Nehemiah 5
1 Around this time some people and their wives started a tremendous argument with the other Jews.
Der lød nu højrøstede Klager fra Folket og deres Kvinder mod deres Brødre, Jøderne.
2 They were complaining, “Our families are so large we need more food so we can eat and live.”
Nogle sagde: "Vore Sønner og Døtre må vi give i Pant for at få Korn til Livets Ophold!"
3 Others added, “We've had to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to buy food during the famine.”
Andre sagde: "Vore Marker, Vingårde og Huse må vi give i Pant for at få Korn under Hungersnøden!"
4 Still more said, “We've had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king's tax.
Atter andre sagde: "Vi har måttet låne på vore Marker og Vingårde for at kunne udrede de kongelige Skatter!
5 Even though we are the same people as our creditors and though our children are the same as their children, yet we going to have to turn our sons and daughters into slaves. In fact some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we can't do anything about it, because our fields and our vineyards are now owned by others.”
Og vore Legemer er dog lige så gode som vore Brødres og vore Sønner lige så gode som deres; men vi er nødt til at give vore Sønner og Døtre hen til at blive Trælle, ja, nogle af vore Døtre er det allerede, og det stod ikke i vor Magt at hindre det, effersom vore Marker og Vingårde tilhører andre!"
6 I became very angry when I heard them protesting their grievances.
Da jeg hørte deres Klager og disse deres Ord, blussede Vreden heftigt op i mig;
7 I thought it over and then I went to argue with the nobles and officials, telling them, “You are charging your own brothers interest!” So I called a large meeting to deal with them.
og efter at have tænkt over Sagen gik jeg i Rette med de store og Forstanderne og sagde til dem: I driver jo Åger over for eders Næste! Så kaldte jeg en stor Folkeforsamling sammen imod dem
8 There I told them, “We have done as much as we can to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers as slaves! Are you expecting to sell them back to us?” They kept quiet because they couldn't think of anything to say.
og sagde til dem: Så vidt vi var i Stand dertil, har vi frikøbt vore jødiske Brødre, der måtte sælge sig til Hedningerne; og I sælger eders Brødre, så de må sælge sig til os! Da tav de og fandt intet at svare.
9 “What you're doing isn't right,” I told them. “Don't you think you should respect our God so that enemy nations don't criticize us?
Men jeg fortsatte: Det er ikke ret af eder at handle således! Skulde I ikke vandre i Frygt for vor Gud af Hensyn til Hedningerne, vore Fjenders Spot?
10 I, as well as my brothers and my men have been have been lending the people money and food. Please, let's stop this business of charging interest!
Også jeg og mine Brødre og mine Folk har lånt dem Penge og Korn; men lad os nu eftergive dem, hvad de skylder!
11 Give them back right now their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the one percent interest on the money, grain, new wine, and olive oil that you have been charging them.”
Giv dem straks dere Marker, Vingårde, Oliventræer og Huse tilbage og eftergiv dem Pengene, Kornet, Moslen og Olien, som I har lånt dem!
12 “We will give it back,” they replied, “and we won't demand anything more from them. We'll do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials swear an oath that they'd do what they had promised.
Da svarede de: Ja, vi vil give det tilbage og ikke afkræve dem noget; som du siger, vil vi gøre! Jeg lod da Præsterne kalde og lod dem sværge på, at de vilde handle således.
13 I shook out the folds of my robe and said, “This is how my God will shake you out of your homes and out of your possessions if you don't keep your promise! If you don't, you'll be shaken out and end up with nothing!” Everyone there said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. The people did what they'd promised.
Og jeg rystede min Brystfold og sagde: Enhver, der ikke holder dette Ord, vil Gud således ryste ud af hans Hus og Ejendom; ja, således skal han blive udrystet og tømt! Da sagde hele Forsamlingen: Amen! Og de lovpriste HERREN; og Folket handlede efter sit Løfte.
14 In addition to this, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me as governor in the land of Judah, which was from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year, a total of twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food which was allocated to the governor.
Desuden skal det nævnes, at fra den Dag Kong Artaxerxes bød mig være deres Statholder i Judas Land, fra Kong Artaxerxes's tyvende til hans to og tredivte Regeriogsår, hele tolv År, spiste hverken jeg eller mine Brødre det Brød, der tilkom Statholderen,
15 But the governors before me had placed a heavy burden on the people, taking forty shekels of silver from them as well as food and wine. Their assistants also extorted the people. But because of my respect for God I didn't act like that.
medens mine Forgængere, de tidligere Statholdere, lagde Tynge på Folket og for Brød og Vin daglig afkrævede dem fyrretyve Sekel Sølv, ligesom også deres Tjenere optrådte som Folkets Herrer. Det undlod jeg at gøre af Frygt for Gud.
16 I also made rebuilding the wall my top priority, and I assigned all my workers to help with that. We didn't acquire any land for ourselves.
Og desuden tog jeg selv fat ved Arbejdet på denne Mur, skønt vi ingen Mark havde købt, og alle mine Folk var samlet der ved Arbejdet.
17 I had 150 Jews and officials eating at my table, as well as visitors from nearby countries.
Og Jøderne, både Forstanderne, 150 Mand, og de, der kom til os fra de omboende Hedningefolk, spiste ved mit Bord;
18 Every day I paid for one ox, six good sheep, and poultry. Every ten days I paid for a large supply of all kinds of wine. But I never demanded the governor's food allowance, because the people were already carrying a heavy burden.
og hvad der daglig lavedes til, et Stykke Hornkvæg, seks udsøgte Får og Fjerkræ, afholdt jeg Udgifferne til; dertil kom hver tiende Dag en Masse Vin af alle Sorter. Men alligevel krævede jeg ikke det Brød, der tilkom Statholderen, fordi Arbejdet tyngede hårdt på Folket.
19 Please remember me positively, my God, for all that I've done for this people.
Kom i Hu alt, hvad jeg har gjort for dette Folk, og regn mig det til gode, min Gud!
