Neemia 4

BIBBIA MARTINI	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Ma avendo udito Sanaballath, come si fabbricavan le mura, ne concepì grande sdegno: e infuriato com'era, scherniva i Giudei,	1 Now it happened that, when Sanballat had heard that we were building the wall, he was very angry. And having been moved exceedingly, he ridiculed the Jews.
2 E disse alla presenza de' suoi fratelli, e del consiglio de' Samaritani: Che fann'eglino que' fiaccati Giudei? Li lasceran fare queste nazioni? Potrann' eglino offerire sacrifizio, e finire in un di? Potrann' eglino tornare nel primo stato le pietre ridotte dal fuoco in mucchi di polvere?	2 And he said, before his brothers and a crowd of the Samaritans: “What are the foolish Jews doing? Can it be that the Gentiles will allow them? Will they sacrifice and finish in one day? Do they have the ability to make stones out of piles of dust that have been burned up?”
3 Similmente Tobia Ammonita, che gli stava accanto, disse: Fabbrichino pure; se vi va una volpe, ella salterà la loro muraglia di pietra.	3 Then too, Tobiah, an Ammonite, his assistant, said: “Let them build. When the fox climbs, he will leap over their stone wall.”
4 Ascolta tu, Dio nostro, come noi siamo derisi: rivolgi sulle teste loro lo scherno, e fagli spregevoli là dove siano menati schiavi.	4 Listen, O our God, for we have become an object of contempt. Turn their reproach upon their own head, and grant that they may be despised in a land of captivity.
5 Non coprire la loro iniquità, e non sia cancellato dinanzi a te il loro peccato, perchè eglino hanno deriso chi fabbricava.	5 May you not conceal their iniquity, and may their sin not be wiped away, before your face, for they have ridiculed those who are building.
6 Noi adunque rifabbricammo le mura, e le rassettammo interamente sino alla metà e il cuore del popolo ne prese lena per lavorare.	6 And so we built the wall, and we joined it together, even to the unfinished portion. And the heart of the people was stirred up for the work.
7 Ma avendo udito Sanaballath, e Tobia, e gli Arabi, e gli Ammoniti, e quelli di Azoto, come si erano saldate le piaghe delle mura di Gerusalemme, e come principiavano a chiudersi i siti aperti, ne presero grandissimo sdegno.	7 Now it happened that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabs, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites had heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been closed, and that the breaches had begun to be repaired, they were exceedingly angry.
8 E si raunarono tutti insieme per portar guerra a Gerusalemme, e tenderci insidie.	8 And they all gathered together, so that they might go forth and fight against Jerusalem, and so that they might prepare ambushes.
9 E noi ci raccomandammo al nostro Dio, e mettemmo sentinelle sopra le mura per cautelarci contro di essi di e notte.	9 And we prayed to our God, and we stationed guards upon the wall, day and night, against them.
10 E quei di Guida dissero: I più robusti a portare sono senza lena, e rimane grandissima quantità di terra; onde noi non potremo fabbricare la muraglia.	10 Then Judah said: “The strength of those who carry has diminished, and the amount of material is very great, and so we will not be able to build the wall.”
11 Ma i nostri nemici dicevano: Coloro non hanno a saperne nulla, sino che sopraggiungiamo tra loro per uccidergli, e far cessare il lavoro.	11 And our enemies said: “Let them neither know, nor realize, until we arrive in their midst, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”
12 Ed essendo venuti più, e più volte que' Giudei, che abitavano presso a coloro, e portandoci lo stesso avviso da tutte le parti, donde ei venivano a noi,	12 Now it happened that, on ten occasions, some Jews arrived who were living near them, from all the places from which they came to us, and they told us this.
13 Io misi in ordinanza il popolo dietro alle mura all'intorno colle sue spade, e lance, e archi.	13 So I stationed the people in order, in places behind the wall, all around it, with their swords, and lances, and bows.
14 E fattane la rivista, andai: e dissi ai magnati, ai magistrati, e a tutto il resto del popolo: Non vi faccia paura la loro venuta. Ricordatevi del Signore grande, e terribile, e combattete pe vostri fratelli, e pei vostri figliuoli, e figliuole, e per le vostre mogli, e per le case vostre.	14 And I gazed around, and I rose up. And I said to the nobles, and to the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: “Do not be afraid before their face. Remember the great and terrible Lord, and fight on behalf of your brothers, your sons and your daughters, and your wives and your households.”
15 Ma avendo risaputo i nostri nemici, come noi eravamo stati avvertiti, il Signore mandò in fumo i loro disegni. E noi tornammo alle mura, ciascheduno al suo lavoro.	15 Then it happened that, when our enemies had heard that it had been reported to us, God defeated their counsel. And we all returned to the walls, each one to his own work.
16 E da quel giorno in poi la metà della gioventù lavorava, e la metà stava pronta a combattere colle sue lance, e scudi, e archi, e corazze; e i capi loro stavano dietro a tutta la famiglia di Giuda.	16 And it happened that, from that day, half of their young men were doing the work, and half were prepared for war with lances, and shields, and bows, and armor. And the leaders were behind them in all the house of Judah.
17 E quelli, che lavoravano sulle mura, e quelli, che portavano pesi, e quei, che li caricavano, lavoravan con una mano, e coll'altra tenevan la spada.	17 As for those building the wall, and carrying the burdens, and setting things in place: one of his hands was doing the work, and the other was holding a sword.
18 Imperocché tutti i lavoranti portavano cinta a' fianchi la spada. E fabbricavano, e sonavan la tromba presso di me.	18 For each one of the builders was girded with a sword at the waist. And they were building, and they were sounding a trumpet beside me.
19 E io dissi ai magnati, e ai magistrati, e al rimanente del popolo: Il lavoro è grande, e di lunga estensione: e noi rinfanghiamo attorno alle mura separati in distanza l'uno dall'altro:	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 far from one another.
20 Dovunque sentirete sonar la tromba, là correte unìtamente verso di noi: il nostro Dio combatterà in nostro aiuto.	20 At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rush to that place for us. Our God will fight on our behalf.
21 E noi continueremo il nostro lavoro: e la metà di noi abbia impugnata la lancia dallo spuntar dell'aurora, sino a che escan fuora le stelle.	21 And so let us accomplish the work. And let one half part of us hold spears, from the ascent of dawn until the stars come out.”
22 In quell'occasione io dissi parimente al popolo: Ognun di voi resti col suo servo dentro Gerusalemme, e noi ci daremo la muta per lavorare di, e notte.	22 Also at that time, I said to the people: “Let each one with his servant remain in the midst of Jerusalem. And let us take turns, throughout the night and day, in doing the work.”
23 Io poi, e i miei fratelli, e la mia gente, e le guardie, che mi venivano appresso, non ci spogliavamo: nissuno posava i tuoi abiti, se non per qualche purificazione.	23 But I and my brothers, and my servants, and the guards who were behind me, we did not take off our clothes; each one only removed his clothes to wash.