Neemia 5

1Or si levò un gran lamento da parte di que’ del popolo e delle loro mogli contro ai Giudei, loro fratelli. 2Ve n’eran che dicevano: "Noi, i nostri figliuoli e le nostre figliuole siamo numerosi; ci si dia del grano perché possiam mangiare e vivere!" 3Altri dicevano: "Impegnamo i nostri campi, le nostre vigne e le nostre case per assicurarci del grano durante la carestia!" 4Altri ancora dicevano: "Noi abbiam preso del danaro a imprestito sui nostri campi e sulle nostre vigne per pagare il tributo del re. 5Ora la nostra carne è come la carne de’ nostri fratelli, i nostri figliuoli son come i loro figliuoli; ed ecco che dobbiam sottoporre i nostri figliuoli e le nostre figliuole alla schiavitù, e alcune delle nostre figliuole son già ridotte schiave; e noi non possiamo farci nulla, giacché i nostri campi e le nostre vigne sono in mano d’altri". 6Quand’udii i loro lamenti e queste parole, io m’indignai forte. 7E, dopo matura riflessione, ripresi aspramente i notabili e i magistrati, e dissi loro: "Come! voi prestate su pegno ai vostri fratelli?" E convocai contro di loro una grande raunanza, 8e dissi loro: "Noi, secondo la nostra possibilità, abbiamo riscattato i nostri fratelli Giudei che s’eran venduti ai pagani; e voi stessi vendereste i vostri fratelli, ed essi si venderebbero a noi!" Allora quelli si tacquero, e non seppero che rispondere. 9Io dissi pure: "Quello che voi fate non è ben fatto. Non dovreste voi camminare nel timore del nostro Dio per non essere oltraggiati dai pagani nostri nemici? 10Anch’io e i miei fratelli e i miei servi abbiam dato loro in prestito danaro e grano. Vi prego condoniamo loro questo debito! 11Rendete loro oggi i loro campi, le loro vigne, i loro uliveti e le loro case, e la centesima del danaro, del grano, del vino e dell’olio, che avete esatto da loro come interesse". 12Quelli risposero: "Restituiremo tutto, e non domanderemo più nulla da loro; faremo come tu dici". Allora chiamai i sacerdoti, e in loro presenza li feci giurare che avrebbero mantenuta la promessa. 13Io scossi inoltre il mio mantello, e dissi: "Così scuota Iddio dalla sua casa e dai suoi beni chiunque non avrà mantenuto questa promessa, e così sia egli scosso e resti senza nulla!" E tutta la raunanza disse: "Amen!" E celebrarono l’Eterno. E il popolo mantenne la promessa. 14Di più, dal giorno che il re mi stabilì loro governatore nel paese di Giuda, dal ventesimo anno fino al trentaduesimo anno del re Artaserse, durante dodici anni, io e i miei fratelli non mangiammo della provvisione assegnata al governatore. 15I governatori che mi avean preceduto aveano gravato il popolo, ricevendone pane e vino oltre a quaranta sicli d’argento; perfino i loro servi angariavano il popolo; ma io non ho fatto così, perché ho avuto timor di Dio. 16Anzi ho messo mano ai lavori di riparazione di queste mura, e non abbiamo comprato verun campo, e tutta la mia gente s’è raccolta là a lavorare. 17E avevo alla mia mensa centocinquanta uomini, Giudei e magistrati, oltre quelli che venivano a noi dalle nazioni circonvicine. 18E quel che mi si preparava per ogni giorno era un bue, sei capri scelti di bestiame minuto, e dell’uccellame; e ogni dieci giorni si preparava ogni sorta di vini in abbondanza; e, nondimeno, io non ho mai chiesta la provvisione assegnata al governatore, perché il popolo era già gravato abbastanza a motivo de’ lavori. 19O mio Dio, ricordati, per farmi del bene, di tutto quello che ho fatto per questo popolo.

1Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews. 2For there were that said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live.” 3Some also there were that said, “We are mortgaging our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine.” 4There were also some who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral. 5Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. Neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards.” 6I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. 7Then 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. 8I 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 never a word. 9Also I said, “The thing that you do is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies? 10I likewise, my brothers and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury. 11Please restore to them, even this day, 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.” 12Then they said, “We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do, even as you say.” Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise. 13Also I shook out my lap, and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that doesn’t perform this promise; even thus be he shaken out, and emptied.” All the assembly said, “Amen,” and praised Yahweh. The people did according to this promise. 14Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brothers have not eaten the bread of the governor. 15But the former governors who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and wine from them, besides forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants ruled over the people: but I didn’t do so, because of the fear of God. 16Yes, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered there to the work. 17Moreover there were at my table, of the Jews and the rulers, one hundred fifty men, besides those who came to us from among the nations that were around us. 18Now 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 store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this I didn’t demand the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy on this people. 19Remember to me, my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.

