the wall.
16 From then on, I let half of the young men work while the other half stood guard. They wore armor and had spears and shields, as well as bows and arrows. The leaders helped the workers 17 who were rebuilding the wall. Everyone who hauled building materials kept one hand free to carry a weapon. 18 Even the workers who were rebuilding the wall strapped on a sword. The worker who was to blow the signal trumpet stayed with me.
19 I told the people and their officials and leaders, “Our work is so spread out, that we are a long way from one another. 20 If you hear the sound of the trumpet, come quickly and gather around me. Our God will help us fight.”
21 Every day from dawn to dark, half of the workers rebuilt the walls, while the rest stood guard with their spears.
22 I asked the men in charge and their workers to stay inside Jerusalem and stand guard at night. So they guarded the city at night and worked during the day. 23 I even slept in my work clothes at night; my relatives, the workers, and the guards slept in theirs as well. And we always kept our weapons close by.
Nehemiya jawoolu la feeroo la tiñaa
1 Saayiŋ, kabiriŋ Samballati ye a moyi ko, m̀ be tata sansaŋo seyinkaŋ loo kaŋ ne, a kamfaata le, aduŋ a jusoo bota baake le. Bituŋ a ye jutunnayaa kumoolu fo Yahuudoolu ma. 2 A kafuñoolu niŋ Samariya kelediŋ kafoo ñaatiliŋo la, a kumata ko, “Wo Yahuudi sembentaŋolu ka muŋ ne ke teŋ? Fo ì be tata sansaŋo seyinkaŋ loo la le baŋ? Fo ì ye a miira le ko, ka sadaalu* bo wo le be a tinna ì ye dookuwo ñiŋ baŋ tili kiliŋ? Fo ì si bere keremuriŋolu seyindi noo ì ñaama kotenke baŋ ka bo suntukuŋo niŋ seebuutoo kono?”
3 Wo le to Tobiya Ammoninkoo, meŋ be looriŋ a daala ko, “Ì ka bere sansaŋo meŋ loo teŋ, hani kunkuwuloo niŋ a seleta a kaŋ, a si boyi.”
4 N duwaata ka a fo ko, “I lamoyi ǹ na, m̀ Maarii Alla, kaatu ǹ keta jutunna moolu le ti. Ì la jutunnayaa murundi ì faŋolu kuŋo kaŋ. Ì ke komeŋ ñapinkaŋ feŋo, ì ye taa mutoo kono banku doo kaŋ. 5 Kana ì sutura ì la boyoo kaŋ waraŋ ka ì la junuboolu tuutuu ka bo i ñaa koto, kaatu ì ye tata dookuulaalu neŋ baake le.”
6 Bituŋ ŋà tata sansaŋo seyinkaŋ loo, fo a bee futata a la loo foloo jamfoo teemoo ma, kaatu dookuwo tarata moolu ŋaniyoo to le.
7 Bari Samballati, Tobiya, Araaboolu, Ammoninkoolu, aniŋ Asidodinkoolu kamfaabaata le, kabiriŋ ì ye a moyi ko, Yerusalaamu tata sansaŋo seyinkaŋ dadaa be taa kaŋ ñaato le aniŋ ko, tatoo huwolu be suki kaŋ ne. 8 Bituŋ ì kafuta, ì ye feeroo siti ka naa Yerusalaamu boyinkaŋ, ka duŋñootoo saabu moolu kono. 9 Bari ǹ duwaata le ka Alla daani, aduŋ ŋà kantarilaalu londi ì kamma le suutoo niŋ tiloo.
10 Yahuuda moolu tarata a fo kaŋ ne ko:
“Dookuulaalu semboo be baŋ kaŋ ne,
kutukatoo le siyaabaata.
Ntolu te tata sansaŋo seyinkaŋ loo noo la.”
11 Ǹ jawoolu fanaa ye ñiŋ ne fo ko, “Janniŋ wo Yahuudoolu be a kalamuta la waraŋ ì be ǹ je la, m̀ be ì moonee la le, ŋà ì faa, ka ì la dookuwo baayi.” 12 Bituŋ Yahuudoolu mennu be siiriŋ ì daala, naata ka a fo ǹ ye ko siiñaa taŋ ko, “Ŋà ǹ kuŋ tiliŋ daa-wo-daa, ì be m̀ boyinkaŋ na le.” 13 Wo to le ŋa moolu bula tatoo kanta la, a daa-wo-daa sutiyaata, aniŋ a daa-wo-daa ye huwo soto. Ŋa ì londi le ka bo niŋ ì la dimbaayaalu la. Ì loota le ka kantaroo ke, ì niŋ hawusaroolu*, sooroolu, aniŋ kalabeñoolu. 14 Kabiriŋ ŋa ñiŋ kuwolu koroosi, n wulita ka diyaamu ñaatonkoolu, alifaalu, aniŋ moo toomaalu ye. N ko ì ye le ko, “Ali kana sila ì la. Ali hakiloo ye bula Maariyo la, meŋ warata, aduŋ a ñaasilaŋo warata. Ali si keloo ke ali baadiŋolu ye, ali dinkewolu, ali dimmusoolu, ali la musoolu, aniŋ ali la suwolu.”
15 Ǹ jawoolu ye a moyi le ko ŋà ì la feeroo loŋ ne, aniŋ ko Alla ye a tiñaa le. Bituŋ m̀ bee muruta tata sansaŋo to, moo-wo-moo taata a la dookuu daa to. 16 Ka bo wo luŋo la ka taa, n na dookuulaalu talantewo ye tata loo le ke, talantee doolu ye sooroolu muta, koteeroolu*, kalabeñoolu, aniŋ faŋ tankaraŋ sisilaa. Ñaatonkoolu faŋolu taata loo Yahuudoolu bee kooma le, 17 mennu be tata sansaŋo loo kaŋ. Duni sambalaalu ye dookuwo ke ì bulu kiliŋo le la, ì ye keleraŋ jooraŋolu muta ì bulu doo kono. 18 Aduŋ tata dookuulaalu meŋ-wo-meŋ na hawusaroo tarata sitiriŋ a karoo la le, a be dookuwo la. Kewo meŋ ka binoo fee tarata n daala le.
19 Bituŋ n ko ñaatonkoolu, alifaalu aniŋ moo toomaalu ye ko, “Dookuwo warata le, aduŋ a konoo fanuta baake le. Ǹ jamfata ñoo la baake tatoo bala le. 20 Niŋ ali ye binoo kumakaŋo moyi daa-wo-daa, ali si kafu m̀ ma jee. Ǹ na Alla be keloo ke la ǹ ye le.”
21 Bituŋ ǹ tententa dookuwo la, kewolu talantewo ka sooroolu muta ì buloolu kono le, ka bo tiloo la bo foloo la ka taa fo looloolu ye finti. 22 Wo waatoo fanaa n ko moolu ye le ko, “Kee-wo-kee niŋ a la dookuulaa si suutoo laa Yerusalaamu kono, ñiŋ kamma la ì si ke ǹ ye kantarilaa ti suutoo, aduŋ ì si dookuwo ke tiloo la.” 23 Nte mu wo, m baadiŋolu mu wo, ka taa kewolu mennu be sabatiriŋ m fee, aniŋ n kantalaa kewolu, moo maŋ a la duŋ feŋolu wura. Moo-wo-moo ye a la sooroo muta a bulubaa le kono.
