Neemia 4

LA SACRA BIBBIA	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Ma quando Sanballàt, Tobia, gli Arabi, gli Ammoniti e gli Asdoditi vennero a sapere che la riparazione delle mura di Gerusalemme avanzava e che le brecce cominciavano a chiudersi, andarono in grande collera.	1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
2 E tutti insieme congiurarono di venire ad attaccare Gerusalemme e crearvi tumulti.	2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
3 Ma noi invocammo il nostro Dio e ponemmo sentinelle contro di essi giorno e notte, a difesa dai loro attacchi.	3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
4 Giuda però cominciò a dire: "La forza del manovale viene meno, ed enormi sono le macerie: non saremo in grado di rialzare le mura!".	4 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:
5 I nostri nemici proclamavano: "Non s'accorgeranno di nulla né nulla vedranno fino a che noi piomberemo in mezzo a loro e li massacreremo; così metteremo fine all'impresa!".	5 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
6 Per dieci volte ci vennero a dire i Giudei che abitavano in mezzo ad essi: "Salgono contro di noi da tutti i luoghi dove abitano!".	6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
7 Allora, nelle parti più basse del terreno, dietro le mura, io stabilii degli spiazzi e vi disposi il popolo per famiglie, con le loro spade, le lance e gli archi.	7 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
8 E come ebbi ispezionato bene mi alzai e dissi ai notabili, ai magistrati e al resto del popolo: "Non temeteli! Ricordatevi del Signore grande e terribile. Combattete per i vostri fratelli, i vostri figli e le vostre figlie, per le vostre mogli e le vostre case!".	8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
9 Quando i nostri nemici si accorsero che noi eravamo stati informati, Dio annientò il loro piano e noi tornammo tutti alle mura, ciascuno al suo compito.	9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
10 Da quel giorno metà dei miei uomini s'occupava dei lavori e l'altra metà, muniti di lance, scudi, archi e corazze, assieme ai capi, stavano dietro a tutta la gente di Giuda.	10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
11 Coloro che costruivano le mura, coloro che portavano, che caricavano, con una mano si occupavano dei lavori e con l'altra impugnavano l'arma.	11 And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.
12 I costruttori, mentre lavoravano, portavano ciascuno la spada cinta ai fianchi. Accanto a me stava il suonatore di tromba.	12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.
13 Io dissi ai notabili, ai magistrati e al resto del popolo: "I lavori sono importanti ed estesi, mentre noi siamo dispersi lungo le mura, lontani uno dall'altro.	13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 Orbene, da qualsiasi parte udrete il suono della tromba, radunatevi attorno a noi. Il nostro Dio combatterà per noi!".	14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
15 Così portavano avanti il lavoro, mentre una metà dei miei impugnava le lance dallo spuntare dell'aurora fino all'apparire delle stelle.	15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
16 In quella stessa occasione dissi pure al popolo: "Ciascuno passerà la notte dentro Gerusalemme, assieme ai suoi uomini; così saranno essi di guardia per noi durante la notte e di giorno al lavoro".	16 And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
17 D'altra parte, né io né i miei fratelli né i miei uomini né la gente di guardia che mi seguiva ci toglievamo i nostri vestiti. Ciascuno teneva nella destra la sua spada.	17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
	18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
	19 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
	20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
	21 So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
	22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.
	23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.