Nehemia 5
1 Na rĩrĩ, andũ amwe na atumia ao nĩmatetire mũno nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa maahinyĩrĩirio nĩ Ayahudi arĩa angĩ ariũ a ithe wao.
Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews.
2 Amwe moigaga atĩrĩ, “Ithuĩ na aanake aitũ na airĩtu aitũ tũrĩ aingĩ. Na no nginya tũkorwo na irio, nĩguo tũrĩe tũtũũre muoyo.”
For there were some who said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live.”
3 Angĩ moigaga atĩrĩ, “Tũneanaga ithaka ciitũ na mĩgũnda iitũ ya mĩthabibũ, na mĩciĩ iitũ itũrũgamĩrĩre nĩguo tũheo irio hĩndĩ ya ngʼaragu.”
There were also some who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine.”
4 O na angĩ moigaga atĩrĩ, “No nginya tũngĩakombire mbeeca nĩguo tũhote kũrĩha igooti rĩa mũthamaki rĩa ithaka ciitũ na mĩgũnda ya mĩthabibũ.
There were also some who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral.
5 O na gũtuĩka tũrĩ a mũthiimo ũmwe na thakame ĩmwe na andũ a bũrũri witũ, na o na gũtuĩka aanake aitũ nĩ ega o ta ao-rĩ, ithuĩ tũtuĩkĩte no nginya tũneane aanake aitũ na airĩtu aitũ matuĩke ngombo. O na rĩu airĩtu aitũ amwe nĩ ngombo, no tũtirĩ na ũhoti wa kũgirĩrĩria ũndũ ũcio tondũ ithaka ciitũ na mĩgũnda iitũ ya mĩthabibũ ĩrĩ moko-inĩ ma andũ angĩ.”
Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring our sons and our daughters into bondage to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. It is also not in our power to help it, because other men have our fields and our vineyards.”
6 Rĩrĩa ndaiguire mateta mao na thitango icio, nĩndarakarire mũno.
I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
7 Ngĩĩcũũrania maũndũ macio, na ngĩrũithia andũ arĩa maarĩ igweta na anene, ngĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Nĩmũreetia andũ a bũrũri wanyu uumithio wa mbeeca iria mũmakombithĩtie!” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩĩtana mũcemanio mũnene wa kũmaciirithia,
Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, “You exact usury, everyone of his brother.” I held a great assembly against them.
8 ngiuga atĩrĩ, “Tũgeretie o ũrĩa tũngĩhota gũkũũra Ayahudi ariũ a ithe witũ arĩa mendeirio ndũrĩrĩ. No inyuĩ nĩ kwendia mũrendia andũ anyu nĩguo tũcooke tũmagũre rĩngĩ!” Andũ acio magĩkira ki tondũ matingĩonire wa kuuga.
I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say.
9 Ningĩ ngĩthiĩ na mbere ngiuga atĩrĩ, “Ũrĩa mũreka ti wega. Githĩ mũtiagĩrĩirwo nĩ gũthiiaga mwĩtigĩrĩte Ngai witũ nĩgeetha tũtikanyararwo nĩ ndũrĩrĩ iria irĩ ũthũ na ithuĩ?
Also I said, “The thing that you do is not good. Should not you walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?
10 Niĩ, na ariũ a baba, na andũ akwa, o na ithuĩ nĩtũrakombithia andũ mbeeca na irio. No rekei gwĩtia kwa uumithio wa mbeeca iria mũkombanĩire gũthire!
I likewise, my brothers and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury.
11 Cookeriai andũ ithaka ciao narua, na mĩgũnda yao ya mĩthabibũ na ya mĩtamaiyũ, na nyũmba ciao, o na uumithio ũcio mũmarĩhagia wa gĩcunjĩ kĩa igana kĩa mbeeca, na ngano, na ndibei ya mũhihano, na kĩa maguta.”
Please restore to them, even today, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, that you are charging them.”
12 Nao makiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩtũkũmacookeria. Na tũtikũmetia kĩndũ kĩngĩ. Tũgwĩka o ta ũrĩa ũkuuga.” Ningĩ ngĩtũmanĩra athĩnjĩri-Ngai ngĩĩra andũ arĩa maarĩ igweta na arĩa anene mehĩte atĩ nĩmakahingia ũrĩa meranĩire.
Then they said, “We will restore them, and will require nothing of them. We will do so, even as you say.” Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise.
13 O na niĩ ngĩribariba icũrĩ cia nguo yakwa ya igũrũ, ngiuga atĩrĩ, “O ta ũguo-rĩ, mũndũ o wothe ũtakahingia kĩrĩkanĩro gĩkĩ, Ngai aromũribariba kuuma nyũmba yake na kuuma kũrĩ indo ciake. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũndũ ta ũcio aroribaribwo, atigwo atarĩ kĩndũ!” Mũingĩ wothe ũkiuga, “Ameni,” na ũkĩgooca Jehova. Nao andũ othe magĩĩka o ta ũrĩa meeranĩire.
Also I shook out my lap, and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that does not perform this promise; even may he be shaken out and emptied like this.” All the assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD. The people did according to this promise.
14 Ningĩ kuuma mwaka wa mĩrongo ĩĩrĩ wa Mũthamaki Aritashashita, rĩrĩa ndathuurirwo nduĩke barũthi wao bũrũri wa Juda, nginyagia mwaka wa mĩrongo ĩtatũ na ĩĩrĩ, mĩaka ikũmi na ĩĩrĩ-rĩ, niĩ o na kana ariũ a baba, tũtiarĩire irio iria ciagayagĩrwo barũthi.
Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brothers have not eaten the bread of the governor.
15 No rĩrĩ, abarũthi arĩa maarĩ mbere yakwa nĩmahatagĩrĩria andũ mũno na makametia cekeri cia betha mĩrongo ĩna, hamwe na irio na ndibei. Ateithĩrĩria ao nao no mahatagĩrĩria andũ. No niĩ tondũ wa gwĩtigĩra Ngai ndiekire ũguo.
But the former governors who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and wine from them, plus forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants ruled over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God.
16 Handũ ha gwĩka ũguo-rĩ, niĩ ndeheanire gwaka rũthingo rũrũ. Andũ akwa othe moonganĩte hau nĩ ũndũ wa wĩra; na tũtiigana kũgũra ithaka.
Yes, I also continued in the work of this wall. We did not buy any land. All my servants were gathered there to the work.
17 Ningĩ-rĩ, Ayahudi igana rĩa mĩrongo ĩtano, o hamwe na anene maarĩĩaga gwakwa, hamwe na arĩa mookaga kuuma ndũrĩrĩ-inĩ iria ciatũthiũrũrũkĩirie.
Moreover there were at my table, of the Jews and the rulers, one hundred fifty men, in addition to those who came to us from among the nations that were around us.
18 O mũthenya indo iria ciahaaragĩrio cia kũrĩĩo ciarĩ ndegwa ĩmwe, na ngʼondu ithathatũ noru, na ngũkũ, na o mĩthenya ikũmi yathira ndaarehagĩrwo ndibei nyingĩ mũno ya mĩthemba yothe. O na kũrĩ ũguo-rĩ, ndietagia irio iria ciagayagĩrwo barũthi, tondũ maruta macio nĩmaritũhĩire andũ.
Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days a store of all sorts of wine. Yet for all this, I did not demand the governor’s pay, because the bondage was heavy on this people.
19 Wee Ngai wakwa, ndirikana, ũnjĩke wega nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ marĩa mothe njĩkĩire andũ aya.
Remember me, my God, for all the good that I have done for this people.
