Nehemiah 5

1 Nowe there was a great crie of the people, and of their wiues against their brethren the Iewes.

Pea naʻe lāunga lahi ʻae kakai mo honau ngaahi uaifi ki honau ngaahi kāinga ko e kakai Siu.

2 For there were that said, We, our sonnes and our daughters are many, therefore we take vp corne, that we may eate and liue.

He naʻe ai ʻae niʻihi naʻe lea ʻo pehē, “Ko kimautolu, ko homau ngaahi foha, mo homau ngaahi ʻofefine ʻoku mau tokolahi: ko ia ʻoku mau toʻo hake ai ʻae uite maʻanautolu, koeʻuhi ke mau kai, pea moʻui.”

3 And there were that saide, We must gage our landes, and our vineyardes, and our houses, and take vp corne for the famine.

Naʻe ai mo e niʻihi naʻa nau lea, [ʻo pehē], “Kuo mau maʻu paʻanga koeʻuhi ko homau ngaahi fonua, mo e ngoue vaine, mo e ngaahi fale, koeʻuhi ke mau fakatau ʻae uite, ko e meʻa ʻi he honge.”

4 There were also that said, We haue borowed money for the Kings tribute vpon our landes and our vineyardes.

Pea naʻe ʻi ai ʻae niʻihi foki naʻe pehē, “Kuo mau nō ʻae ngaahi paʻanga maʻae tukuhau ʻae tuʻi, pea fakamoʻua ki ai homau ngaahi fonua mo e ngoue vaine.

5 And nowe our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, and our sonnes as their sonnes: and lo, we bring into subiection our sonnes and our daughters, as seruants, and there be of our daughters nowe in subiection, and there is no power in our handes: for other men haue our landes and our vineyardes.

Ka ko eni ko homau kakano ʻoku tatau mo e kakano ʻo homau kāinga, mo ʻemau fānau ʻoku hangē ko ʻenau fānau: pea vakai, ʻoku mau fakapōpulaʻi homau ngaahi foha, mo homau ngaahi ʻofefine ke hoko ko e kau tamaioʻeiki, pea ko e niʻihi ʻo homau ʻofefine kuo fakahoko ni ki he fakapōpula: pea ʻoku ʻikai temau mafai ke huhuʻi ʻakinautolu; he ko e kau tangata kehe kuo maʻu homau fonua mo ʻemau ngoue vaine.”

6 Then was I very angrie when I heard their crie and these wordes.

Pea ne u ʻita lahi ʻi heʻeku fanongo ki heʻenau tangi mo e ngaahi lea ni.

7 And I thought in my minde, and I rebuked the princes, and the rulers, and saide vnto them, You lay burthens euery one vpon his brethren: and I set a great assemblie against them,

Pea ne u fakalaulauloto, pea u valoki ʻae ngaahi houʻeiki, mo e kau pule, pea u pehē kiate kinautolu, ʻOku mou maʻu totongi lahi, taki taha mei hono tokoua. Pea ne u fokotuʻu hake ʻae fuʻu tokolahi ke taʻofi kiate kinautolu.

8 And I said vnto them, We (according to our abilitie) haue redeemed our brethren the Iewes, which were solde vnto the heathen: and will you sell your brethren againe, or shall they be solde vnto vs? Then helde they their peace, and could not answere.

Pea ne u pehē kiate kinautolu, “Kuo fai ʻekimautolu ʻo fakatatau mo ʻemau mafai, ʻae huhuʻi ʻo homau kāinga ko e kakai Siu, ʻaia naʻe fakatau ki he kakai hiteni; pea temou fakatau koā ʻa homou ngaahi kāinga? Pe ʻe fakatau koā ʻakinautolu kiate kimautolu?” Pea naʻa nau longo pe, ʻo ʻikai ʻilo ha meʻa ke lea ʻaki.

9 I said also, That which ye do, is not good. Ought ye not to walke in the feare of our God, for the reproche of the heathen our enemies?

Pea ne u pehē foki, “Ko ia ʻoku mou fai ʻoku ʻikai lelei: ʻikai ʻoku ngali ke mou ʻalu pe ʻi he manavahē ki hotau ʻOtua telia ʻae manuki ʻoe hiteni ko hotau ngaahi fili?

10 For euen I, my brethren, and my seruants doe lende them money and corne: I pray you, let vs leaue off this burden.

‌ʻE totonu foki ka ne ko au mo hoku kāinga mo ʻeku kau tamaioʻeiki, ke mau tala totongi kiate kinautolu ʻi he paʻanga mo e uite: ʻoku ou kole kiate kimoutolu ketau tuku muʻa ʻae tangi totongi ni.

11 Restore, I pray you, vnto them this day their landes, their vineyardes, their oliues, and their houses, and remit the hundreth part of the siluer and of the corne, of the wine, and of the oyle that ye exact of them.

