Nehemiah 5
1 Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their countrymen the Jews.
Velika se vika digla među ljudima i ženama protiv njihove braće Židova.
2 For there were some who said, We, our sons and our daughters, are a great number: let us get grain, so that we may have food for our needs.
Jedni su govorili: “Zalažemo svoje sinove i kćeri da bismo mogli nabaviti pšenice te jesti i živjeti.”
3 And there were some who said, We are giving our fields and our vine-gardens and our houses for debt: let us get grain because we are in need.
Drugi su govorili: “Zalažemo svoja polja, vinograde svoje i kuće svoje da bismo mogli nabaviti pšenice za vrijeme gladi.”
4 And there were others who said, We have given up our fields and our vine-gardens to get money for the king's taxes.
Drugi su opet govorili: “Moramo uzaimati novac na polja svoja i vinograde da bismo mogli isplatiti kraljeve namete.
5 But our flesh is the same as the flesh of our countrymen, and our children as their children: and now we are giving our sons and daughters into the hands of others, to be their servants, and some of our daughters are servants even now: and we have no power to put a stop to it; for other men have our fields and our vine-gardens.
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.”
6 And on hearing their outcry and what they said I was very angry.
Razljutio sam se veoma kad sam čuo njihovu viku i te riječi.
7 And after turning it over in my mind, I made a protest to the chiefs and the rulers, and said to them, Every one of you is taking interest from his countryman. And I got together a great meeting of protest.
Pošto sam u sebi promislio, prekorio sam velikaše i odličnike riječima: “Vi namećete teret svojoj braći!” I sazvao sam protiv njih velik zbor.
8 And I said to them, We have given whatever we were able to give, to make our brothers the Jews free, who were servants and prisoners of the nations: and would you now give up your brothers for a price, and are they to become our property? Then they said nothing, answering not a word.
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.
9 And I said, What you are doing is not good: is it not the more necessary for you to go in the fear of our God, because of the shame which the nations may put on us?
Nastavio sam: “Nije dobro to što činite. Ne treba li da hodite u strahu Boga našega da se tako uklonimo ruglu neprijateljskih naroda?
10 Even I and my servants have been taking interest for the money and the grain we have let them have. So now, let us give up this thing.
I ja, i moja braća, i moji momci davali smo im novaca i žita. Ali smo im dug oprostili.
11 Give back to them this very day their fields, their vine-gardens, their olive-gardens, and their houses, as well as a hundredth part of the money and the grain and the wine and the oil which you have taken from them.
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.”
12 Then they said, We will give them back, and take nothing for them; we will do as you say. Then I sent for the priests and made them take an oath that they would keep this agreement.
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.
13 And shaking out the folds of my robe, I said, So may God send out from his house and his work every man who does not keep this agreement; even so let him be sent out and made as nothing. And all the meeting of the people said, So be it, and gave praise to the Lord. And the people did as they had said.
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.
14 Now from the time when I was made ruler of the people in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year till the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, for twelve years, I and my servants have never taken the food which was the right of the ruler.
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.
15 But earlier rulers who were before me made the people responsible for their upkeep, and took from them bread and wine at the rate of forty shekels of silver; and even their servants were lords over the people: but I did not do so, because of the fear of God.
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.
16 And I kept on with the work of this wall, and we got no land for ourselves: and all my servants were helping with the work.
Čak sam se jednako držao posla oko zida i nisam kupio ni jedne njive! Svi su moji momci bili ondje okupljeni na poslu.
17 And more than this, a hundred and fifty of the Jews and the rulers were guests at my table, in addition to those who came to us from the nations round about us.
Za mojim su stolom jeli Židovi i odličnici, njih stotinu i pedeset na broju, osim onih koji su k nama dolazili iz okolnih naroda.
18 Now the food made ready for one day was one ox and six fat sheep, as well as fowls; and once in ten days a store of all sorts of wine: but all the same, I did not take the food to which the ruler had a right, because the people were crushed under a hard yoke.
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.
19 Keep in mind, O my God, for my good, all I have done for this people.
Spomeni se, Bože moj, za moje dobro svega što sam učinio ovome narodu!
