Nehemiah 5
1 About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.
Ŋutsuwo kple wo srɔ̃wo tsitre ɖe wo nɔvi Yudatɔwo ŋu.
2 Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.”
Ɖewo le gbɔgblɔm be, “Míawo, mía viŋutsuwo kple mía vinyɔnuwo sɔ gbɔ ŋutɔ, gake be míakpɔ nu aɖu, atsi agbe la, ele na mí be míadi bli.”
3 Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.”
Bubuwo hã le gbɔgblɔm be, “Míetsɔ míaƒe agblewo, waingblewo kple míaƒe aƒewo ɖo awɔbae be míaxɔ bli le dɔŋɔli sia.”
4 Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.
Ame bubuwo hã le gbɔgblɔm be, “Ele na mí be míado ga axe adzɔgae na fia la ɖe míaƒe agblewo kple waingblewo ta.”
5 We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
Ame daheawo gblɔ be, “Wo nɔviwo míenye, eye mía viwo le ko abe woawo hã tɔwo ke ene. Ke ele be míadzra mía viŋutsuwo kple mía vinyɔnuwo hafi ate ŋu aɖu nu. Míedzra mía vinyɔnu aɖewo xoxo, eye míagate ŋu axɔ wo o, elabena míetsɔ míaƒe agblewo ɖo awɔbae na ame siawo ke!”
6 When I heard their outcry and these complaints, I became extremely angry,
Esi mese nya sia la, medo dɔmedzoe vevie.
7 and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them
Esi mebu nu siawo katã ŋuti vɔ la, mebu fɔ bubumewo kple dɔnunɔlawo. Megblɔ na wo be, “Miele miawo ŋutɔ mia nɔviwo bam!” Ale meyɔ takpekpe gã aɖe na ame hahoawo ne maɖɔ nya sia ɖo.
8 and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say.
Meka mo na wo be, “Abe ale si ke ŋutete le mía si ene ko la, miegbugbɔ mía nɔvi Yudatɔ siwo wodzra ɖe dukɔ bubuwo me la ƒle. Ke azɔ la, miegale wo dzram ale be woagbugbɔ wo agadzra na mi!” Wo katã wozi ɖoɖoe, elabena womekpɔ nya aɖeke agblɔ o.
9 So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies?
Meyi edzi gblɔ na wo be, “Nu si wɔm miele la nye nu vɔ̃. Ɖe miazɔ le mawuvɔvɔ̃ me oa? Ɖe futɔ, siwo le didim be yewoatsrɔ̃ mí la mesɔ gbɔ le mía ŋuti le dukɔ siwo ƒo xlã mí la me xoxo oa?
10 I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending the people money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury.
Mí ame bubuawo ya míele ga kple nuɖuɖu dom na mía nɔvi Yudatɔwo, eye míele deme aɖeke xɔm o. Meɖe kuku na mi, bubumewo, midzudzɔ amebaba sia tɔgbi!
11 Please restore to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you have been assessing them.”
Migbugbɔ ame daheawo ƒe agblewo, waingblewo, amitigblewo kple aƒewo na wo egbe sia, eye deme alafa ɖekalia si miexɔna ɖe ga, bli, wain yeye kple ami dzi la natɔ.”
12 “We will restore it,” they replied, “and will require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and required of the nobles and officials an oath that they would do what they had promised.
Wolɔ̃ ɖe nya sia dzi, eye wodo ŋugbe be yewoakpe ɖe yewo nɔviwo ŋuti, eye yewomagana be woatsɔ woƒe anyigbawo aɖo awɔba, eye woadzra wo viwo na amewo o. Ale meyɔ Osɔfowo, bubumewo kple dɔnunɔlawo, eye mena kesinɔtɔ siawo ɖe adzɔgbe be yewoawɔ yewoƒe ŋugbedodo dzi.
13 I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake out of His house and possession every man who does not keep this promise. May such a man be shaken out and have nothing!” The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
Meʋuʋu nye awutoga hegblɔ na wo be, “Alea kee Mawu aʋuʋu ame sia ame si mawɔ ɖe ŋugbedodo sia dzi o la, ado goe le eya ŋutɔ ƒe aƒe me, hekpe ɖe eƒe nunɔamesiwo ŋu, eya ta nenem ƒe ame ma woatrɔe akɔ ɖi, eye woaɖi gbɔloe!” Esi megblɔ esia vɔ la, ame haho la katã xɔ ɖe edzi be, “Amen.” Wo katã wokafu Yehowa, eye ameawo wɔ abe ale si wodo ŋugbee ene.
14 Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year (twelve years total), neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor.
Le ƒe wuieve siwo me menye mɔmefia na Yuda, tso Artazerses ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe blaevelia me va se ɖe ƒe blaetɔ̃-vɔ-evelia me la, nye kple nye kpeɖeŋutɔwo siaa míexɔ fetu aɖeke alo kpekpeɖeŋu aɖeke tso Israelviwo gbɔ o.
15 The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people, but I did not do this because of my fear of God.
Esia to vovo sãa tso mɔmefia siwo do ŋgɔ nam la ƒe wɔnawo gbɔ. Woawo xɔa nuɖuɖu kple wain kple klosaloga blaene gbe sia gbe le dukɔa si. Wotsɔ ameawo de asi na woƒe kpeɖeŋutɔwo, eye wowɔa fu ameawo. Ke nye la, mevɔ̃a Mawu, eye nyemewɔ nenema o.
16 Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of the wall, and all my servants were gathered there for the work; we did not acquire any land.
Mekpe asi ɖe gli la ɖoɖo ŋu, eye nyemedi anyigba aɖeke be maƒle na ɖokuinye o. Mena nye kpeɖeŋutɔwo hã kpe asi ɖe gli la ɖoɖo ŋu.
17 There were 150 Jews and officials at my table, besides the guests from the surrounding nations.
Mewɔ esiawo katã togbɔ be menaa nuɖuɖu Yudatɔ alafa ɖeka kple blaatɔ̃ gbe sia gbe kpe ɖe amedzro siwo tsoa anyigba bubuwo dzi ŋu hã.
18 Each day one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine was provided. But I did not demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy.
Nu siwo mehiãna gbe sia gbe la woe nye nyitsu ɖeka, alẽ dami ade kple koklo geɖewo, eye le ŋkeke ewo ɖe sia ɖe me la, mehiãa wain lita geɖe. Ke nyemeda nudzɔdzɔ tɔxɛ ɖe ameawo dzi o, elabena nuwo nɔ sesẽm na wo xoxo.
19 Remember me favorably, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.
O! Nye Mawu, ɖo ŋku nu siwo katã mewɔ na ame siawo la dzi, eye nàyram ɖe wo ta.
