Nehemiah 5
1 Around this time some people and their wives started a tremendous argument with the other Jews.
百姓和他們的妻大大呼號，埋怨他們的弟兄猶大人。
2 They were complaining, “Our families are so large we need more food so we can eat and live.”
有的說：「我們和兒女人口眾多，要去得糧食度命」；
3 Others added, “We've had to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to buy food during the famine.”
有的說：「我們典了田地、葡萄園、房屋，要得糧食充飢」；
4 Still more said, “We've had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king's tax.
有的說：「我們已經指着田地、葡萄園，借了錢給王納稅。
5 Even though we are the same people as our creditors and though our children are the same as their children, yet we going to have to turn our sons and daughters into slaves. In fact some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we can't do anything about it, because our fields and our vineyards are now owned by others.”
我們的身體與我們弟兄的身體一樣；我們的兒女與他們的兒女一般。現在我們將要使兒女作人的僕婢，我們的女兒已有為婢的；我們並無力拯救，因為我們的田地、葡萄園已經歸了別人。」
6 I became very angry when I heard them protesting their grievances.
我聽見他們呼號說這些話，便甚發怒。
7 I thought it over and then I went to argue with the nobles and officials, telling them, “You are charging your own brothers interest!” So I called a large meeting to deal with them.
我心裏籌劃，就斥責貴冑和官長說：「你們各人向弟兄取利！」於是我招聚大會攻擊他們。
8 There I told them, “We have done as much as we can to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers as slaves! Are you expecting to sell them back to us?” They kept quiet because they couldn't think of anything to say.
我對他們說：「我們盡力贖回我們弟兄，就是賣與外邦的猶大人；你們還要賣弟兄，使我們贖回來嗎？」他們就靜默不語，無話可答。
9 “What you're doing isn't right,” I told them. “Don't you think you should respect our God so that enemy nations don't criticize us?
我又說：「你們所行的不善！你們行事不當敬畏我們的上帝嗎？不然，難免我們的仇敵外邦人毀謗我們。
10 I, as well as my brothers and my men have been have been lending the people money and food. Please, let's stop this business of charging interest!
我和我的弟兄與僕人也將銀錢糧食借給百姓；我們大家都當免去利息。
11 Give them back right now their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the one percent interest on the money, grain, new wine, and olive oil that you have been charging them.”
如今我勸你們將他們的田地、葡萄園、橄欖園、房屋，並向他們所取的銀錢、糧食、新酒，和油，百分之一的利息都歸還他們。」
12 “We will give it back,” they replied, “and we won't demand anything more from them. We'll do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials swear an oath that they'd do what they had promised.
眾人說：「我們必歸還，不再向他們索要，必照你的話行。」我就召了祭司來，叫眾人起誓，必照着所應許的而行。
13 I shook out the folds of my robe and said, “This is how my God will shake you out of your homes and out of your possessions if you don't keep your promise! If you don't, you'll be shaken out and end up with nothing!” Everyone there said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. The people did what they'd promised.
我也抖着胸前的衣襟，說：「凡不成就這應許的，願上帝照樣抖他離開家產和他勞碌得來的，直到抖空了。」會眾都說：「阿們！」又讚美耶和華。百姓就照着所應許的去行。
14 In addition to this, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me as governor in the land of Judah, which was from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year, a total of twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food which was allocated to the governor.
自從我奉派作猶大地的省長，就是從亞達薛西王二十年直到三十二年，共十二年之久，我與我弟兄都沒有吃省長的俸祿。
15 But the governors before me had placed a heavy burden on the people, taking forty shekels of silver from them as well as food and wine. Their assistants also extorted the people. But because of my respect for God I didn't act like that.
在我以前的省長加重百姓的擔子，每日索要糧食和酒，並銀子四十舍客勒，就是他們的僕人也轄制百姓；但我因敬畏上帝不這樣行。
16 I also made rebuilding the wall my top priority, and I assigned all my workers to help with that. We didn't acquire any land for ourselves.
並且我恆心修造城牆，並沒有置買田地；我的僕人也都聚集在那裏做工。
17 I had 150 Jews and officials eating at my table, as well as visitors from nearby countries.
除了從四圍外邦中來的猶大人以外，有猶大平民和官長一百五十人在我席上吃飯。
18 Every day I paid for one ox, six good sheep, and poultry. Every ten days I paid for a large supply of all kinds of wine. But I never demanded the governor's food allowance, because the people were already carrying a heavy burden.
每日預備一隻公牛，六隻肥羊，又預備些飛禽；每十日一次，多預備各樣的酒。雖然如此，我並不要省長的俸祿，因為百姓服役甚重。
19 Please remember me positively, my God, for all that I've done for this people.
我的上帝啊，求你記念我為這百姓所行的一切事，施恩與我。
