< Nehemiah 5 >

1 And there is a great cry of the people and their wives, concerning their brothers the Jews,
百姓和他們的妻大大呼號,埋怨他們的弟兄猶大人。
2 indeed, there are [those] who are saying, “Our sons, and our daughters, we—are many, and we receive grain, and eat, and live.”
有的說:「我們和兒女人口眾多,要去得糧食度命」;
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.”
有的說:「我們典了田地、葡萄園、房屋,要得糧食充飢」;
4 And there are [those] who are saying, “We have borrowed money for the tribute of the king, [on] our fields, and our vineyards;
有的說:「我們已經指着田地、葡萄園,借了錢給王納稅。
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.”
我們的身體與我們弟兄的身體一樣;我們的兒女與他們的兒女一般。現在我們將要使兒女作人的僕婢,我們的女兒已有為婢的;我們並無力拯救,因為我們的田地、葡萄園已經歸了別人。」
6 And it is very displeasing to me when I have heard their cry and these words,
我聽見他們呼號說這些話,便甚發怒。
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,
我心裏籌劃,就斥責貴冑和官長說:「你們各人向弟兄取利!」於是我招聚大會攻擊他們。
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.
我對他們說:「我們盡力贖回我們弟兄,就是賣與外邦的猶大人;你們還要賣弟兄,使我們贖回來嗎?」他們就靜默不語,無話可答。
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?
我又說:「你們所行的不善!你們行事不當敬畏我們的上帝嗎?不然,難免我們的仇敵外邦人毀謗我們。
10 And also, I, my brothers, and my servants, are exacting silver and grain on them; please let us leave off this usury.
我和我的弟兄與僕人也將銀錢糧食借給百姓;我們大家都當免去利息。
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.”
如今我勸你們將他們的田地、葡萄園、橄欖園、房屋,並向他們所取的銀錢、糧食、新酒,和油,百分之一的利息都歸還他們。」
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;
眾人說:「我們必歸還,不再向他們索要,必照你的話行。」我就召了祭司來,叫眾人起誓,必照着所應許的而行。
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.
我也抖着胸前的衣襟,說:「凡不成就這應許的,願上帝照樣抖他離開家產和他勞碌得來的,直到抖空了。」會眾都說:「阿們!」又讚美耶和華。百姓就照着所應許的去行。
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:
自從我奉派作猶大地的省長,就是從亞達薛西王二十年直到三十二年,共十二年之久,我與我弟兄都沒有吃省長的俸祿。
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.
在我以前的省長加重百姓的擔子,每日索要糧食和酒,並銀子四十舍客勒,就是他們的僕人也轄制百姓;但我因敬畏上帝不這樣行。
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;
並且我恆心修造城牆,並沒有置買田地;我的僕人也都聚集在那裏做工。
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;
除了從四圍外邦中來的猶大人以外,有猶大平民和官長一百五十人在我席上吃飯。
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.
每日預備一隻公牛,六隻肥羊,又預備些飛禽;每十日一次,多預備各樣的酒。雖然如此,我並不要省長的俸祿,因為百姓服役甚重。
19 Remember for me, O my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.
我的上帝啊,求你記念我為這百姓所行的一切事,施恩與我。

< Nehemiah 5 >