Nehemaya 5

1 Nʼoge ahụ, ụfọdụ ezinaụlọ bidoro itamu ntamu megide ndị Juu ibe ha.

Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews.

2 Ụfọdụ na-atamu na-asị, “Anyị na ụmụ anyị dị ukwuu nʼọnụọgụgụ. Ọ bụrụ na anyị ga-eri nri dị ndụ, o kwesikwara ka anyị nwee ike ịzụrụ ọka.”

For there were some who said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live.”

3 Ndị ọzọ na-asịkwa, “Anyị agbaala ubi anyị, ubi vaịnị anyị na ụlọ anyị nʼibe ka anyị nweta mkpụrụ ubi nʼoge ụnwụ.”

There were also some who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine.”

4 Ma ndị ọzọkwa na-asị, “Lee na anyị gbazitere ego anyị ji tụọ ụtụ isi eze maka ubi anyị na ubi vaịnị anyị.

There were also some who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral.

5 Nʼagbanyeghị na ọ bụ otu anụ ahụ na ọbara ka anyị na ndị Juu ọzọ nwere, dịka ụmụ ha dị ka ụmụ anyị dịkwa, ma anyị emeela ka ụmụ anyị ndị ikom na ndị inyom bụrụ ndị ohu. Ụfọdụ nʼime ụmụ anyị ndị inyom abụrụlarị ndị ohu, ma anyị enweghị ike nke aka anyị, nʼihi na ndị ọzọ bụ ndị nwezi ala ubi anyị na ubi vaịnị anyị niile.”

Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring our sons and our daughters into bondage to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. It is also not in our power to help it, because other men have our fields and our vineyards.”

6 Iwe were m nke ukwuu mgbe m nụrụ mkpu akwa ha na mkpesa ndị a.

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

7 Ya mere, mgbe m chesiri echiche banyere ya, e boro m ndị a na-asọpụrụ na ndị ọchịchị ebubo. A gwara m ha, “Unu na-anara ụmụnna unu ọmụrụnwa ego unu enyere ha.” Ya mere, a kpọrọ m nzukọ ọha mmadụ maka imegide ha.

Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, “You exact usury, everyone of his brother.” I held a great assembly against them.

8 Nʼụbọchị nzukọ ahụ, agwara m ha okwu sị, “Ọtụtụ nʼime anyị na-agbalị nʼụzọ niile ịhụ na anyị zụtaghachiri ụmụnna anyị ndị Juu bu ndị e resiri ndị mba ọzọ. Ma unu nọ nʼebe a na-agbalị ime ha ka ha ghọọ ndị ohu unu. Ruo ole mgbe ka anyị ga-anọgide na-agbapụta ha site nʼọnọdụ ibu ohu?” Ma ha niile ekwughị okwu ọbụla, nʼihi na ha enweghị ihe ha ga-ekwu.

I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say.

9 Agwakwara m ha okwu ọzọ sị, “Ihe unu na-eme jọrọ njọ. O kwesighị ka unu tụọ egwu Chineke si otu a gbanarị nkọcha nke ndị iro anyị, bụ ndị mba ọzọ?”

Also I said, “The thing that you do is not good. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?

10 Mụ onwe m na ụmụnna m na ndị na-ejere m ozi na-agbazinye ụmụnne anyị ego na ọka. Ma ka anyị kwụsị ịnara ọmụrụnwa.

I likewise, my brothers and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury.

11 Nyeghachinụ ha ala ubi ha niile ngwangwa, ma ubi vaịnị ha niile, ubi oliv ha niile, ụlọ ha niile na ọmụrụnwa nke unu na-anara ha nke bụ otu ụzọ nʼime narị nke ego, ọka, mmanya ọhụrụ na mmanụ.

Please restore to them, even today, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, that you are charging them.”

12 Ha sịrị, “Anyị ga-enyeghachi ha. Anyị agakwaghị anara ha ihe ọzọ. Anyị ga-emezu ihe i kwuru.” Mgbe ahụ, akpọkọtara m ndị nchụaja, mee ka ndị ndu na ndịisi ozi ṅụọ iyi imezu nkwa ha.

Then they said, “We will restore them, and will require nothing of them. We will do so, even as you say.” Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise.

13 Ayọgharịrị m ọnụ ọnụ uwe mwụda m sị, “Otu a ka Chineke ga-esi yọchapụ site nʼụlọ ha na ihe nweta ha onye ọbụla nke na-agaghị edebezu nkwa a.” Ndị niile zukọrọ kwere sị, “Amen.” Ha tokwara Onyenwe anyị: Ha niile mekwara ihe ha kwere na nkwa.

Also I shook out my lap, and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that doesn’t perform this promise; even may he be shaken out and emptied like this.” All the assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD. The people did according to this promise.

14 Ọzọ, nʼime afọ iri na abụọ ahụ a họpụtara m ị bụ onyeisi ọchịchị na Juda, site nʼiri afọ abụọ nke ịbụ eze Ataksekses ruo nʼafọ iri atọ na abụọ ya, mụ na ụmụnne m esiteghị na nri a na-atụkọrọ onyeisi ọchịchị were ihe oriri ọbụla.

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, that is, twelve years, I and my brothers have not eaten the bread of the governor.

15 Ma ọ bụghị otu a ka o si dị na mbụ, nʼihi na ndịisi ọchịchị niile buru m ụzọ chịa boro ndị ahụ ibu arọ dị ukwuu. Ha na-anakọta site nʼaka onye ọbụla iri mkpụrụ ọlaọcha anọ, tinyere ihe oriri na mmanya ha na-ewebatakwa. Ọbụladị ndị na-enyere ha aka mekpakwara ndị mmadụ ahụ. Ma emeghị m otu a, nʼihi ịtụ egwu Chineke.

But the former governors who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and wine from them, plus forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants ruled over the people, but I didn’t do so, because of the fear of God.

16 Kama, anọgidesiri m ike nʼọrụ iwugharị mgbidi ahụ, achịkọtara ndị ikom m niile nʼebe ahụ nʼihi ije ozi a. Ọ dịghịkwa ala anyị zụrụ.

Yes, I also continued in the work of this wall. We didn’t buy any land. All my servants were gathered there to the work.

17 Ma otu ọ dị, ndịisi Juu ọnụọgụgụ ha dị otu narị na iri na ise na-eri nri na tebul m, tinyere ndị na-abịakwute anyị site na mba ndị dị anyị gburugburu.

Moreover there were at my table, of the Jews and the rulers, one hundred and fifty men, in addition to those who came to us from amongst the nations that were around us.

18 Ihe na-ezu nri a na-eri nʼụlọ m kwa ụbọchị bụ otu ehi na atụrụ isii gbara abụba, na ọtụtụ ọkụkụ, na ụdị mmanya dị iche iche a na-ebubata kwa ụbọchị iri ọbụla. Nʼagbanyeghị nke a, ọ dịghị mgbe ọbụla m nara site nʼaka ha ụtụ ihe oriri nke onye na-achị ala kwesiri inweta, nʼihi na ha onwe ha nọ na mkpa dị ukwuu.

Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days a store of all sorts of wine. Yet for all this, I didn’t demand the governor’s pay, because the bondage was heavy on this people.

19 Chineke m biko, echefula ihe m meere ndị a, gọzie m nʼụzọ nke gị.

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