Neemi 5
1 Alò, te gen yon gwo kriye a moun sa yo avèk madanm pa yo kont frè Jwif parèy yo.
Around this time some people and their wives started a tremendous argument with the other 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.”
They were complaining, “Our families are so large we need more food so we can eat and live.”
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 added, “We've had to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to buy food 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 more said, “We've had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king's tax.
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.”
Even though we are the same people as our creditors and though our children are the same as their children, yet we going to have to turn our sons and daughters into slaves. In fact some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we can't do anything about it, because our fields and our vineyards are now owned by others.”
6 Epi mwen te byen fache lè mwen te tande kriye ak pawòl sila yo.
I became very angry when I heard them protesting their grievances.
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.
I thought it over and then I went to argue with the nobles and officials, telling them, “You are charging your own brothers interest!” So I called a large meeting to deal with 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.
There I told them, “We have done as much as we can to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers as slaves! Are you expecting to sell them back to us?” They kept quiet because they couldn't think of anything 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?
“What you're doing isn't right,” I told them. “Don't you think you should respect our God so that enemy nations don't criticize us?
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 men have been have been lending the people money and food. Please, let's stop this business of charging interest!
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 them back right now their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the one percent interest on the money, grain, new wine, and olive oil that you have been charging 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 give it back,” they replied, “and we won't demand anything more from them. We'll do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials swear an oath that they'd 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 shook out the folds of my robe and said, “This is how my God will shake you out of your homes and out of your possessions if you don't keep your promise! If you don't, you'll be shaken out and end up with nothing!” Everyone there said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. The people did what they'd 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.
In addition to this, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me as governor in the land of Judah, which was from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year, a total of twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food which was allocated 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.
But the governors before me had placed a heavy burden on the people, taking forty shekels of silver from them as well as food and wine. Their assistants also extorted the people. But because of my respect for God I didn't act like that.
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.
I also made rebuilding the wall my top priority, and I assigned all my workers to help with that. We didn't acquire any land for ourselves.
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.
I had 150 Jews and officials eating at my table, as well as visitors from nearby countries.
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.
Every day I paid for one ox, six good sheep, and poultry. Every ten days I paid for a large supply of all kinds of wine. But I never demanded the governor's food allowance, because the people were already carrying a heavy burden.
19 Sonje mwen, O Bondye mwen avèk bonte Ou, pou tout sa ke m te fè pou pèp sa a.
Please remember me positively, my God, for all that I've done for this people.