‌ʻOku ou kole kiate kimoutolu, mou toe ʻatu kiate kinautolu he ʻaho ni, honau fonua, mo ʻenau ngoue vaine, mo ʻenau ngoue ʻolive, mo honau ngaahi fale, mo hono teau ʻoe vahe ʻo ʻenau ngaahi paʻanga, mo e uite, mo e uaine, mo e lolo, ʻaia ʻoku mou tangi ke maʻu mālohi ʻiate kinautolu.”

12 Then said they, We will restore it, and will not require it of them: we will doe as thou hast said. Then I called the Priestes, and caused them to sweare, that they shoulde doe according to this promise.

Pea naʻa nau pehē mai, “Te mau toe ʻatu, pea ʻe ʻikai te mau tala ha meʻa ʻe taha ki ai; ko ia te mau fai ʻo hangē ko hoʻo lea.” Pea ne u ui ke haʻu ʻae kau taulaʻeiki, pea u fakafuakava ʻakinautolu, koeʻuhi ke nau fai ʻo fakatatau ki he lea papau ni.

13 So I shooke my lappe, and said, So let God shake out euery man that wil not perfourme this promise from his house, and from his labour: euen thus let him be shaken out, and emptied. And all the Cogregation said, Amen, and praised the Lord: and the people did according to this promise.

Pea naʻaku tupetupeʻi hoku kofu foki, ʻo pehē, “Ke tupetupeʻi pehē ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae tangata kotoa pē mei hono fale, pea mei heʻene ngāue, ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai fakamoʻoni ki he lea ni, ʻio, ke tupetupeʻi ia kituʻa, pea liʻaki.” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he fakataha kotoa pē, “ʻEmeni,” mo nau fakafetaʻi kia Sihova. Pea naʻe fai ʻe he kakai ʻo fakatatau ki he lea ni.

14 And from the time that the King gaue me charge to be gouernour in the lande of Iudah, from the twentieth yeere, euen vnto the two and thirtieth yeere of King Artahshashte, that is, twelue yeere, I, and my brethren haue not eaten the bread of the gouernour.

Pea ko eni foki, talu ʻae kuonga ko ia naʻe fakanofo au ko honau pule ʻi he fonua ʻo Siuta, mei he taʻu ʻe uofulu ʻo hoko ki he taʻu ʻe tolungofulu ma ua ʻo ʻAtakisekisi ko e tuʻi, ʻaia ko e taʻu ʻe hongofulu ma ua, ko au mo hoku kāinga naʻe ʻikai te mau kai ʻae meʻakai ʻae pule.

15 For the former gouernours that were before me, had bene chargeable vnto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, besides fourtie shekels of siluer: yea, and their seruants bare rule ouer the people: but so did not I, because of the feare of God.

Ka ko e ngaahi pule naʻe ʻi muʻa ʻiate au naʻe moʻua ki ai ʻae kakai, pea naʻa nau maʻu ʻiate kinautolu ʻae mā mo e uaine, mo e sikeli siliva ʻe fāngofulu; ʻio, ko ʻenau kau tamaioʻeiki naʻa nau pule ki he kakai: ka naʻe ʻikai te u pehē, ko e meʻa ʻi he manavahē ki he ʻOtua.

16 But rather I fortified a portion in the worke of this wall, and we bought no lande, and all my seruants came thither together vnto the worke.

Ko e moʻoni ne u fai maʻu pe ʻi he ngāue ʻae ʻā maka ni, pea naʻe ʻikai te mau fakatau ha potu fonua: pea naʻe tānaki fakataha ʻa ʻeku kau tamaioʻeiki kotoa pē ʻi ai ki he ngāue.

17 Moreouer there were at my table an hundreth and fiftie of the Iewes, and rulers, which came vnto vs from among the heathen that are about vs.

Pea naʻe ʻi heʻeku keinangaʻanga foki ʻae kau Siu ʻe toko teau mo e nimangofulu, mo e kau pule, kaeʻumaʻā ʻakinautolu naʻe haʻu kiate kimautolu mei he hiteni ʻoku tuʻu takatakai ʻiate kimautolu.

18 And there was prepared daily an oxe, and sixe chosen sheepe, and birdes were prepared for me, and within ten dayes wine for all in abundance. Yet for all this I required not the bread of the gouernour: for the bondage was grieuous vnto this people.

Pea ko eni ko e meʻa naʻe teu kiate au ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē, ko e pulu ʻe taha mo e sipi lelei ʻe ono; pea mo e fanga moa naʻe teuʻi kiate au, pea tuʻo taha ʻi he ʻaho ʻe hongofulu naʻe ʻomi ʻae tokonaki ʻoe ngaahi uaine kehekehe: pea neongo ʻae meʻa lahi ni kotoa pē, naʻe ʻikai te u maʻu ʻae mangisi ʻae pule, koeʻuhi naʻe māfasia lahi ʻae kakai ni.

19 Remember me, O my God, in goodnesse, according to all that I haue done for this people.

‌ʻE hoku ʻOtua, ke ke manatuʻi au ke u lelei ai, ʻo fakatatau ki he meʻa kotoa pē naʻaku fai mā ʻae kakai ni.