Nehemiah 5
1 And greet cry of the puple and of her wyues was maad ayens her britheren Jewis.
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 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.
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 weren that seiden, Sette we forth oure feeldis, and vyneris, and oure howsis, and take we wheete in hungur.
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 othere men seiden, Take we money bi borewyng in to the tributis of the kyng, and yyue oure feeldis and vyneris.
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 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.
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 Y was ful wrooth, whanne Y hadde herde the cry of hem bi these wordis.
我一聽了他們的哀訴和這樣的話，很是悲憤。
7 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,
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 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.
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 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?
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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;
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 but rather Y bildide in the werk of the wal, and Y bouyte no feeld, and alle my children weren gaderid to the werk.
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 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.
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 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.
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 My God, haue thou mynde of me in to good, bi alle thingis whiche Y dide to this puple.
我的天主! 請記念我! 記念我為這民眾所行的一切，使我蒙福。
