Nehemaya 5
1 Nʼoge ahụ, ụfọdụ ezinaụlọ bidoro itamu ntamu megide ndị Juu ibe ha.
Around this time some people and their wives started a tremendous argument with the other Jews.
2 Ụfọdụ na-atamu na-asị, “Anyị na ụmụ anyị dị ukwuu nʼọnụọgụgụ. Ọ bụrụ na anyị ga-eri nri dị ndụ, o kwesikwara ka anyị nwee ike ịzụrụ ọka.”
They were complaining, “Our families are so large we need more food so we can eat and live.”
3 Ndị ọzọ na-asịkwa, “Anyị agbaala ubi anyị, ubi vaịnị anyị na ụlọ anyị nʼibe ka anyị nweta mkpụrụ ubi nʼoge ụnwụ.”
Others added, “We've had to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to buy food during the famine.”
4 Ma ndị ọzọkwa na-asị, “Lee na anyị gbazitere ego anyị ji tụọ ụtụ isi eze maka ubi anyị na ubi vaịnị anyị.
Still more said, “We've had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king's tax.
5 Nʼagbanyeghị na ọ bụ otu anụ ahụ na ọbara ka anyị na ndị Juu ọzọ nwere, dịka ụmụ ha dị ka ụmụ anyị dịkwa, ma anyị emeela ka ụmụ anyị ndị ikom na ndị inyom bụrụ ndị ohu. Ụfọdụ nʼime ụmụ anyị ndị inyom abụrụlarị ndị ohu, ma anyị enweghị ike nke aka anyị, nʼihi na ndị ọzọ bụ ndị nwezi ala ubi anyị na ubi vaịnị anyị niile.”
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 Iwe were m nke ukwuu mgbe m nụrụ mkpu akwa ha na mkpesa ndị a.
I became very angry when I heard them protesting their grievances.
7 Ya mere, mgbe m chesiri echiche banyere ya, e boro m ndị a na-asọpụrụ na ndị ọchịchị ebubo. A gwara m ha, “Unu na-anara ụmụnna unu ọmụrụnwa ego unu enyere ha.” Ya mere, a kpọrọ m nzukọ ọha mmadụ maka imegide ha.
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 Nʼụbọchị nzukọ ahụ, agwara m ha okwu sị, “Ọtụtụ nʼime anyị na-agbalị nʼụzọ niile ịhụ na anyị zụtaghachiri ụmụnna anyị ndị Juu bu ndị e resiri ndị mba ọzọ. Ma unu nọ nʼebe a na-agbalị ime ha ka ha ghọọ ndị ohu unu. Ruo ole mgbe ka anyị ga-anọgide na-agbapụta ha site nʼọnọdụ ibu ohu?” Ma ha niile ekwughị okwu ọbụla, nʼihi na ha enweghị ihe ha ga-ekwu.
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 Agwakwara m ha okwu ọzọ sị, “Ihe unu na-eme jọrọ njọ. O kwesighị ka unu tụọ egwu Chineke si otu a gbanarị nkọcha nke ndị iro anyị, bụ ndị mba ọzọ?”
“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 Mụ onwe m na ụmụnna m na ndị na-ejere m ozi na-agbazinye ụmụnne anyị ego na ọka. Ma ka anyị kwụsị ịnara ọmụrụnwa.
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 Nyeghachinụ ha ala ubi ha niile ngwangwa, ma ubi vaịnị ha niile, ubi oliv ha niile, ụlọ ha niile na ọmụrụnwa nke unu na-anara ha nke bụ otu ụzọ nʼime narị nke ego, ọka, mmanya ọhụrụ na mmanụ.
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 Ha sịrị, “Anyị ga-enyeghachi ha. Anyị agakwaghị anara ha ihe ọzọ. Anyị ga-emezu ihe i kwuru.” Mgbe ahụ, akpọkọtara m ndị nchụaja, mee ka ndị ndu na ndịisi ozi ṅụọ iyi imezu nkwa ha.
“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 Ayọgharịrị m ọnụ ọnụ uwe mwụda m sị, “Otu a ka Chineke ga-esi yọchapụ site nʼụlọ ha na ihe nweta ha onye ọbụla nke na-agaghị edebezu nkwa a.” Ndị niile zukọrọ kwere sị, “Amen.” Ha tokwara Onyenwe anyị: Ha niile mekwara ihe ha kwere na nkwa.
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 Ọzọ, nʼime afọ iri na abụọ ahụ a họpụtara m ị bụ onyeisi ọchịchị na Juda, site nʼiri afọ abụọ nke ịbụ eze Ataksekses ruo nʼafọ iri atọ na abụọ ya, mụ na ụmụnne m esiteghị na nri a na-atụkọrọ onyeisi ọchịchị were ihe oriri ọbụla.
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 Ma ọ bụghị otu a ka o si dị na mbụ, nʼihi na ndịisi ọchịchị niile buru m ụzọ chịa boro ndị ahụ ibu arọ dị ukwuu. Ha na-anakọta site nʼaka onye ọbụla iri mkpụrụ ọlaọcha anọ, tinyere ihe oriri na mmanya ha na-ewebatakwa. Ọbụladị ndị na-enyere ha aka mekpakwara ndị mmadụ ahụ. Ma emeghị m otu a, nʼihi ịtụ egwu Chineke.
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 Kama, anọgidesiri m ike nʼọrụ iwugharị mgbidi ahụ, achịkọtara ndị ikom m niile nʼebe ahụ nʼihi ije ozi a. Ọ dịghịkwa ala anyị zụrụ.
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 Ma otu ọ dị, ndịisi Juu ọnụọgụgụ ha dị otu narị na iri na ise na-eri nri na tebul m, tinyere ndị na-abịakwute anyị site na mba ndị dị anyị gburugburu.
I had 150 Jews and officials eating at my table, as well as visitors from nearby countries.
18 Ihe na-ezu nri a na-eri nʼụlọ m kwa ụbọchị bụ otu ehi na atụrụ isii gbara abụba, na ọtụtụ ọkụkụ, na ụdị mmanya dị iche iche a na-ebubata kwa ụbọchị iri ọbụla. Nʼagbanyeghị nke a, ọ dịghị mgbe ọbụla m nara site nʼaka ha ụtụ ihe oriri nke onye na-achị ala kwesiri inweta, nʼihi na ha onwe ha nọ na mkpa dị ukwuu.
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 Chineke m biko, echefula ihe m meere ndị a, gọzie m nʼụzọ nke gị.
Please remember me positively, my God, for all that I've done for this people.
