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Pan glybu Sanbalat ein bod ni yn adeiladu y mur, efe a gynddeiriogodd ynddo, ac a lidiodd yn ddirfawr, ac a watwarodd yr Iddewon. Ac efe a lefarodd o flaen ei frodyr a llu Samaria, ac a ddywedodd, Beth y mae yr Iddewon gweiniaid hyn yn ei wneuthur? a adewir iddynt hwy? a aberthant? a orffennant mewn diwrnod? a godant hwy y cerrig o’r tyrrau llwch, wedi eu llosgi? A Thobeia yr Ammoniad oedd yn ei ymyl, ac efe a ddywedodd, Er eu bod hwy yn adeiladu, eto ped elai lwynog i fyny, efe a fwriai i lawr eu mur cerrig hwynt. Gwrando, O ein Duw; canys yr ydym yn ddirmygus: dychwel hefyd eu gwaradwydd ar eu pennau hwynt, a dod hwynt yn anrhaith yng ngwlad y caethiwed: Ac na orchuddia eu hanwiredd hwynt, ac na ddileer eu pechod hwynt o’th ŵydd di: canys digiasant dydi gerbron yr adeiladwyr. Felly nyni a adeiladasom y mur: a chyfannwyd yr holl fur hyd ei hanner: canys yr oedd gan y bobl galon i weithio.

Ond pan glybu Sanbalat, a Thobeia, a’r Arabiaid, a’r Ammoniaid, a’r Asdodiaid, gwbl gyweirio muriau Jerwsalem, a dechrau cau yr adwyau; yna y llidiasant yn ddirfawr: A hwynt oll a fradfwriadasant ynghyd i ddyfod i ymladd yn erbyn Jerwsalem, ac i’w rhwystro. Yna y gweddiasom ar ein Duw, ac y gosodasom wyliadwriaeth yn eu herbyn hwynt ddydd a nos, o’u plegid hwynt. 10 A Jwda a ddywedodd, Nerth y cludwyr a wanhaodd, a phridd lawer sydd, fel na allwn ni adeiladu y mur. 11 A’n gwrthwynebwyr a ddywedasant, Ni chânt wybod, na gweled, nes i ni ddyfod i’w mysg hwynt, a’u lladd, a rhwystro eu gwaith hwynt. 12 A phan ddaeth yr Iddewon oedd yn preswylio yn eu hymyl hwynt, dywedasant wrthym ddengwaith, O’r holl leoedd trwy y rhai y gallech ddychwelyd atom ni, y byddant arnoch chwi.

13 Am hynny mi a osodais rai yn y lleoedd isaf, o’r tu ôl i’r mur, ac yn y lleoedd uchaf; yn ôl eu teuluoedd hefyd y gosodais y bobl, â’u cleddyfau, â’u gwaywffyn, ac â’u bwâu. 14 A mi a edrychais, ac a gyfodais, ac a ddywedais wrth y pendefigion, a’r swyddogion, ac wrth y rhan arall o’r bobl, Nac ofnwch rhagddynt: cofiwch yr Arglwydd mawr ac ofnadwy, ac ymleddwch dros eich brodyr, eich meibion a’ch merched, eich gwragedd a’ch tai. 15 A phan glybu ein gelynion fod y peth yn hysbys i ni, Duw a ddiddymodd eu cyngor hwynt; a ninnau oll a ddychwelasom at y mur, bawb i’w waith. 16 Ac o’r dydd hwnnw, hanner fy ngweision oedd yn gweithio yn y gwaith, a’u hanner hwynt oedd yn dal gwaywffyn, a tharianau, a bwâu, a llurigau; a’r tywysogion oedd ar ôl holl dŷ Jwda. 17 Y rhai oedd yn adeiladu ar y mur, ac yn dwyn beichiau, a’r rhai oedd yn llwytho, oeddynt ag un llaw yn gweithio yn y gwaith, ac â’r llaw arall yn dal arf. 18 Canys pob un o’r adeiladwyr oedd wedi gwregysu ei gleddyf ar ei glun, ac yn adeiladu: a’r hwn oedd yn lleisio mewn utgorn ydoedd yn fy ymyl i.

19 A mi a ddywedais wrth y pendefigion, ac wrth y swyddogion, ac wrth y rhan arall o’r bobl, Y gwaith sydd fawr a helaeth, a nyni a wasgarwyd ar hyd y mur, ymhell oddi wrth ein gilydd. 20 Yn y fan lle y clywoch sain yr utgorn, yno ymgesglwch atom. Ein Duw ni a ymladd drosom. 21 Felly yr oeddem ni yn gweithio yn y gwaith: a’u hanner hwynt yn dal gwaywffyn, o gyfodiad y wawr hyd gyfodiad y sêr. 22 Dywedais hefyd y pryd hwnnw wrth y bobl, Lletyed pob un â’i was yn Jerwsalem, fel y byddont i ni yn wyliadwriaeth y nos, a’r dydd mewn gwaith. 23 Felly myfi, a’m brodyr, a’m gweision, a’r gwylwyr oedd ar fy ôl, ni ddiosgasom ein dillad, ond a ddiosgai pob un i’w golchi.

Opposition to the Rebuilding

[a]When Sanballat(A) heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates(B) and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble(C)—burned as they are?”

Tobiah(D) the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”(E)

Hear us, our God, for we are despised.(F) Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Do not cover up their guilt(G) or blot out their sins from your sight,(H) for they have thrown insults in the face of[b] the builders.

So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

But when Sanballat, Tobiah,(I) the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together(J) to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

10 Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers(K) is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”

11 Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”

12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid(L) of them. Remember(M) the Lord, who is great and awesome,(N) and fight(O) for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it,(P) we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.

16 From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah 17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon(Q) in the other, 18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet(R) stayed with me.

19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet,(S) join us there. Our God will fight(T) for us!”

21 So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. 22 At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day.” 23 Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.[c]

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 4:1 In Hebrew texts 4:1-6 is numbered 3:33-38, and 4:7-23 is numbered 4:1-17.
  2. Nehemiah 4:5 Or have aroused your anger before
  3. Nehemiah 4:23 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.