尼希米記 5
1 百姓和他們的妻大大呼號，埋怨他們的弟兄猶大人。
Then the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews.
2 有的說：「我們和兒女人口眾多，要去得糧食度命」；
For there were some who said, “With our sons and daughters we are many. So let us get grain that we may eat and stay alive.”
3 有的說：「我們典了田地、葡萄園、房屋，要得糧食充飢」；
There were also some who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain during the famine.”
4 有的說：「我們已經指着田地、葡萄園，借了錢給王納稅。
Some also said, “We have borrowed money to pay the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards.
5 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。」
Yet now our flesh and blood is the same as our brothers, and our children are the same as their children. We are forced to sell our sons and our daughters to become slaves. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved. But it is not in our power to help it because other men now own our fields and our vineyards.”
6 我聽見他們呼號說這些話，便甚發怒。
I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.
7 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。
Then I thought about this, and brought charges against the nobles and officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his own brother.” I held a great assembly against them
8 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。
and said to them, “We, as much as we are able, have bought back from slavery our Jewish brothers who had been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers and sisters that they may be sold back to us!” They were silent and never found a word to say.
9 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。
Also I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations that are our enemies?
10 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。
I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. But we must stop charging interest on these loans.
11 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。」
Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses and the percentage of the money, the grain, the new wine, and the oil that you exacted from them.”
12 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。
Then they said, “We will return what we took from them, and will require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” Then I called the priests, and made them swear to do as they had promised.
13 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。
I shook out the fold of my robe and said, “So may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep his promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” All the assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised Yahweh and the people did as they had promised.
14 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。
So from the time I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food provided for the governor.
15 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。
But the former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people, and took from them forty shekels of silver for their daily food and wine. Even their servants oppressed the people. But I did not do so because of the fear of God.
16 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。
I also continued to work on the wall, and we bought no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.
17 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。
At my table were the Jews and the officials, 150 men, besides those who came to us from among the nations who were around us.
18 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。
Now what was prepared each day was one ox, six choice sheep, and also birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance, yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the demands were too heavy on the people.
19 我的上帝啊，求你記念我為這百姓所行的一切事，施恩與我。
Call me to mind, my God, for good, because of all that I have done for this people.
