Nehemiah 5

1 And it was cry of distress of the people and wives their great against countrymen their the Jews.

And greet cry of the puple and of her wyues was maad ayens her britheren Jewis.

2 And there [were those] who [were] saying sons our and daughters our we [are] many and let us get grain so we may eat and we may live.

And there weren that seiden, Oure sones and oure douytris ben ful manye; take we wheete for the prijs of hem, and ete we, and lyue.

3 And there [were those] who [were] saying fields our and vineyards our and houses our we [are] mortgaging and we will get grain in the famine.

And there weren that seiden, Sette we forth oure feeldis, and vyneris, and oure howsis, and take we wheete in hungur.

4 And there [were those] who [were] saying we have borrowed money for [the] tribute of the king fields our and vineyards our.

And othere men seiden, Take we money bi borewyng in to the tributis of the kyng, and yyue oure feeldis and vyneris.

5 And now [is] like [the] flesh of countrymen our flesh our [are] like children their children our and there! we [are] bringing into bondage sons our and daughters our to slaves and there [are] some of daughters our being brought into bondage and there not [is] to [the] power of hand our and fields our and vineyards our [belong] to others.

And now as the fleischis of oure britheren ben, so and oure fleischis ben; and as ben the sones of hem, so and oure sones ben; lo! we han maad suget oure sones and oure douytris in to seruage, and seruauntissis ben of oure douytris, and we han not wherof thei moun be ayenbouyt; and othere men han in possessioun oure feeldis, and oure vyneris.

6 And it burned to me exceedingly when I heard outcry their and the words these.

And Y was ful wrooth, whanne Y hadde herde the cry of hem bi these wordis.

7 And it considered heart my with me and I contended! with the nobles and with the officials and I said! to them usury each on brother his you ([are] lending *Q(K)*) and I made on them an assembly great.

And myn herte thouyte with me, and Y blamede the principal men and magistratis; and Y seide to hem, Axe ye not vsuris, `ech man of youre britheren. And Y gaderide togidire a greet cumpeny ayens hem,

8 And I said! to them we we have bought countrymen our the Jews who sold themselves to the nations according to [the] sufficiency in us and also you you sold countrymen your and they were sold to us and they were silent and not they found a word.

and Y seide to hem, As ye witen, we bi oure power ayenbouyten oure britheren Jewis, that weren seeld to hethene men; and ye therfor sillen youre britheren, and schulen we ayenbie hem? And thei holden silence, and founden not what thei schulen answere.

9 (And I said *Q(K)*) not [is] good the thing which you [are] doing ¿ not in [the] fear of God our are you walking from [the] reproach of the nations enemies our.

And Y seide to hem, It is not good thing, which ye doon; whi goen ye not in the drede of oure God, and repreef be not seid to vs of hethene men, oure enemyes?

10 And also I brothers my and servants my [are] lending to them money and grain let us abandon please the usury this.

Bothe Y and my britheren, and my children, han lent to ful many men monei and wheete; in comyn axe we not this ayen; foryyue we alien money, which is due to vs.

11 Return please to them as this day fields their vineyards their olive trees their and houses their and [the] hundred of the money and the grain the new wine and the fresh oil which you [are] lending to them.

Yelde ye to hem to dai her feeldis, and her vyneris, her olyue places, and her housis; but rather yyue ye for hem bothe the hundrid part `of money of wheete, of wyn, and of oile, which we weren wont to take of hem.

12 And they said we will return [it] and from them not we will require [it] so we will do just as you [are] saying and I summoned the priests and I made swear an oath them to do according to the manner this.

And thei seiden, We schulen yelde, and we schulen axe no thing of hem; and we schulen do so as thou spekist. And Y clepide the preestis, and Y made hem to swere, that thei schulden do aftir that, that Y hadde seid.

13 Also bosom my I shook out and I said! thus may he shake out God every person who not he will carry out the word this from house his and from property his and thus may he be shaken out and empty and they said all the assembly amen and they praised Yahweh and it did the people according to the manner this.

Ferthermore Y schook my bosum, and Y seide, So God schake awei ech man, `that fillith not this word fro his hows, and hise trauels; and be he schakun awei, and be he maad voide. And al the multitude seide, Amen; and thei herieden God. Therfor the puple dide, as it was seid.

14 Also from [the] day - when someone appointed me to be governor their in [the] land of Judah from year twenty and until year thirty and two of Artaxerxes the king years two [plus] ten I and brothers my [the] food of the governor not I ate.

Forsothe fro that dai in which the kyng hadde comaundid to me, that Y schulde be duyk in the lond of Juda, fro the twentithe yeer `til to the two and threttithe yeer of Artaxerses kyng, bi twelue yeer, Y and my britheren eeten not sustenauncis, that weren due to duykis.

15 And the governors former who [were] before me they made heavy on the people and they took from them food and wine after silver shekels forty also servants their they domineered over the people and I not I did thus because of [the] fear of God.

But the firste duykis, that weren bifor me, greuyden the puple, and token of hem in breed, and in wiyn, and in monei, ech dai fourti siclis; but also her mynistris oppressiden the puple. Forsothe Y dide not so, for the drede of God;

16 And also on [the] work of the wall this I kept hold and a field not we acquired and all servants my [were] assembled there on the work.

but rather Y bildide in the werk of the wal, and Y bouyte no feeld, and alle my children weren gaderid to the werk.

17 And the Jews and the officials one hundred and fifty person[s] and the [ones who] came to us from the nations which [were] around us [were] at table my.

Also `Jewis and the magistratis of hem, an hundrid and fifti men; and thei that camen to me fro hethene men, that ben in oure cumpas, weren in my table.

18 And [that] which it was made for a day one [was] an ox one sheep six chosen and poultry they were made for me and between ten days in all wine to abundance and beside this [the] food of the governor not I sought for it was heavy the service on the people this.

Forsothe bi ech dai oon oxe was maad redi to me, sixe chosun wetheris, outakun volatils, and withynne ten daies dyuerse wynes; and Y yaf many othere thingis; ferthermore and Y axide not the sustenauncis of my duchee; for the puple was maad ful pore.

19 Remember! to me O God my for good all that I have done on the people this.

My God, haue thou mynde of me in to good, bi alle thingis whiche Y dide to this puple.