1Maar het geroep des volks en hunner vrouwen was groot, tegen hun broederen, de Joden. 2Want er waren, die zeiden: Onze zonen, en onze dochteren, wij zijn velen; daarom hebben wij koren opgenomen, opdat wij eten en leven. 3Ook waren er, die zeiden: Wij verpanden onze akkers, en onze wijngaarden, en onze huizen, opdat wij in dezen honger koren mogen opnemen. 4Desgelijks waren er, die zeiden: Wij hebben geld ontleend tot des konings cijns, op onze akkers en onze wijngaarden. 5Nu is toch ons vlees als het vlees onzer broederen, onze kinderen zijn als hun kinderen; en ziet, wij onderwerpen onze zonen en onze dochteren tot dienstknechten; ja, er zijn enige van onze dochteren onderworpen, dat zij in de macht onzer handen niet zijn; en anderen hebben onze akkers en onze wijngaarden. 6Toen ik nu hun geroep en deze woorden hoorde, ontstak ik zeer. 7En mijn hart beraadslaagde in mij; daarna twistte ik met de edelen, en met de overheden, en zeide tot hen: Gijlieden vordert een last, een iegelijk van zijn broeder. Voorts belegde ik een grote vergadering tegen hen. 8En ik zeide tot hen: Wij hebben onze broederen, de Joden, die aan de heidenen verkocht waren, naar ons vermogen wedergekocht; en zoudt gijlieden ook uw broederen verkopen, of zouden zij aan ons verkocht worden? Toen zwegen zij, en vonden geen antwoord. 9Voorts zeide ik: De zaak is niet goed, die gijlieden doet; zoudt gij niet wandelen in de vreze onzes Gods, om de versmading der heidenen, onze vijanden? 10Ik, mijn broederen, en mijn jongens, vorderen wij ook geld en koren van hen? Laat ons toch dezen last nalaten. 11Geeft hun toch als heden weder hun akkers, hun wijngaarden, hun olijfgaarden en hun huizen; en het honderdste deel van het geld, en van het koren, den most en de olie, die gij hun hebt afgevorderd. 12Toen zeiden zij: Wij zullen het wedergeven, en van hen niets zoeken; wij zullen alzo doen, als gij zegt. En ik riep de priesteren, en deed hen zweren, dat zij doen zouden naar dit woord. 13Ook schudde ik mijn boezem uit, en zeide: Alzo schudde God uit allen man, die dit woord niet zal bevestigen, uit zijn huis en uit zijn arbeid, en hij zij alzo uitgeschud en ledig. En de ganse gemeente zeide: Amen! En zij prezen de HEERE. En het volk deed naar dit woord. 14Ook van dien dag af, dat hij mij bevolen heeft hun landvoogd te zijn in het land Juda, van het twintigste jaar af, tot het twee en dertigste jaar van den koning Arthahsasta, zijnde twaalf jaren, heb ik, met mijn broederen, het des landvoogds niet gegeten. 15En de vorige landvoogden, die voor mij geweest zijn, hebben het volk bezwaard, en van hen genomen aan brood en wijn, daarna veertig zilveren sikkelen; ook heersten hun jongens over het volk; maar ik heb alzo niet gedaan, om der vreze Gods wil. 16Daartoe heb ik ook aan het werk dezes muurs verbeterd, en wij hebben geen land gekocht; en al mijn jongens zijn aldaar verzameld geweest tot het werk. 17Ook zijn van de Joden en van de overheden honderd en vijftig man, en die van de heidenen, die rondom ons zijn, tot ons kwamen, aan mijn tafel geweest. 18En wat voor een dag bereid werd, was een os en zes uitgelezen schapen; ook werden mij vogelen bereid, en binnen tien dagen van allen wijn zeer veel; nog heb ik bij dezen het brood des landvoogds niet gezocht, omdat de dienstbaarheid zwaar was over dit volk. 19Gedenk mijner, mijn God, ten goede, alles, wat ik aan dit volk gedaan heb.