Nehemiah 5
1 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.
那時，在人民和他們的婦女中，發生了喊冤的大聲音，控告自己的猶太同胞。
2 And there were that said, We, our sons and our daughters, are many, and we must procure corn that we may eat and live.
有人喊說：「我們應以我們的兒女作質，換取食糧，吃飯生活。」
3 And there were that said, We have had to pledge our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, that we might procure corn in the dearth.
另有人喊說：「我們必須典當我們的田地、葡萄園和房屋，為在飢荒之中獲得食糧。」
4 And there were that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute upon our fields and vineyards;
還有人喊說：「我們應抵押我們的田地和葡萄園，去借錢給王納稅。
5 yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and behold, we must bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage [already]; neither is it in the power of our hand [to redeem them], for other men have our fields and our vineyards.
然而我們的肉體與我們同胞的肉體一樣，我們的孩子與他們的孩子也相同，但我們必須叫我們的兒女去作奴婢，且有些女兒已做了奴婢；我們現下一無所能，因為我們的田地和葡萄園，已屬於別人了。」
6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
我一聽了他們的哀訴和這樣的話，很是悲憤。
7 And I consulted with myself; and I remonstrated with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother! And I set a great assembly against them.
我考慮之後，遂譴責那些權貴和長官，向他們說：「你們每人竟向告自己的同胞索取重利。」為譴責他們，我召集了大會，
8 And I said to them, We, according to our ability, have redeemed our brethren the Jews, who were sold to the nations; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? And they were silent and found no answer.
向他們說：「我們已費盡力量，贖回來了那些被賣給異民作奴隸的猶太同胞，難道你們又要賣你們的同胞，叫我們贖回來嗎﹖」他們不出聲，也不知如何回答。
9 And I said, The thing that ye do is not good. Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, so as not to be the reproach of the nations our enemies?
我接著說：「你們作的這事實在不對! 為避免異民—我們仇敵的辱罵，你們豈不應懷著敬畏我們天主的心行事嗎﹖
10 I also, my brethren and my servants, we might exact usury of them, money and corn. I pray you, let us leave off this usury.
我和我的兄弟以及我的僕人，也都借給了他們銀錢和食糧。好罷! 我們都免除他們這債務罷!
11 Restore, I pray you, to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive-gardens, and their houses, also the hundredth [part] of the money, and of the corn, the wine and the oil, that ye have exacted of them.
今天就應當歸還他們的田地、葡萄園、橄欖園和房屋，並歸還由借給他們的銀錢、食糧、酒、油所獲得的重利。」
12 And they said, We will restore [them], and will require nothing of them; so will we do, as thou hast said. And I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.
他們答說：「我們都歸還給他們，不向他們索求什麼；你怎麼說；我們就怎麼行。」接著我叫了司祭來，另那些人起誓，按這話去行。
13 Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house and from his earnings, that performeth not this promise: even thus be he shaken out and emptied! And all the congregation said, Amen! And they praised Jehovah. And the people did according to this promise.
我又拂拭衣襟說道：「願天主把一切不守這諾言的人，由他的房舍和他的財產中如此拂拭下去，直到將他拂拭淨盡。」全會眾都答說：「阿們。」同時又稱頌了上主。人民都履行了諾言。
14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.
此外，自從我被任命為猶大省長之日起，即自阿塔薛西斯王二十年至三十二年，十二年之久，我和我的兄弟從未食過省長的俸祿。
15 But the former governors that were before me had been chargeable to the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver: even their servants bore rule over the people. But I did not so, because of the fear of God.
但是，在我以先的前任省長，苛待民眾，每天由民眾取四十「協刻耳」銀子，作為俸祿，並且他們的臣僕還壓迫民眾；而我因敬畏天主，並未如此行事。
16 Yea, also I applied myself to this work of the wall, and we bought no fields; and all my servants were gathered thither for the work.
雖然我也從事修建城垣的工程，但並未購置過田產；我的僕人也都聚集在那裏工作。
17 And there were at my table a hundred and fifty of the Jews and the rulers, besides those that came to us from among the nations that were about us.
有一百五十個猶太人和官員，在我那裏吃飯，還有從我們四周異民中，來到我們這裏的人。
18 And that which was prepared daily was one ox [and] six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days all sorts of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I demanded not the bread of the governor; for the service was heavy upon this people.
每一天應備辦一頭牛，六隻肥羊和各種飛禽，這些都由我負擔；每天又要備置大量的酒；雖然如此，我仍未索求省長的俸祿，服役的事已為這民眾夠重的了。
19 Remember for me, my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.
我的天主! 請記念我! 記念我為這民眾所行的一切，使我蒙福。
