Nehemiah 5

1 And there occurred a great outcry of the people and their wives against their brothers, the Jews.

Pea naʻe lāunga lahi ʻae kakai mo honau ngaahi uaifi ki honau ngaahi kāinga ko e kakai Siu.

2 And there were those who were saying: “Our sons and our daughters are very many. Let us receive grain as a price for them, and then we may eat and live.”

He naʻe ai ʻae niʻihi naʻe lea ʻo pehē, “Ko kimautolu, ko homau ngaahi foha, mo homau ngaahi ʻofefine ʻoku mau tokolahi: ko ia ʻoku mau toʻo hake ai ʻae uite maʻanautolu, koeʻuhi ke mau kai, pea moʻui.”

3 And there were those who were saying: “Let us offer up our fields and vineyards, and our houses, and then we may receive grain during the famine.”

Naʻe ai mo e niʻihi naʻa nau lea, [ʻo pehē], “Kuo mau maʻu paʻanga koeʻuhi ko homau ngaahi fonua, mo e ngoue vaine, mo e ngaahi fale, koeʻuhi ke mau fakatau ʻae uite, ko e meʻa ʻi he honge.”

4 And others were saying: “Let us borrow money for the tribute of the king, and let us surrender our fields and vineyards.”

Pea naʻe ʻi ai ʻae niʻihi foki naʻe pehē, “Kuo mau nō ʻae ngaahi paʻanga maʻae tukuhau ʻae tuʻi, pea fakamoʻua ki ai homau ngaahi fonua mo e ngoue vaine.

5 “And now, as is the flesh of our brothers, so is our flesh; and as are their sons, so also are our sons. Behold, we have subjugated our sons and our daughters into servitude, and some of our daughters are slaves, nor do we have the ability to redeem them, for others possess our fields and our vineyards.”

Ka ko eni ko homau kakano ʻoku tatau mo e kakano ʻo homau kāinga, mo ʻemau fānau ʻoku hangē ko ʻenau fānau: pea vakai, ʻoku mau fakapōpulaʻi homau ngaahi foha, mo homau ngaahi ʻofefine ke hoko ko e kau tamaioʻeiki, pea ko e niʻihi ʻo homau ʻofefine kuo fakahoko ni ki he fakapōpula: pea ʻoku ʻikai temau mafai ke huhuʻi ʻakinautolu; he ko e kau tangata kehe kuo maʻu homau fonua mo ʻemau ngoue vaine.”

6 And when I had heard their outcry in these words, I was exceedingly angry.

Pea ne u ʻita lahi ʻi heʻeku fanongo ki heʻenau tangi mo e ngaahi lea ni.

7 And my heart considered within me. And I rebuked the nobles and the magistrates, and I said to them, “Have you each been exacting usury from your brothers?” And I gathered together a great assembly against them.

Pea ne u fakalaulauloto, pea u valoki ʻae ngaahi houʻeiki, mo e kau pule, pea u pehē kiate kinautolu, ʻOku mou maʻu totongi lahi, taki taha mei hono tokoua. Pea ne u fokotuʻu hake ʻae fuʻu tokolahi ke taʻofi kiate kinautolu.

8 And I said to them: “As you know, in accord with what was possible for us, we have redeemed our brothers, the Jews, who had been sold to the Gentiles. And yet you now sell your brothers, and we must redeem them?” And they were silent, nor did they find anything to answer.

Pea ne u pehē kiate kinautolu, “Kuo fai ʻekimautolu ʻo fakatatau mo ʻemau mafai, ʻae huhuʻi ʻo homau kāinga ko e kakai Siu, ʻaia naʻe fakatau ki he kakai hiteni; pea temou fakatau koā ʻa homou ngaahi kāinga? Pe ʻe fakatau koā ʻakinautolu kiate kimautolu?” Pea naʻa nau longo pe, ʻo ʻikai ʻilo ha meʻa ke lea ʻaki.

9 And I said to them: “The thing that you are doing is not good. Why are you not walking in the fear of our God, so that there may be no reproach against us from our enemies, the Gentiles?

Pea ne u pehē foki, “Ko ia ʻoku mou fai ʻoku ʻikai lelei: ʻikai ʻoku ngali ke mou ʻalu pe ʻi he manavahē ki hotau ʻOtua telia ʻae manuki ʻoe hiteni ko hotau ngaahi fili?

10 Both I and my brothers, with my servants, have lent money and grain to many. Let us agree not to ask for its return. Let us forgive the other money that is owed to us.

‌ʻE totonu foki ka ne ko au mo hoku kāinga mo ʻeku kau tamaioʻeiki, ke mau tala totongi kiate kinautolu ʻi he paʻanga mo e uite: ʻoku ou kole kiate kimoutolu ketau tuku muʻa ʻae tangi totongi ni.

11 On this day, restore their fields, and their vineyards, and their olive groves, and their houses to them. Then, too, the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, wine, and oil, which you usually exact from them, give it to them.”

