Nehemija 5
1 Velika se vika digla među ljudima i ženama protiv njihove braće Židova.
Then the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews.
2 Jedni su govorili: “Zalažemo svoje sinove i kćeri da bismo mogli nabaviti pšenice te jesti i živjeti.”
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 Drugi su govorili: “Zalažemo svoja polja, vinograde svoje i kuće svoje da bismo mogli nabaviti pšenice za vrijeme gladi.”
There were also some who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain during the famine.”
4 Drugi su opet govorili: “Moramo uzaimati novac na polja svoja i vinograde da bismo mogli isplatiti kraljeve namete.
Some also said, “We have borrowed money to pay the king's tax on our fields and our 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.”
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 Razljutio sam se veoma kad sam čuo njihovu viku i te riječi.
I was very angry when I heard their outcry and 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.
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 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 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 Nastavio sam: “Nije dobro to što činite. Ne treba li da hodite u strahu Boga našega da se tako uklonimo ruglu neprijateljskih naroda?
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 I ja, i moja braća, i moji momci davali smo im novaca i žita. Ali smo im dug oprostili.
I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. But we must stop charging interest on these loans.
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.”
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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 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 Čak sam se jednako držao posla oko zida i nisam kupio ni jedne njive! Svi su moji momci bili ondje okupljeni na poslu.
I also continued to work on the wall, and we bought no land, and all my servants were gathered there for 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.
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 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.
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 Spomeni se, Bože moj, za moje dobro svega što sam učinio ovome narodu!
Call me to mind, my God, for good, because of all that I have done for this people.
