Nehemias 5
1 Der lød nu højrøstede Klager fra Folket og deres Kvinder mod deres Brødre, Jøderne.
And there is a great cry of the people and their wives, concerning their brothers the Jews,
2 Nogle sagde: "Vore Sønner og Døtre må vi give i Pant for at få Korn til Livets Ophold!"
indeed, there are [those] who are saying, “Our sons, and our daughters, we—are many, and we receive grain, and eat, and live.”
3 Andre sagde: "Vore Marker, Vingårde og Huse må vi give i Pant for at få Korn under Hungersnøden!"
And there are [those] who are saying, “Our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, we are pledging, and we receive grain for the famine.”
4 Atter andre sagde: "Vi har måttet låne på vore Marker og Vingårde for at kunne udrede de kongelige Skatter!
And there are [those] who are saying, “We have borrowed money for the tribute of the king, [on] our fields, and our vineyards;
5 Og vore Legemer er dog lige så gode som vore Brødres og vore Sønner lige så gode som deres; men vi er nødt til at give vore Sønner og Døtre hen til at blive Trælle, ja, nogle af vore Døtre er det allerede, og det stod ikke i vor Magt at hindre det, effersom vore Marker og Vingårde tilhører andre!"
and now, as the flesh of our brothers [is] our flesh, as their sons [are] our sons, and behold, we are subduing our sons and our daughters for servants, and there are [those] of our daughters subdued, and our hand has no might, and our fields and our vineyards [are] to others.”
6 Da jeg hørte deres Klager og disse deres Ord, blussede Vreden heftigt op i mig;
And it is very displeasing to me when I have heard their cry and these words,
7 og efter at have tænkt over Sagen gik jeg i Rette med de store og Forstanderne og sagde til dem: I driver jo Åger over for eders Næste! Så kaldte jeg en stor Folkeforsamling sammen imod dem
and my heart reigns over me, and I strive with the nobles, and with the prefects, and say to them, “You are exacting usury on one another”; and I set against them a great assembly,
8 og sagde til dem: Så vidt vi var i Stand dertil, har vi frikøbt vore jødiske Brødre, der måtte sælge sig til Hedningerne; og I sælger eders Brødre, så de må sælge sig til os! Da tav de og fandt intet at svare.
and say to them, “We have acquired our brothers the Jews, those sold to the nations, according to the ability that [is] in us, and you also sell your brothers, and they have been sold to us!” And they are silent, and have not found a word.
9 Men jeg fortsatte: Det er ikke ret af eder at handle således! Skulde I ikke vandre i Frygt for vor Gud af Hensyn til Hedningerne, vore Fjenders Spot?
And I say, “The thing that you are doing [is] not good; do you not walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies?
10 Også jeg og mine Brødre og mine Folk har lånt dem Penge og Korn; men lad os nu eftergive dem, hvad de skylder!
And also, I, my brothers, and my servants, are exacting silver and grain on them; please let us leave off this usury.
11 Giv dem straks dere Marker, Vingårde, Oliventræer og Huse tilbage og eftergiv dem Pengene, Kornet, Moslen og Olien, som I har lånt dem!
Please give back to them, as today, their fields, their vineyards, their olive-yards, and their houses, and the hundredth [part] of the money, and of the grain, of the new wine, and of the oil, that you are exacting of them.”
12 Da svarede de: Ja, vi vil give det tilbage og ikke afkræve dem noget; som du siger, vil vi gøre! Jeg lod da Præsterne kalde og lod dem sværge på, at de vilde handle således.
And they say, “We give back, and we seek nothing from them; so we do as you are saying.” And I call the priests, and cause them to swear to do according to this thing;
13 Og jeg rystede min Brystfold og sagde: Enhver, der ikke holder dette Ord, vil Gud således ryste ud af hans Hus og Ejendom; ja, således skal han blive udrystet og tømt! Da sagde hele Forsamlingen: Amen! Og de lovpriste HERREN; og Folket handlede efter sit Løfte.
also, I have shaken my lap, and I say, “Thus God shakes out every man from his house and from his labor who does not perform this thing; indeed, thus is he shaken out and empty”; and all the assembly says, “Amen,” and praises YHWH; and the people do according to this thing.
14 Desuden skal det nævnes, at fra den Dag Kong Artaxerxes bød mig være deres Statholder i Judas Land, fra Kong Artaxerxes's tyvende til hans to og tredivte Regeriogsår, hele tolv År, spiste hverken jeg eller mine Brødre det Brød, der tilkom Statholderen,
Also, from the day that he appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king—twelve years—I, and my brothers, have not eaten the bread of the governor:
15 medens mine Forgængere, de tidligere Statholdere, lagde Tynge på Folket og for Brød og Vin daglig afkrævede dem fyrretyve Sekel Sølv, ligesom også deres Tjenere optrådte som Folkets Herrer. Det undlod jeg at gøre af Frygt for Gud.
the former governors who [are] before me have made themselves heavy on the people, and take of them in bread and wine, besides forty shekels in silver; also, their servants have ruled over the people—and I have not done so, because of the fear of God.
16 Og desuden tog jeg selv fat ved Arbejdet på denne Mur, skønt vi ingen Mark havde købt, og alle mine Folk var samlet der ved Arbejdet.
And also, in the work of this wall I have done mightily, even a field we have not bought, and all my servants are gathered there for the work;
17 Og Jøderne, både Forstanderne, 150 Mand, og de, der kom til os fra de omboende Hedningefolk, spiste ved mit Bord;
and of the Jews, and of the prefects, one hundred and fifty men, and those coming to us of the nations that [are] around us, [are] at my table;
18 og hvad der daglig lavedes til, et Stykke Hornkvæg, seks udsøgte Får og Fjerkræ, afholdt jeg Udgifferne til; dertil kom hver tiende Dag en Masse Vin af alle Sorter. Men alligevel krævede jeg ikke det Brød, der tilkom Statholderen, fordi Arbejdet tyngede hårdt på Folket.
and that which has been prepared for one day [is] one ox, six fat sheep, also birds have been prepared for me, and once in ten days of all wines abundantly, and with this, the bread of the governor I have not sought, for heavy is the service on this people.
19 Kom i Hu alt, hvad jeg har gjort for dette Folk, og regn mig det til gode, min Gud!
Remember for me, O my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.
