Nehemiah 5
1 Then came there to be a great outcry of the people and their wives, —against their brethren the Jews.
Et factus est clamor populi, et uxorum eius magnus adversus fratres suos Iudæos.
2 And there were some who were saying, Our sons and our daughters, are we pledging, —that we may obtain corn, and eat, and keep ourselves alive.
Et erant qui dicerent: Filii nostri, et filiæ nostræ multæ sunt nimis: accipiamus pro pretio eorum frumentum, et comedamus, et vivamus.
3 And there were some who were saying, Our fields and our vineyards and our houses, are we pledging, —that we may obtain corn in the dearth.
Et erant qui dicerent: Agros nostros, et vineas, et domus nostras opponamus, et accipiamus frumentum in fame.
4 And there were others who were saying, We have borrowed silver, for the king’s tribute, —[upon] our lands and our vineyards.
Et alii dicebant: Mutuo sumamus pecunias in tributa regis, demusque agros nostros et vineas:
5 Now, therefore, as is the flesh of our brethren, so is our flesh, as are their children, so are our children. Yet lo! we are putting in subjection our sons and our daughters, for bondservants, yea there are some of our daughters already trodden down, and we are powerless, and, our fields and our vineyards, belong to others.
et nunc sicut carnes fratrum nostrorum, sic carnes nostræ sunt: et sicut filii eorum, ita et filii nostri. Ecce nos subiugamus filios nostros, et filias nostras in servitutem, et de filiabus nostris sunt famulæ, nec habemus unde possint redimi, et agros nostros et vineas nostras alii possident.
6 And it angered me greatly, —when I heard their outcry, and these words.
Et iratus sum nimis cum audissem clamorem eorum secundum verba hæc:
7 So my heart took counsel unto me and I contended with the nobles and with the deputies, and said to them, A loan on interest—every man to his brother, are ye making, —So I appointed over them a great assembly;
cogitavique cor meum mecum: et increpavi optimates et magistratus, et dixi eis: Usurasne singuli a fratribus vestris exigitis? Et congregavi adversum eos concionem magnam,
8 and I said unto them, We, have bought our brethren the Jews, who had sold themselves unto the nations, according to our ability, and will, ye, even sell your brethren, or shall they sell themselves unto us? And they were silent, and found no answer.
et dixi eis: Nos, ut scitis, redemimus fratres nostros Iudæos, qui venditi fuerant Gentibus secundum possibilitatem nostram: et vos igitur vendetis fratres vestros, et redimemus eos? Et siluerunt, nec invenerunt quid responderent.
9 Then said I, Not good, is the thing which ye are doing, —ought ye not, in the fear of God, to walk, because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?
Dixique ad eos: Non est bona res, quam facitis: quare non in timore Dei nostri ambulastis, ne exprobretur nobis a Gentibus inimicis nostris?
10 I too, then, my brethren and my young men, might be lending unto them on interest silver and corn! I pray you, let us leave off this lending on interest!
Et ego, et fratres mei, et pueri mei commodavimus plurimis pecuniam et frumentum: non repetamus in commune istud, æs alienum concedamus, quod debetur nobis.
11 Restore, I pray you, unto them this very day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, —also the hundredth of silver and corn, new wine and oil, for which ye have been lending to them.
Reddite eis hodie agros suos, et vineas suas, et oliveta sua, et domos suas: quin potius et centesimum pecuniæ, frumenti, vini et olei, quam exigere soletis ab eis, date pro illis.
12 And they said, We will restore them, and, from them, will we require nothing, so, will we do, as thou, art saying. Then called I the priests, and put them on oath, to do according to this promise.
Et dixerunt: Reddemus, et ab eis nihil quæremus: sicque faciemus ut loqueris. Et vocavi Sacerdotes, et adiuravi eos, ut facerent iuxta quod dixeram.
13 Also, my lap, shook I out, and said—Thus and thus, may God shake out every man who shall not confirm this promise, out of his house and out of his labour, yea, thus and thus, let him be shaken out and empty, —And all the convocation said, Amen! and praised Yahweh, and the people did according to this promise.
Insuper excussi sinum meum, et dixi: Sic excutiat Deus omnem virum, qui non compleverit verbum istud, de domo sua, et de laboribus suis: sic excutiatur, et vacuus fiat. Et dixit universa multitudo: Amen. Et laudaverunt Deum. Fecit ergo populus sicut erat dictum.
14 Moreover, from the day I was commanded to become their pasha in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year, even unto the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, I and my brethren, pasha’s bread, have not eaten;
A die autem illa, qua præceperat rex mihi ut essem dux in terra Iuda, ab anno vigesimo usque ad annum trigesimum secundum Artaxerxis regis per annos duodecim, ego et fratres mei annonas, quæ ducibus debebantur, non comedimus.
15 whereas, the former pashas, who were before me, suffered themselves to be a burden upon the people, and took from them in bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver, even, their young men, bare rule over the people, —but, I, did not so, because of the fear of God.
Duces autem primi, qui fuerant ante me, gravaverunt populum, et acceperunt ab eis in pane, et vino, et pecunia quotidie siclos quadraginta: sed et ministri eorum depresserunt populum. Ego autem non feci ita propter timorem Dei:
16 Moreover also, in this work of the wall, I repaired, and, no field, did we buy, —though, all my young men, were gathered thither unto the work.
quin potius in opere muri ædificavi, et agrum non emi, et omnes pueri mei congregati ad opus erant.
17 And, Jews and deputies, a hundred and fifty men, and they who were coming in unto us from among the nations which were round about us, [depended] upon my table.
Iudæi quoque et magistratus centum quinquaginta viri, et qui veniebant ad nos de Gentibus, quæ in circuitu nostro sunt, in mensa mea erant.
18 Now, that which was prepared for a single day, was—one ox, six choice sheep, also, fowls, were prepared for me, and, apportioned unto ten days, of every sort of wine, in abundance, —yet, in spite of this, the bread of the pasha, demanded I not, because heavy was the bondage upon this people.
Parabatur autem mihi per dies singulos bos unus, arietes sex electi, exceptis volatilibus, et inter dies decem vina diversa, et alia multa tribuebam: insuper et annonas ducatus mei non quæsivi: valde enim attenuatus erat populus.
19 Remember unto me, O my God, for good, —all that I have done for this people.
Memento mei, Deus meus, in bonum secundum omnia, quæ feci populo huic.
