Nehemias 5
1 Der lød nu højrøstede Klager fra Folket og deres Kvinder mod deres Brødre, Jøderne.
About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.
2 Nogle sagde: "Vore Sønner og Døtre må vi give i Pant for at få Korn til Livets Ophold!"
Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.”
3 Andre sagde: "Vore Marker, Vingårde og Huse må vi give i Pant for at få Korn under Hungersnøden!"
Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.”
4 Atter andre sagde: "Vi har måttet låne på vore Marker og Vingårde for at kunne udrede de kongelige Skatter!
Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and 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!"
We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
6 Da jeg hørte deres Klager og disse deres Ord, blussede Vreden heftigt op i mig;
When I heard their outcry and these complaints, I became extremely angry,
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 after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them
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 said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say.
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?
So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign 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!
I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending the people money and grain. Please, let us stop 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 restore to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you have been assessing 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.
“We will restore it,” they replied, “and will require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and required of the nobles and officials an oath that they would do what they had promised.
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.
I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake out of His house and possession every man who does not keep this promise. May such a man be shaken out and have nothing!” The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
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,
Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year (twelve years total), neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to 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 governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people, but I did not do this because of my 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.
Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of the wall, and all my servants were gathered there for the work; we did not acquire any land.
17 Og Jøderne, både Forstanderne, 150 Mand, og de, der kom til os fra de omboende Hedningefolk, spiste ved mit Bord;
There were 150 Jews and officials at my table, besides the guests from the surrounding nations.
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.
Each day one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine was provided. But I did not demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy.
19 Kom i Hu alt, hvad jeg har gjort for dette Folk, og regn mig det til gode, min Gud!
Remember me favorably, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.
