Nehemiah 5

1 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

Og der rejste sig et stort Skrig af Folket og deres Hustruer imod deres Brødre, Jøderne.

2 And there were that said, We, our sons and our daughters, are many, and we must procure corn that we may eat and live.

Thi der var nogle, som sagde: Vi med vore Sønner og vore Døtre ere mange; saa lader os da faa Korn, at vi maa æde og leve.

3 And there were that said, We have had to pledge our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, that we might procure corn in the dearth.

Der var og dem, som sagde: Vi have pantsat vore Agre og vore Vingaarde og vore Huse; lader os da faa Korn i denne Hungersnød!

4 And there were that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute upon our fields and vineyards;

Og der var dem, som sagde: Vi have laant Penge paa vore Agre og vore Vingaarde for at betale Kongen Skat.

5 yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and behold, we must bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage [already]; neither is it in the power of our hand [to redeem them], for other men have our fields and our vineyards.

Nu er dog vort Legeme saa godt som vore Brødres Legeme og vore Børn som deres Børn; men se, vi maa give vore Sønner og vore Døtre hen som Trælle, ja, der er nogle af vore Døtre alt givne hen og ere ikke i vore Hænders Magt, medens vore Agre og vore Vingaarde tilhøre andre.

6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

Og min Vrede optændtes saare, der jeg hørte deres Skrig og disse Ord.

7 And I consulted with myself; and I remonstrated with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother! And I set a great assembly against them.

Og jeg overvejede Sagen i mit Hjerte, og jeg trættede med de ypperste og Forstanderne og sagde til dem: I trykke den ene den anden med Gæld! og jeg stillede en stor Forsamling imod dem,

8 And I said to them, We, according to our ability, have redeemed our brethren the Jews, who were sold to the nations; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? And they were silent and found no answer.

Og jeg sagde til dem: Vi have løskøbt vore Brødre, Jøderne, som vare solgte til Hedningerne, efter vor Formue, og I, I ville derimod sælge eders Brødre, og skulle de sælge sig til os? Da tav de og fandt intet at svare.

9 And I said, The thing that ye do is not good. Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, so as not to be the reproach of the nations our enemies?

Fremdeles sagde jeg: Det er ikke en god Ting, som I gøre; skulde I ikke vandre i vor Guds Frygt for Hedningernes, vore Fjenders, Forsmædelses Skyld?

10 I also, my brethren and my servants, we might exact usury of them, money and corn. I pray you, let us leave off this usury.

Og jeg, mine Brødre og mine Tjenere, vi have betroet dem Penge og Korn; lader os dog eftergive denne Gæld!

11 Restore, I pray you, to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive-gardens, and their houses, also the hundredth [part] of the money, and of the corn, the wine and the oil, that ye have exacted of them.

Kære, tilbagegiver dem paa denne Dag deres Agre, deres Vingaarde, deres Oliegaarde og deres Huse, og den hundrede Part af Pengene og Kornet, Mosten og Olien, som I have betroet dem.

12 And they said, We will restore [them], and will require nothing of them; so will we do, as thou hast said. And I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.

Da sagde de: Vi ville give det tilbage og intet kræve af dem, saaledes ville vi gøre, ligesom du har sagt; og jeg kaldte ad Præsterne og tog en Ed af dem, at de skulde gøre efter dette Ord.

13 Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house and from his earnings, that performeth not this promise: even thus be he shaken out and emptied! And all the congregation said, Amen! And they praised Jehovah. And the people did according to this promise.

Jeg udrystede ogsaa min Kjortelflig og sagde: Saaledes udryste Gud hver Mand fra sit Hus og fra sit Arbejde, naar han ikke holder dette Ord, og han blive saa udrystet og tom! Og den ganske Forsamling sagde: Amen! og de lovede Herren, og Folket gjorde efter dette Ord.

14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed 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 brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.

Ogsaa fra den Dag, da Kongen befalede mig at være deres Landshøvding i Judas Land, som var fra det tyvende Aar og indtil Kong Artakserkses's to og tredivte Aar, det er tolv Aar, aad jeg og mine Brødre ikke det Landshøvdingen tilkommende Brød.

15 But the former governors that were before me had been chargeable to the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver: even their servants bore rule over the people. But I did not so, because of the fear of God.

Og de forrige Landshøvdinger, som havde været før mig, havde besværet Folket og taget Brød og Vin af dem og derefter fyrretyve Sekel Sølv, ogsaa deres Tjenere herskede over Folket; men jeg gjorde ikke saa for Guds Frygts Skyld.

16 Yea, also I applied myself to this work of the wall, and we bought no fields; and all my servants were gathered thither for the work.

Tilmed lagde jeg Haand paa Arbejdet med denne Mur, og vi købte ingen Agre; og alle mine Tjenere maatte forsamle sig der til Arbejdet.

17 And there were at my table a hundred and fifty of the Jews and the rulers, besides those that came to us from among the nations that were about us.

Tilmed vare af Jøderne og Forstanderne hundrede og halvtredsindstyve Mænd, og de, som kom til os fra Hedningerne, der vare trindt omkring os, ved mit Bord.

18 And that which was prepared daily was one ox [and] six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days all sorts of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I demanded not the bread of the governor; for the service was heavy upon this people.

Og det, som blev lavet til een Dag, var een Okse, seks udvalgte Faar samt Fugle, som bleve lavede til mig, og een Gang i Løbet af ti Dage var der Vin af al Slags i Overflødighed; desuagtet krævede jeg ikke det Landshøvdingen tilkommende Brød, thi Arbejdet laa svart paa dette Folk.

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

Min Gud! kom i Hu, mig til det gode, alt det, som jeg har gjort for dette Folk!