Nechemijas 5
1 Un tie ļaudis un viņu sievas daudz brēca pret saviem brāļiem, tiem Jūdiem.
Around this time some people and their wives started a tremendous argument with the other Jews.
2 Jo tur bija, kas sacīja: mēs ar saviem dēliem un ar savām meitām esam daudzi, mums vajag labības ko ēst, lai dzīvojam.
They were complaining, “Our families are so large we need more food so we can eat and live.”
3 Tur arī bija, kas sacīja: izdosim ķīlām savus tīrumus un savus vīna dārzus un savus namus, ka varam labības dabūt pret badu.
Others added, “We've had to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to buy food during the famine.”
4 Vēl bija, kas sacīja: mēs naudu esam aizņēmuši uz saviem tīrumiem un saviem vīna dārziem priekš ķēniņa mesliem.
Still more said, “We've had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king's tax.
5 Un tomēr mūsu miesa ir kā mūsu brāļu miesa, mūsu bērni kā viņu bērni, un redzi, mums jādod savi dēli un savas meitas jūgā par kalpiem. Un no mūsu meitām jau kādas ir jūgā padotas un padoma mūsu rokā nav, arī mūsu tīrumi un mūsu vīna dārzi pieder citiem.
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.”
6 Tad es ļoti apskaitos, kad dzirdēju viņu brēkšanu un šos vārdus.
I became very angry when I heard them protesting their grievances.
7 Un es to pārdomāju savā sirdī un bāros ar tiem virsniekiem un valdniekiem
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.
8 Un uz tiem sacīju: jūs plēšat augļus viens no otra? Un es pret tiem savedu lielu draudzi un uz tiem sacīju: mēs savus brāļus, tos Jūdus, kas pagāniem bija pārdoti, cik spēdami esam atpirkuši, un jūs savus brāļus gribat pārdot un lai mēs tos pērkam? Tad tie cieta klusu un nemācēja ne vārda atbildēt.
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.
9 Tad es sacīju: nav labi, ko jūs darāt! Vai jums nebija staigāt mūsu dievbijāšanā, to pagānu, mūsu ienaidnieku nievāšanas dēļ?
“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?
10 Arī es un mani brāļi un mani jaunekļi tiem esam devuši naudu un labību. Lai jel šo parādu tiem atlaižam.
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!
11 Atdodiet jel tiem šodien viņu tīrumus, viņu vīna dārzus, viņu eļļas dārzus un viņu namus un to simto tiesu naudas un labības un vīna un eļļu, ko jūs no tiem (augļos) esat ņēmuši.
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.”
12 Tad tie sacīja: mēs atdosim un nemeklēsim no tiem nekā; mēs darīsim, kā tu saki. Un es aicināju priesterus un tiem liku zvērēt, ka tā darīs.
“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.
13 Es arī izkratīju savu azoti un sacīju: lai Dievs ikkatru, kas šo vārdu neturēs, tā izkrata no viņa nama un no viņa mantas, un lai tas tā ir izkratīts un iztukšots. Un visa draudze sacīja: Āmen! Un slavēja To Kungu. Un tie ļaudis darīja pēc šī vārda.
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.
14 No tām dienām, kad man tapa pavēlēts, būt par zemes valdītāju Jūdu zemē, no ķēniņa Artakserksus divdesmitā gada līdz trīsdesmit otram gadam, caurus divpadsmit gadus, arī neesmu ēdis zemes valdītāja maizi, ne es, ne mani brāļi.
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.
15 Jo tie pirmie zemes valdītāji, kas priekš manis bijuši, tie tiem ļaudīm bija grūti darījuši un no tiem ņēmuši maizi un vīnu un vēl četrdesmit sudraba sēķeļus; pat viņu jaunekļi valdīja pār tiem ļaudīm, bet es tā neesmu darījis, Dievu bīdamies.
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.
16 Es arī pats esmu strādājis pie tā mūra, un tīrumu mēs neesam pirkuši, un visi mani puiši tur kopā bija pie darba.
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.
17 Un Jūdi un valdnieki, simts piecdesmit vīri, un kas no tiem apkārtējiem pagāniem pie mums nāca, ir bijuši pie mana galda.
I had 150 Jews and officials eating at my table, as well as visitors from nearby countries.
18 Un ikkatrā dienā tapa sataisīts viens vērsis, sešas barotas avis un putni man kļuva sataisīti, arī daudz vīna priekš ik desmit dienām; tomēr es zemes valdītāja maizi nemeklēju, jo tā kalpošana šiem ļaudīm bija grūta.
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.
19 Piemini, Dievs, man par labu visu, ko es šiem ļaudīm esmu darījis!
Please remember me positively, my God, for all that I've done for this people.
