Nehemias 5

1 Der lød nu højrøstede Klager fra Folket og deres Kvinder mod deres Brødre, Jøderne.

And there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

2 Nogle sagde: "Vore Sønner og Døtre må vi give i Pant for at få Korn til Livets Ophold!"

And there were some that said, Our sons, and our daughters, [and] ourselves are many; and we must buy corn, that we may eat, and live.

3 Andre sagde: "Vore Marker, Vingårde og Huse må vi give i Pant for at få Korn under Hungersnøden!"

And others there were that said, We must pledge our fields, our vineyards, and our houses, that we may buy corn, in the famine.

4 Atter andre sagde: "Vi har måttet låne på vore Marker og Vingårde for at kunne udrede de kongelige Skatter!

And others there were that said, We have borrowed money for 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!"

Yet now our flesh is like the flesh of our brethren, our children are like their children: and, lo, we must force our sons and our daughters to become servants, and some of our daughters are forced [to become so], and our hand is powerless; and our fields and our vineyards belong to others.

6 Da jeg hørte deres Klager og disse deres Ord, blussede Vreden heftigt op i mig;

And it displeased me greatly when I heard their complaint 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

Then did I consult with my heart, and I upbraided the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, “Ye exact usury, every one of his brother!” And I brought together a great 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 I said unto them, We have indeed ransomed our brethren the Jews, who had been sold unto the various nations, as far as our means went: and will ye yourselves even sell your brethren, so that they will be sold again unto us? And they remained silent, and found no answer.

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?

Then said I, The thing is not good which ye are doing: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the taunting 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 young men, have lent them money and corn: I pray you, let us relinquish this loan.

11 Giv dem straks dere Marker, Vingårde, Oliventræer og Huse tilbage og eftergiv dem Pengene, Kornet, Moslen og Olien, som I har lånt dem!

Give back to them, I pray you, even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye have lent 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.

Then said they, We will give [all] back, and of them will we require nothing: so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and made them swear, that they would do in accordance with this promise.

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 my lap did I shake out, and said, So may God shake out every man that performeth not this promise, from his house and of his toil-gotten wealth, and so let him remain shaken out, and empty. And all the assembly said, Amen, and they praised the Lord. And the people did according to this promise.

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,

Moreover from the day that [the king] had enjoined on me to be governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year up to the two and thirtieth year of king Artaxerxes, [full] twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food 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.

But the former governors that had been before me had made it heavy for the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver: yea, even their young men ruled over the people; but I myself did not act 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 in the work of this wall also did I labor actively; and we bought not any fields; and all my young men were assembled there by the work.

17 Og Jøderne, både Forstanderne, 150 Mand, og de, der kom til os fra de omboende Hedningefolk, spiste ved mit Bord;

Moreover of the Jews and rulers, one hundred and fifty men, besides those that came unto us from the nations that are about us, [ate] 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 was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep; also birds were prepared for me, and once in ten days all sorts of wine in abundance: yet with all this I required not the food of the governor; because the service lay heavily upon 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, my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.