Neemi 5
1 Alò, te gen yon gwo kriye a moun sa yo avèk madanm pa yo kont frè Jwif parèy yo.
Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their countrymen the 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.”
For there were some who said, We, our sons and our daughters, are a great number: let us get grain, so that we may have food for our needs.
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.”
And there were some who said, We are giving our fields and our vine-gardens and our houses for debt: let us get grain because we are in need.
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.
And there were others who said, We have given up our fields and our vine-gardens to get money for the king's taxes.
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.”
But our flesh is the same as the flesh of our countrymen, and our children as their children: and now we are giving our sons and daughters into the hands of others, to be their servants, and some of our daughters are servants even now: and we have no power to put a stop to it; for other men have our fields and our vine-gardens.
6 Epi mwen te byen fache lè mwen te tande kriye ak pawòl sila yo.
And on hearing their outcry and what they said I was very 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 turning it over in my mind, I made a protest to the chiefs and the rulers, and said to them, Every one of you is taking interest from his countryman. And I got together a great meeting of protest.
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 I said to them, We have given whatever we were able to give, to make our brothers the Jews free, who were servants and prisoners of the nations: and would you now give up your brothers for a price, and are they to become our property? Then they said nothing, answering not a word.
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?
And I said, What you are doing is not good: is it not the more necessary for you to go in the fear of our God, because of the shame which the nations may put on us?
10 Epi anplis, mwen menm ak frè mwen yo ap prete yo lajan avèk sereyal. Souple, sispann mande enterè sa a.
Even I and my servants have been taking interest for the money and the grain we have let them have. So now, let us give up this thing.
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.”
Give back to them this very day their fields, their vine-gardens, their olive-gardens, and their houses, as well as a hundredth part of the money and the grain and the wine and the oil which you have taken from 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.
Then they said, We will give them back, and take nothing for them; we will do as you say. Then I sent for the priests and made them take an oath that they would keep this agreement.
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.
And shaking out the folds of my robe, I said, So may God send out from his house and his work every man who does not keep this agreement; even so let him be sent out and made as nothing. And all the meeting of the people said, So be it, and gave praise to the Lord. And the people did as they had said.
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.
Now from the time when I was made ruler of the people in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year till the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, for twelve years, I and my servants have never taken the food which was the right of the ruler.
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.
But earlier rulers who were before me made the people responsible for their upkeep, and took from them bread and wine at the rate of forty shekels of silver; and even their servants were lords over the people: but I did not do so, because of the 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.
And I kept on with the work of this wall, and we got no land for ourselves: and all my servants were helping with the work.
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.
And more than this, a hundred and fifty of the Jews and the rulers were guests at my table, in addition to those who came to us from the nations round about us.
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.
Now the food made ready for one day was one ox and six fat sheep, as well as fowls; and once in ten days a store of all sorts of wine: but all the same, I did not take the food to which the ruler had a right, because the people were crushed under a hard yoke.
19 Sonje mwen, O Bondye mwen avèk bonte Ou, pou tout sa ke m te fè pou pèp sa a.
Keep in mind, O my God, for my good, all I have done for this people.
