Livre de Néhémie 4

JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Lorsque Sânballat, Tobiyya, les Arabes, les Ammonites et les Ashdodites apprirent que lesréparations du rempart de Jérusalem avançaient - que les brèches commençaient à être comblées -, ils se mirentfort en colère;	1 And it came to pass, that when Sanaballat heard that we were building the wall he was angry: and being moved exceedingly he scoffed at the Jews.
2 ils se jurèrent tous mutuellement de venir attaquer Jérusalem et de me confondre.	2 And said before his brethren, and the multitude of the Samaritans: What are the silly Jews doing? Will the Gentiles let them alone? will they sacrifice and make an end in a day? are they able to raise stones out of the heaps of the rubbish, which are burnt?
3 Nous invoquâmes alors notre Dieu et, pour protéger la ville, nous établîmes contre eux une gardede jour et de nuit.	3 Tobias also the Ammonite who was by him said : Let them build: if a fox go up, he will leap over their stone wall.
4 Juda disait néanmoins: "Les forces des porteurs fléchissent, il y a trop de décombres: nousn'arriverons jamais à relever le rempart!"	4 Hear thou our God, for we are despised: turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them to be despised in a land of captivity.
5 Et nos ennemis déclaraient "Avant qu'ils ne sachent et ne voient rien, nous surgirons au milieud'eux: alors nous les massacrerons et mettrons fin à l'entreprise!"	5 Cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thy face, because they have mocked thy builders.
6 Or il arrivait des Juifs qui habitaient près d'eux et qui dix fois nous avertirent: "Ils montent contrenous de toutes les localités qu'ils habitent!"	6 So we built the wall, and joined it all together unto the half thereof: and the heart of the people was excited to work.
7 On se posta donc en contrebas, dans l'espace derrière le rempart, aux endroits découverts; jedisposai le peuple par familles, avec ses épées, ses lances et ses arcs.	7 And it came to pass, when Sanaballat, and Tobias, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Azotians heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and the breaches began to be closed, that they were exceedingly angry.
8 Voyant leur peur, je me levai et fis aux grands, aux magistrats et au reste du peuple cettedéclaration: "Ne craignez pas ces gens! Pensez au Seigneur, grand et redoutable, et combattez pour vos frères,vos fils, vos filles, vos femmes et vos maisons!	8 And they all assembled themselves together, to come, and to fight against Jerusalem, and to prepare ambushes.
9 Quand nos ennemis apprirent que nous étions renseignés et que Dieu avait déjoué plan, ils seretirèrent et nous retournâmes tous au rempart, chacun à son travail.	9 And we prayed to our God, and set watchmen upon the wall day and night against them.
10 Mais, à partir de ce jour, la moitié seulement de mes hommes participaient au travail, les autres,munis de lances, de boucliers, d'arcs et de cuirasses, se tenaient derrière toute la maison de Juda	10 And Juda said: The strength of the bearer of burdens is decayed, and the rubbish is very much, and we shall not be able to build the wall.
11 qui bâtissait le rempart. Les porteurs aussi étaient armés: d'une main chacun assurait son travail,l'autre main serrant un javelot.	11 And our enemies said: Let them not know, nor understand, till we come in the midst of them, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.
12 Chacun des bâtisseurs, tandis qu'il travaillait, portait son épée attachée aux reins. Un sonneur decor se tenait à mon côté.	12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews that dwelt by them came and told us ten times, out of all the places from whence they came to us,
13 Je dis aux grands, aux magistrats et au reste du peuple: "Le chantier est important et étendu etnous sommes dispersés sur le rempart, loin les uns des autres:	13 I set the people in the place behind the wall round about in order, with their swords, and spears, and bows.
14 rassemblez-vous autour de nous à l'endroit d'où vous entendrez le son du cor, et notre Dieucombattra pour nous."	14 And I looked and rose up: and I said to the chief men and the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: be not afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, and your wives, and your houses.
15 Ainsi menions-nous le travail depuis le lever de l'aurore jusqu'à l'apparition des étoiles.	15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that the thing had been told us, that God defeated their counsel. And we returned all of us to the walls, every man to his work.
16 En ce temps-là, je dis encore au peuple: "Chacun, avec son serviteur, devra passer la nuit àJérusalem: de la sorte, nous utiliserons la nuit pour la surveillance et le jour pour le travail."	16 And it came to pass from that day forward, that half of their young men did the work, and half were ready for to fight, with spears, and shields, and bows, and coats of mail, and the rulers were behind them in all the house of Juda.
17 Mais ni moi, ni mes frères, ni mes gens, ni les hommes de garde qui me suivaient ne quittions nosvêtements; chacun gardait son javelot à sa droite.	17 Of them that built on the wall and that carried burdens, and that laded: with one of his hands he did the work, and with the other he held a sword.
	18 For every one of the builders was girded with a sword about his reins. And they built, and sounded with a trumpet by me.
	19 And I said to the nobles, and to the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: The work is great and wide, and we are separated on the wall one far from another:
	20 In what place soever you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, run all thither unto us: our God will fight for us.
	21 And let us do the work: and let one half of us hold our spears from the rising of the morning, till the stars appear.
	22 At that time also I said to the people: Let every one with his servant stay in the midst of Jerusalem, and let us take our turns in the night, and by day, to work.
	23 Now I and my brethren, and my servants, and the watchmen that followed me, did not put off our clothes: only every man stripped himself when he was to be washed.