Nehemiah 5
1 And there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.
Velika se vika digla među ljudima i ženama protiv njihove braće Židova.
2 And there were some that said, Our sons, and our daughters, [and] ourselves are many; and we must buy corn, that we may eat, and live.
Jedni su govorili: “Zalažemo svoje sinove i kćeri da bismo mogli nabaviti pšenice te jesti i živjeti.”
3 And others there were that said, We must pledge our fields, our vineyards, and our houses, that we may buy corn, in the famine.
Drugi su govorili: “Zalažemo svoja polja, vinograde svoje i kuće svoje da bismo mogli nabaviti pšenice za vrijeme gladi.”
4 And others there were that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tax on our fields and vineyards.
Drugi su opet govorili: “Moramo uzaimati novac na polja svoja i vinograde da bismo mogli isplatiti kraljeve namete.
5 Yet now our flesh is like the flesh of our brethren, our children are like their children: and, lo, we must force our sons and our daughters to become servants, and some of our daughters are forced [to become so], and our hand is powerless; and our fields and our vineyards belong to others.
Tijelo je naše kao tijelo braće naše, sinovi su naši kao i njihovi, a mi moramo predavati u ropstvo svoje sinove i kćeri; među našim kćerima neke su već robinje! A mi ne možemo ništa jer polja naša i vinograde drže drugi.”
6 And it displeased me greatly when I heard their complaint and these words.
Razljutio sam se veoma kad sam čuo njihovu viku i te riječi.
7 Then did I consult with my heart, and I upbraided the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, “Ye exact usury, every one of his brother!” And I brought together a great assembly against them.
Pošto sam u sebi promislio, prekorio sam velikaše i odličnike riječima: “Vi namećete teret svojoj braći!” I sazvao sam protiv njih velik zbor.
8 And I said unto them, We have indeed ransomed our brethren the Jews, who had been sold unto the various nations, as far as our means went: and will ye yourselves even sell your brethren, so that they will be sold again unto us? And they remained silent, and found no answer.
I rekao sam: “Mi smo, koliko smo mogli, otkupili svoju židovsku braću koja bijahu prodana poganima. A sada vi prodajete svoju braću da bismo ih otkupili!” Svi su šutjeli i nitko nije odgovorio.
9 Then said I, The thing is not good which ye are doing: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the taunting of the nations, our enemies?
Nastavio sam: “Nije dobro to što činite. Ne treba li da hodite u strahu Boga našega da se tako uklonimo ruglu neprijateljskih naroda?
10 And also I, my brothers, and my young men, have lent them money and corn: I pray you, let us relinquish this loan.
I ja, i moja braća, i moji momci davali smo im novaca i žita. Ali smo im dug oprostili.
11 Give back to them, I pray you, even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye have lent them.
Vratite im i vi još danas njihova polja, vinograde, maslinike i kuće njihove i oprostite im postotak u novcu, u žitu, u vinu, u ulju, što ste im ga nametnuli.”
12 Then said they, We will give [all] back, and of them will we require nothing: so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and made them swear, that they would do in accordance with this promise.
A oni odgovoriše: “Vratit ćemo; nećemo od njih ništa tražiti. Učinit ćemo kako si rekao.” Tada pozvah svećenike i naredih neka se zakunu da će učiniti kako su obećali.
13 Also my lap did I shake out, and said, So may God shake out every man that performeth not this promise, from his house and of his toil-gotten wealth, and so let him remain shaken out, and empty. And all the assembly said, Amen, and they praised the Lord. And the people did according to this promise.
Zatim istresoh skute svoje odjeće govoreći: “Neka Bog ovako istrese iz vlastite kuće i imanja svakog čovjeka koji se ne bude držao ovog obećanja! Tako bio istresen i ispražnjen!” A sav zbor odgovori “Amen!” hvaleći Jahvu. I narod je učinio prema ovom dogovoru.
14 Moreover from the day that [the king] had enjoined on me to be governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year up to the two and thirtieth year of king Artaxerxes, [full] twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food of the governor.
I od dana kad mi je kralj naredio da budem upravitelj u zemlji Judinoj, od dvadesete do trideset i druge godine kraljevanja Artakserksa, za dvanaest godina ja i moja braća nismo nikada jeli upraviteljskog kruha.
15 But the former governors that had been before me had made it heavy for the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver: yea, even their young men ruled over the people; but I myself did not act so, because of the fear of God.
Ali prijašnji upravitelji, moji prethodnici, ugnjetavahu narod: svakoga su dana od njega uzimali četrdeset šekela srebra za kruh; i njihove su sluge ugnjetavale narod. A ja nisam nikada tako činio, zbog straha Božjega.
16 And in the work of this wall also did I labor actively; and we bought not any fields; and all my young men were assembled there by the work.
Čak sam se jednako držao posla oko zida i nisam kupio ni jedne njive! Svi su moji momci bili ondje okupljeni na poslu.
17 Moreover of the Jews and rulers, one hundred and fifty men, besides those that came unto us from the nations that are about us, [ate] at my table.
Za mojim su stolom jeli Židovi i odličnici, njih stotinu i pedeset na broju, osim onih koji su k nama dolazili iz okolnih naroda.
18 And that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep; also birds were prepared for me, and once in ten days all sorts of wine in abundance: yet with all this I required not the food of the governor; because the service lay heavily upon this people.
Svakoga se dana o mom trošku pripremalo jedno goveče, šest biranih ovaca i peradi; svakih deset dana donosilo se obilje vina za sve. A opet nisam nikada tražio upraviteljskog poreza na kruh, jer je narod već bio teško opterećen.
19 Remember for me, my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.
Spomeni se, Bože moj, za moje dobro svega što sam učinio ovome narodu!
