Livre de Néhémie 4

BIBLES DES PEUPLES	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Samballat, Tobiyas, les Arabes, les Ammonites et les habitants d’Ashdod, apprirent que la réparation du rempart de Jérusalem avançait: les brèches étaient presque toutes bouchées. Ils en furent très 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 et se rassemblèrent tous pour attaquer Jérusalem et y jeter la panique.	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 avons donc prié notre Dieu et nous avons établi une garde de jour et de nuit pour nous protéger contre eux.	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 C’était le moment où les Judéens disaient: - “Il y a trop de décombres et les forces des porteurs sont à la limite, nous ne pourrons jamais reconstruire 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 adversaires disaient: - “Nous allons tomber sur eux sans qu’ils le sachent, avant qu’ils ne nous aient vus. Nous les tuerons et nous ferons cesser le travail.”	5 Cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thy face, because they have mocked thy builders.
6 Des Juifs qui habitaient à côté d’eux vinrent nous dire au moins dix fois: - “Ils vont arriver de tous les côtés pour vous attaquer!”	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 J’ai donc posté dans les creux en contrebas du rempart le peuple tout entier 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 Je voyais leur peur, je suis donc allé dire aux chefs, aux fonctionnaires et à tout le peuple: - “N’ayez pas peur d’eux! Pensez au Seigneur qui est grand et terrible, 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 Lorsque nos ennemis apprirent que nous étions renseignés et que Dieu avait fait échouer leur projet, nous sommes tous retournés 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 de mes hommes travaillait et l’autre moitié avait en mains des lances, des boucliers, des arcs et des cuirasses, et ils se tenaient derrière les Judéens	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 travaillaient sur le rempart. Ceux qui portaient les charges étaient armés, d’une main ils travaillaient et de l’autre ils tenaient leur lance.	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 Ceux qui construisaient gardaient leur épée à la ceinture pendant leur travail. Un sonneur de trompe se tenait près de moi,	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 car j’avais dit aux chefs, aux fonctionnaires et à tout le peuple: - “Le chantier est important, il est étendu et nous sommes dispersés sur le rempart, éloignés 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 Aussi, dès que vous entendrez le son de la trompe, venez vous rassembler auprès de nous de l’endroit où vous êtes, et notre Dieu combattra 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 Nous étions ainsi au travail depuis le lever du jour jusqu’à l’apparition des premières étoiles, et la moitié tenaient des lances.	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: - “Que chacun avec son serviteur passe la nuit dans Jérusalem. La nuit ils monteront la garde et le jour ils seront sur le chantier.”	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 Ni moi, ni mes frères, ni mes hommes, ni ceux qui montaient la garde, ne quittions nos vêtements, et nous avions sans cesse notre arme dans la main 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.