Neemi 5
1 Alò, te gen yon gwo kriye a moun sa yo avèk madanm pa yo kont frè Jwif parèy yo.
About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.
2 Paske te gen nan yo ki te di: “Nou menm, fis nou yo avèk fi nou yo anpil; pou sa, kite nou jwenn sereyal pou nou kab manje e viv.”
Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.”
3 Te gen lòt ki te di: “Nou ap prete kòb kont chan nou yo, chan rezen yo, avèk kay nou yo pou nou kab twouve sereyal pou nou manje akoz gwo grangou a.”
Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.”
4 Anplis, te gen ki te di: “Nou te prete lajan kont chan nou avèk chan rezen nou yo pou peye taks a wa a sou chan avèk chan rezen yo.
Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.
5 Alò, chè nou se menm ak chè a frè nou yo, pitit pa nou yo kon pa yo. Sepandan, nou ap fòse fè fis nou yo avèk fi nou yo vin esklav, gen nan yo ki deja mare ladann e nou san sekou, akoz chan nou avèk chan rezen nou yo vin pou yon lòt moun.”
We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
6 Epi mwen te byen fache lè mwen te tande kriye ak pawòl sila yo.
When I heard their outcry and these complaints, I became extremely angry,
7 Mwen te konsilte avèk tèt mwen, e mwen te kanpe fèm ak gwo chèf yo, avèk gwo moun yo epi te di yo: “Nou ap egzije enterè, soti nan men frè nou yo!” Akoz sa, mwen te reyini yon gran asanble kont yo.
and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them
8 Mwen te di yo: “Nou menm, selon kapasite nou, te rachte Jwif frè parèy nou yo ki te vann a lòt nasyon yo; alò koulye a, èske nou ta menm vann frè nou yo pou yo ta kab vin vann a nou menm?” Yo te rete an silans e pa t kab twouve yon pawòl pou pale.
and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say.
9 Ankò, mwen te di: “Bagay ke n ap fè a pa bon! Èske nou pa ta dwe mache nan lakrent Bondye nou an pou evite repwòch a lòt nasyon yo, lènmi nou yo?
So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies?
10 Epi anplis, mwen menm ak frè mwen yo ap prete yo lajan avèk sereyal. Souple, sispann mande enterè sa a.
I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending the people money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury.
11 Souple, remèt yo nan menm jou sa a, chan yo, chan rezen yo, chan oliv yo, avèk kay yo, avèk santyèm pati nan lajan, nan sereyal, diven nèf, avèk lwil ke nou ap egzije de yo.”
Please restore to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you have been assessing them.”
12 Epi yo te di: “Nou va remèt li e nou p ap mande yo anyen. N ap fè ojis tout sa ke ou di yo.” Konsa, mwen te rele prèt yo e te pran yon sèman soti nan yo pou yo ta fè selon sa ke yo te pwomèt yo.
“We will restore it,” they replied, “and will require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and required of the nobles and officials an oath that they would do what they had promised.
13 Anplis, mwen te souke pati devan vètman mwen epi te di; “Se konsa ke Bondye ta souke retire sou chak moun oswa se lakay li, oswa byen pa li, sila ki pa akonpli pwomès sa a; menm konsa pou l ta souke vide.” Epi tout asanble a te di: “Amen!” Epi yo te fè lwanj a SENYÈ a. Konsa, pèp la te fè selon sa yo te pwomèt yo.
I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake out of His house and possession every man who does not keep this promise. May such a man be shaken out and have nothing!” The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
14 Anplis, soti nan jou sa a mwen te chwazi kon gouvènè sou yo nan peyi Juda, soti nan ventyèm ane a jis rive nan trann-dezyèm ane a Wa Artexarxès la, pandan douzan, ni mwen ni moun fanmi parèy a mwen, yo pa t manje nan pati nan manje prevwa pou gouvènè a.
Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year (twelve years total), neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor.
15 Men gouvènè ki te avan mwen yo te konn mete chaj sou pèp la e te pran soti nan men yo pen avèk diven plis karant sik ajan; menm sèvitè pa yo te konn vin kon chèf sou moun. Men mwen pa t fè sa akoz lakrent Bondye.
The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people, but I did not do this because of my fear of God.
16 Anplis, mwen te aplike mwen a travay sou miray la. Nou pa t achte okenn teren e sèvitè pa m yo te toujou rasanble la pou travay la.
Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of the wall, and all my servants were gathered there for the work; we did not acquire any land.
17 Toujou te gen sou tab mwen san-senkant Jwif avèk chèf yo, anplis, sila ki te vin kote nou soti nan nasyon ki te antoure nou yo.
There were 150 Jews and officials at my table, besides the guests from the surrounding nations.
18 Alò, sa ki te prepare chak jou yo se te yon gwo bèf avèk sis mouton nan meyè kalite, zwazo ki te prepare pou mwen; epi yon fwa chak di jou, tout kalite diven an abondans. Men pou tout sa, mwen pa t mande nan taks prevwa pou gouvènè a, akoz chaj la te lou sou pèp sa a.
Each day one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine was provided. But I did not demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy.
19 Sonje mwen, O Bondye mwen avèk bonte Ou, pou tout sa ke m te fè pou pèp sa a.
Remember me favorably, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.
