Nehemija 5
1 Velika se vika digla među ljudima i ženama protiv njihove braće Židova.
Now there was a great cry of the people, and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.
2 Jedni su govorili: “Zalažemo svoje sinove i kćeri da bismo mogli nabaviti pšenice te jesti i živjeti.”
And there were some that said: Our sons and our daughters are very many: Yet us take up corn for the price of them, and let us eat and live.
3 Drugi su govorili: “Zalažemo svoja polja, vinograde svoje i kuće svoje da bismo mogli nabaviti pšenice za vrijeme gladi.”
And there were some that said: Let us mortgage our lands, and our vineyards, and our houses, and let us take corn because of the famine.
4 Drugi su opet govorili: “Moramo uzaimati novac na polja svoja i vinograde da bismo mogli isplatiti kraljeve namete.
And others said: Let us borrow money for the king’s tribute, and let us give up our fields and vineyards:
5 Tijelo je naše kao tijelo braće naše, sinovi su naši kao i njihovi, a mi moramo predavati u ropstvo svoje sinove i kćeri; među našim kćerima neke su već robinje! A mi ne možemo ništa jer polja naša i vinograde drže drugi.”
And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren: and our children as their children. Behold we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters, and some of our daughters are bondwomen already, neither have we wherewith to redeem them, and our fields and our vineyards other men possess.
6 Razljutio sam se veoma kad sam čuo njihovu viku i te riječi.
And I was exceedingly angry when I heard their cry according to these words.
7 Pošto sam u sebi promislio, prekorio sam velikaše i odličnike riječima: “Vi namećete teret svojoj braći!” I sazvao sam protiv njih velik zbor.
And my heart thought with myself: and I rebuked the nobles and magistrates, and said to them: Do you every one exact usury of your brethren? And I gathered together a great assembly against them,
8 I rekao sam: “Mi smo, koliko smo mogli, otkupili svoju židovsku braću koja bijahu prodana poganima. A sada vi prodajete svoju braću da bismo ih otkupili!” Svi su šutjeli i nitko nije odgovorio.
And I said to them: We, as you know, have redeemed according to our ability our brethren the Jews, that were sold to the Gentiles: and will you then sell your brethren, for us to redeem them? And they held their peace, and found not what to answer.
9 Nastavio sam: “Nije dobro to što činite. Ne treba li da hodite u strahu Boga našega da se tako uklonimo ruglu neprijateljskih naroda?
And I said to them: The thing you do is not good: why walk you not in the fear of our God, that we be not exposed to the reproaches of the Gentiles our enemies?
10 I ja, i moja braća, i moji momci davali smo im novaca i žita. Ali smo im dug oprostili.
Both I and my brethren, and my servants, have lent money and corn to many: let us all agree not to call for it again; let us forgive the debt that is owing to us.
11 Vratite im i vi još danas njihova polja, vinograde, maslinike i kuće njihove i oprostite im postotak u novcu, u žitu, u vinu, u ulju, što ste im ga nametnuli.”
Restore ye to them this day their fields, and their vineyards, and their oliveyards, and their houses: and the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, which you mere wont to exact of them, give it rather for them.
12 A oni odgovoriše: “Vratit ćemo; nećemo od njih ništa tražiti. Učinit ćemo kako si rekao.” Tada pozvah svećenike i naredih neka se zakunu da će učiniti kako su obećali.
And they said: We will restore, and we will require nothing of them: and we will do as thou sayest. And I called the priests and took an oath of them, to do according to what I had said.
13 Zatim istresoh skute svoje odjeće govoreći: “Neka Bog ovako istrese iz vlastite kuće i imanja svakog čovjeka koji se ne bude držao ovog obećanja! Tako bio istresen i ispražnjen!” A sav zbor odgovori “Amen!” hvaleći Jahvu. I narod je učinio prema ovom dogovoru.
Moreover I shook my lap, and said: So may God shake every man that shall not accomplish this word, out of his house, and out of his labours, thus may he be shaken out, and become empty. And all the multitude said: Amen. And they praised God. And the people did according to what was said.
14 I od dana kad mi je kralj naredio da budem upravitelj u zemlji Judinoj, od dvadesete do trideset i druge godine kraljevanja Artakserksa, za dvanaest godina ja i moja braća nismo nikada jeli upraviteljskog kruha.
And from the day, in which the king commanded me to be governor in the land of Juda, from the twentieth year even to the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, for twelve years, I and my brethren did not eat the yearly allowance that was due to the governors.
15 Ali prijašnji upravitelji, moji prethodnici, ugnjetavahu narod: svakoga su dana od njega uzimali četrdeset šekela srebra za kruh; i njihove su sluge ugnjetavale narod. A ja nisam nikada tako činio, zbog straha Božjega.
But the former governors that had been before me, were chargeable to the people, and took of them in bread, and wine, and in money every day forty sides: and their officers also oppressed the people. But I did not so for the fear of God.
16 Čak sam se jednako držao posla oko zida i nisam kupio ni jedne njive! Svi su moji momci bili ondje okupljeni na poslu.
Moreover I built in the work of the wall, and I bought no land, and all my servants were gathered together to the work.
17 Za mojim su stolom jeli Židovi i odličnici, njih stotinu i pedeset na broju, osim onih koji su k nama dolazili iz okolnih naroda.
The Jews also and the magistrates to the number of one hundred and fifty men, were at my table, besides them that came to us from among the nations that were round about us.
18 Svakoga se dana o mom trošku pripremalo jedno goveče, šest biranih ovaca i peradi; svakih deset dana donosilo se obilje vina za sve. A opet nisam nikada tražio upraviteljskog poreza na kruh, jer je narod već bio teško opterećen.
And there was prepared for me day by day one ox, and six choice rams, besides fowls, and once in ten days I gave store of divers wines, and many other things: yet I did not require my yearly allowance as governor: for the people were very much impoverished.
19 Spomeni se, Bože moj, za moje dobro svega što sam učinio ovome narodu!
Remember me, O my God, for good according to all that I have done for this people.
