Nehemiah 5
1 And there is a great cry of the people and their wives, concerning their brothers 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 indeed, there are [those] who are saying, “Our sons, and our daughters, we—are many, and we receive grain, and 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 are [those] who are saying, “Our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, we are pledging, and we receive grain for the famine.”
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 are [those] who are saying, “We have borrowed money for the tribute of the king, [on] our fields, and our 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 and now, as the flesh of our brothers [is] our flesh, as their sons [are] our sons, and behold, we are subduing our sons and our daughters for servants, and there are [those] of our daughters subdued, and our hand has no might, and our fields and our vineyards [are] to others.”
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 it is very displeasing to me when I have 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 my heart reigns over me, and I strive with the nobles, and with the prefects, and say to them, “You are exacting usury on one another”; and I set against them a great assembly,
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 say to them, “We have acquired our brothers the Jews, those sold to the nations, according to the ability that [is] in us, and you also sell your brothers, and they have been sold to us!” And they are silent, and have not found a word.
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 say, “The thing that you are doing [is] not good; do you not walk in the fear of our God, because of 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 And also, I, my brothers, and my servants, are exacting silver and grain on them; please 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 Please give back to them, as today, their fields, their vineyards, their olive-yards, and their houses, and the hundredth [part] of the money, and of the grain, of the new wine, and of the oil, that you are exacting 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 say, “We give back, and we seek nothing from them; so we do as you are saying.” And I call the priests, and cause them to swear to do according to this thing;
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 have shaken my lap, and I say, “Thus God shakes out every man from his house and from his labor who does not perform this thing; indeed, thus is he shaken out and empty”; and all the assembly says, “Amen,” and praises YHWH; and the people do according to this thing.
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 Also, from the day that he appointed me 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 brothers, 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 the former governors who [are] before me have made themselves heavy on the people, and take of them in bread and wine, besides forty shekels in silver; also, their servants have ruled over the people—and I have not done 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 And also, in the work of this wall I have done mightily, even a field we have not bought, and all my servants are gathered there 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 of the Jews, and of the prefects, one hundred and fifty men, and those coming to us of the nations that [are] around us, [are] at my table;
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 has been prepared for one day [is] one ox, six fat sheep, also birds have been prepared for me, and once in ten days of all wines abundantly, and with this, the bread of the governor I have not sought, for heavy is the service on 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, O 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。
