Nehemiah 5
1 And the cry of the people and their wives [was] great against their brethren the Jews.
百姓和他們的妻大大呼號，埋怨他們的弟兄猶大人。
2 And some said, We [are] numerous with our sons and our daughters; so we will take corn, and eat, and live.
有的說：「我們和兒女人口眾多，要去得糧食度命」；
3 And some said, [As to] our fields and vineyards and houses, let us pledge [them], and we will take corn, and eat.
有的說：「我們典了田地、葡萄園、房屋，要得糧食充飢」；
4 And some said, We have borrowed money for the king's tributes: —our fields, and our vineyards, and houses [are pledged].
有的說：「我們已經指着田地、葡萄園，借了錢給王納稅。
5 And now our flesh [is] as the flesh of our brethren, our children [are] as their children: yet, behold, we are reducing our sons and our daughters to slavery, and some of our daughters are enslaved: and there is no power of our hands, for our fields and our vineyards [belong] to the nobles.
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。」
6 And I was much grieved as I heard their cry and these words.
我聽見他們呼號說這些話，便甚發怒。
7 And my heart took counsel within me, and I contended against the nobles, and the princes, and I said to them, Should every man demand of his brother what you demand? And I appointed against them a great assembly,
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。
8 and I said to them, We of our free-will have redeemed our brethren the Jews that were sold to the Gentiles; and do you sell your brethren? and shall they be delivered to us? And they were silent, and found no answer.
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。
9 And I said, The thing which you do [is] not good; you will not so walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the Gentiles our enemies.
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。
10 Both my brethren, and my acquaintances, and I, have lent them money and corn: let us now leave off this exaction.
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。
11 Restore to them, I pray, as at this day, their fields, and their vineyards, and their olive yards, and their houses, and bring forth to them corn and wine and oil of the money.
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。」
12 And they said, We will restore, and we will not exact of them; we will do thus as you say. Then I called the priests, and bound them by oath to do according to this word.
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。
13 And I shook out my garment, and said, So may God shake out every man who shall not keep to this word, from his house, and from his labours, he shall be even thus shaken out, as an outcast and empty. And all the congregation said, Amen, and they praised the Lord: and the people did this thing.
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。
14 From the day that he charged me to be their ruler in the land of Juda, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Arthasastha, twelve years, I and my brethren ate not [provision] extorted from them.
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。
15 But as for the former acts of extortion wherein [those who were] before me oppressed them, they even took of them their last money, forty didrachmas for bread and wine; and the [very] outcasts of them exercised authority over the people: but I did not so, because of the fear of God.
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。
16 Also in the work of the wall I treated them not with rigor, I bought not land: and all that were gathered together [came] there to the work.
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。
17 And the Jews, to [the number of] a hundred and fifty men, besides those coming to us from the nations round about, [were] at my table.
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。
18 And there came [to me] for one day one calf, and I had six choice sheep and a goat; and every ten days wine in abundance of all sorts: yet with these I required not the bread of extortion, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.
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。
19 Remember me, O God, for good, [in] all that I have done to this people.
我的上帝啊，求你記念我為這百姓所行的一切事，施恩與我。