‌ʻOku ou kole kiate kimoutolu, mou toe ʻatu kiate kinautolu he ʻaho ni, honau fonua, mo ʻenau ngoue vaine, mo ʻenau ngoue ʻolive, mo honau ngaahi fale, mo hono teau ʻoe vahe ʻo ʻenau ngaahi paʻanga, mo e uite, mo e uaine, mo e lolo, ʻaia ʻoku mou tangi ke maʻu mālohi ʻiate kinautolu.”

12 And they said: “We will restore it, and we will require nothing from them. And we will do just as you say.” And I called the priests, and I had them swear an oath, so that they would act in accord with what I had said.

Pea naʻa nau pehē mai, “Te mau toe ʻatu, pea ʻe ʻikai te mau tala ha meʻa ʻe taha ki ai; ko ia te mau fai ʻo hangē ko hoʻo lea.” Pea ne u ui ke haʻu ʻae kau taulaʻeiki, pea u fakafuakava ʻakinautolu, koeʻuhi ke nau fai ʻo fakatatau ki he lea papau ni.

13 Moreover, I shook out my lap, and I said: “So may God shake out every man, who does not fulfill this word. From his house and from his labors, so may he be shaken out and become empty.” And the entire multitude said, “Amen.” And they praised God. Therefore, the people acted in accord with what was said.

Pea naʻaku tupetupeʻi hoku kofu foki, ʻo pehē, “Ke tupetupeʻi pehē ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae tangata kotoa pē mei hono fale, pea mei heʻene ngāue, ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai fakamoʻoni ki he lea ni, ʻio, ke tupetupeʻi ia kituʻa, pea liʻaki.” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he fakataha kotoa pē, “ʻEmeni,” mo nau fakafetaʻi kia Sihova. Pea naʻe fai ʻe he kakai ʻo fakatatau ki he lea ni.

14 Now from that day, on which the king had ordered me to be governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of king Artaxerxes, for twelve years, I and my brothers did not eat the yearly allowance that was owed to the governors.

Pea ko eni foki, talu ʻae kuonga ko ia naʻe fakanofo au ko honau pule ʻi he fonua ʻo Siuta, mei he taʻu ʻe uofulu ʻo hoko ki he taʻu ʻe tolungofulu ma ua ʻo ʻAtakisekisi ko e tuʻi, ʻaia ko e taʻu ʻe hongofulu ma ua, ko au mo hoku kāinga naʻe ʻikai te mau kai ʻae meʻakai ʻae pule.

15 But the former governors, the ones who had been before me, were a burden to the people, and they took from them bread and wine, and forty shekels of money each day. And their officials also oppressed the people. But I did not do so, out of fear of God.

Ka ko e ngaahi pule naʻe ʻi muʻa ʻiate au naʻe moʻua ki ai ʻae kakai, pea naʻa nau maʻu ʻiate kinautolu ʻae mā mo e uaine, mo e sikeli siliva ʻe fāngofulu; ʻio, ko ʻenau kau tamaioʻeiki naʻa nau pule ki he kakai: ka naʻe ʻikai te u pehē, ko e meʻa ʻi he manavahē ki he ʻOtua.

16 In fact, I preferred to build in the work of the wall, and I bought no land, and all my servants were gathered to do the work.

Ko e moʻoni ne u fai maʻu pe ʻi he ngāue ʻae ʻā maka ni, pea naʻe ʻikai te mau fakatau ha potu fonua: pea naʻe tānaki fakataha ʻa ʻeku kau tamaioʻeiki kotoa pē ʻi ai ki he ngāue.

17 Likewise, the Jews and the magistrates, one hundred and fifty men, were at my table, with those who came to us from among the Gentiles that are around us.

Pea naʻe ʻi heʻeku keinangaʻanga foki ʻae kau Siu ʻe toko teau mo e nimangofulu, mo e kau pule, kaeʻumaʻā ʻakinautolu naʻe haʻu kiate kimautolu mei he hiteni ʻoku tuʻu takatakai ʻiate kimautolu.

18 Now there was prepared for me, on each day, one ox and six choice rams, along with poultry. And once every ten days, I distributed diverse wines and many other things. Yet I did not require my yearly allowance as governor. For the people were greatly impoverished.

Pea ko eni ko e meʻa naʻe teu kiate au ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē, ko e pulu ʻe taha mo e sipi lelei ʻe ono; pea mo e fanga moa naʻe teuʻi kiate au, pea tuʻo taha ʻi he ʻaho ʻe hongofulu naʻe ʻomi ʻae tokonaki ʻoe ngaahi uaine kehekehe: pea neongo ʻae meʻa lahi ni kotoa pē, naʻe ʻikai te u maʻu ʻae mangisi ʻae pule, koeʻuhi naʻe māfasia lahi ʻae kakai ni.

19 Remember me, O my God, for good, in accord with all that I have done for this people.

‌ʻE hoku ʻOtua, ke ke manatuʻi au ke u lelei ai, ʻo fakatatau ki he meʻa kotoa pē naʻaku fai mā ʻae kakai ni.