< Nehemiah 5 >

1 Around this time some people and their wives started a tremendous argument with the other Jews.
In kutu pacl tok pus na sin mwet uh, mukul ac mutan, mutawauk in torkaskas lain mwet Jew wialos.
2 They were complaining, “Our families are so large we need more food so we can eat and live.”
Kutu selos fahk mu, “Arulana yohk sou lasr uh. Kut enenu wheat kut in mongo kac tuh kut in moul.”
3 Others added, “We've had to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to buy food during the famine.”
Kutu pac selos fahk mu, “Kut kitala ima lasr, nien grape lasr, ac lohm sesr in eis wheat fal nu sesr tuh kut in tia misa ke masrinsral.”
4 Still more said, “We've had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king's tax.
Oasr pac kutu selos fahk, “Kut enenu in ngusr mani in akfalye tax lasr nu sin tokosra ke ima lasr ac nien grape lasr.
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.”
Kut oana mwet Jew wiasr, srah sefanna. Tulik natusr uh oapana tulik natulos. A inge, kut oru tuh tulik natusr uh in mwet kohs. Kutu sin acn natusr uh kukakinyukla tari nu ke mwet kohs. A wangin ma kut ku in oru mweyen ima lasr ac nien grape lasr itukla liki kut.”
6 I became very angry when I heard them protesting their grievances.
Ke nga lohng torkaskas lalos, nga kasrkusrak,
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.
ac nunkauk ma nga in oru kac. Na nga sang kas in kai nu sin mwet kol ac mwet pwapa lun mwet uh ac fahk, “Kowos akkeokye mwet wiowos sifacna ke kowos eis ma laesla yohk liki ma fal.” Nga pangon sie tukeni lulap nu sin mwet uh, in pwapa ke elya se inge.
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.
Na nga fahk, “Ke kuiyasr nufon kut tuh molela mwet Jew wiasr su tuh sifacna kukakunulosla nu sin mwetsac. A inge kowos oru tuh mwet na wiowos in kukakunulosla sifacna nu suwos, mwet Jew.” Ouinge wanginna ma mwet kol elos ku in fahk, na elos tia kas.
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?
Na nga fahk, “Ma kowos oru an tia wo! Kowos enenu in akos God ac oru ma suwohs. Fin ouinge, kowos fah tia oru kutena sripa tuh mwet lokoalok lasr, mwet pegan, in ku in akkolukye kut.
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!
Nga lela nu sin mwet uh elos in ngusr mani ac mwe mongo sik, na mwet wiyu ac mwet orekma luk elos oru oana nga oru. Inge lela kut nukewa in sisla eisyen ma laesla selos.
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.”
Sisla soemoul nukewa lalos nu suwos: finne mani, ku wheat, ku wain, ku oil in olive. Mesinge kowos in folokonang nu selos ima lalos, nien grape lalos, insak olive, ac lohm selos!”
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.
Mwet kol elos topuk, “Kut ac oru oana ma kom fahk. Kut ac folokonang ma lalos, ac kut ac tia eis soemoul lalos.” Nga pangoneni mwet tol, ac sap tuh mwet kol in oru fulahk lalos ye mutalos tuh elos fah oru oana ma elos wulela kac inge.
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.
Na nga sarukla mwe lohl liki infulwuk, ac osrokla ac fahk, “God El fah osrokla kutena suwos su ac tia karingin wulela la, oana ma kowos liye nga oru inge. God El fah eisla lohm suwos ac ma lowos nukewa, ac tia filiya kutena ma nu suwos.” Mwet nukewa su wi tukeni sac fahk, “Amen!” ac kaksakin LEUM GOD. Ac mwet kol elos karinganangna wuleang lalos.
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.
In yac singoul luo ke nga governor lun acn Judah, mutawauk ke yac aklongoul nwe ke yac se aktolngoul luo ma Artaxerxes el tokosra fulat, nga ac sou luk tiana eis kitakat ke mwe mongo su fal nu sin sie governor in eis.
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.
Governor nukewa meet likiyu, elos sang sap toasr nu sin mwet uh tuh elos in akfalye ipin silver angngaul ke len se, nu ke mwe mongo ac wain. Finne mwet kulansap lun governor, elos oayapa oru upa nu sin mwet uh. Tusruktu nga oru siena, mweyen nga akfulatye God.
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.
Nga sang kuiyuk nufon in sifil musai pot uh, ac tia suk in eis kutena acn nu sik sifacna. Mwet kulansap luk nukewa elos wi pac orekma ke musa uh.
17 I had 150 Jews and officials eating at my table, as well as visitors from nearby countries.
Len nukewa mwet Jew siofok lumngaul wi mwet kol lalos elos mongo ke tepu luk, sayen pacna mwet su tuku liki mutunfacl ma apinkutla.
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.
Kais sie len nga srukak cow soko, sheep na wowo onkosr, ac won na pus, ac len singoul nukewa nga srukak pac wain sasu nimen mwet uh. Tuh ke sripen nga etu lah toasr ma mwet uh enenu in akfalye, oru nga tiana suk ke ma fal nga in eis ke wal lun governor.
19 Please remember me positively, my God, for all that I've done for this people.
Nga siyuk sum, O God, tuh kom in esamyu ac akinsewowoyeyu ke ma nukewa ma nga oru nu sin mwet inge.

< Nehemiah 5 >