Nehemiæ 5
1 Et factus est clamor populi et uxorum ejus magnus adversus fratres suos Judæos.
And the cry of the people and their wives [was] great against their brethren the Jews.
2 Et erant qui dicerent: Filii nostri et filiæ nostræ multæ sunt nimis: accipiamus pro pretio eorum frumentum, et comedamus, et vivamus.
And some said, We [are] numerous with our sons and our daughters; so we will take corn, and eat, and live.
3 Et erant qui dicerent: Agros nostros, et vineas, et domus nostras opponamus, et accipiamus frumentum in fame.
And some said, [As to] our fields and vineyards and houses, let us pledge [them], and we will take corn, and eat.
4 Et alii dicebant: Mutuo sumamus pecunias in tributa regis, demusque agros nostros et vineas:
And some said, We have borrowed money for the king's tributes: —our fields, and our vineyards, and houses [are pledged].
5 et nunc sicut carnes fratrum nostrorum, sic carnes nostræ sunt: et sicut filii eorum, ita et filii nostri: ecce nos subjugamus filios nostros et filias nostras in servitutem, et de filiabus nostris sunt famulæ, nec habemus unde possint redimi: et agros nostros et vineas nostras alii possident.
And now our flesh [is] as the flesh of our brethren, our children [are] as their children: yet, behold, we are reducing our sons and our daughters to slavery, and some of our daughters are enslaved: and there is no power of our hands, for our fields and our vineyards [belong] to the nobles.
6 Et iratus sum nimis cum audissem clamorem eorum secundum verba hæc:
And I was much grieved as I heard their cry and these words.
7 cogitavitque cor meum mecum, et increpavi optimates et magistratus, et dixi eis: Usurasne singuli a fratribus vestris exigitis? Et congregavi adversum eos concionem magnam,
And my heart took counsel within me, and I contended against the nobles, and the princes, and I said to them, Should every man demand of his brother what you demand? And I appointed against them a great assembly,
8 et dixi eis: Nos, ut scitis, redemimus fratres nostros Judæos, qui venditi fuerant gentibus secundum possibilitatem nostram: et vos igitur vendetis fratres vestros, et redimemus eos? Et siluerunt, nec invenerunt quid responderent.
and I said to them, We of our free-will have redeemed our brethren the Jews that were sold to the Gentiles; and do you sell your brethren? and shall they be delivered to us? And they were silent, and found no answer.
9 Dixique ad eos: Non est bona res quam facitis: quare non in timore Dei nostri ambulastis, ne exprobretur nobis a gentibus inimicis nostris?
And I said, The thing which you do [is] not good; you will not so walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the Gentiles our enemies.
10 Et ego, et fratres mei, et pueri mei commodavimus plurimis pecuniam et frumentum. Non repetamus in commune istud: æs alienum concedamus quod debetur nobis.
Both my brethren, and my acquaintances, and I, have lent them money and corn: let us now leave off this exaction.
11 Reddite eis hodie agros suos, et vineas suas, et oliveta sua, et domos suas: quin potius et centesimum pecuniæ, frumenti, vini et olei, quam exigere soletis ab eis, date pro illis.
Restore to them, I pray, as at this day, their fields, and their vineyards, and their olive yards, and their houses, and bring forth to them corn and wine and oil of the money.
12 Et dixerunt: Reddemus, et ab eis nihil quæremus: sicque faciemus ut loqueris. Et vocavi sacerdotes, et adjuravi eos ut facerent juxta quod dixeram.
And they said, We will restore, and we will not exact of them; we will do thus as you say. Then I called the priests, and bound them by oath to do according to this word.
13 Insuper excussi sinum meum, et dixi: Sic excutiat Deus omnem virum qui non compleverit verbum istud, de domo sua, et de laboribus suis: sic excutiatur, et vacuus fiat. Et dixit universa multitudo: Amen: et laudaverunt Deum. Fecit ergo populus sicut erat dictum.
And I shook out my garment, and said, So may God shake out every man who shall not keep to this word, from his house, and from his labours, he shall be even thus shaken out, as an outcast and empty. And all the congregation said, Amen, and they praised the Lord: and the people did this thing.
14 A die autem illa, qua præceperat rex mihi ut essem dux in terra Juda, ab anno vigesimo usque ad annum trigesimum secundum Artaxerxis regis per annos duodecim, ego et fratres mei annonas quæ ducibus debebantur non comedimus.
From the day that he charged me to be their ruler in the land of Juda, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Arthasastha, twelve years, I and my brethren ate not [provision] extorted from them.
15 Duces autem primi, qui fuerant ante me, gravaverunt populum, et acceperunt ab eis in pane, et vino, et pecunia, quotidie siclos quadraginta: sed et ministri eorum depresserunt populum. Ego autem non feci ita propter timorem Dei:
But as for the former acts of extortion wherein [those who were] before me oppressed them, they even took of them their last money, forty didrachmas for bread and wine; and the [very] outcasts of them exercised authority over the people: but I did not so, because of the fear of God.
16 quin potius in opere muri ædificavi, et agrum non emi, et omnes pueri mei congregati ad opus erant.
Also in the work of the wall I treated them not with rigor, I bought not land: and all that were gathered together [came] there to the work.
17 Judæi quoque et magistratus centum quinquaginta viri, et qui veniebant ad nos de gentibus quæ in circuitu nostro sunt, in mensa mea erant.
And the Jews, to [the number of] a hundred and fifty men, besides those coming to us from the nations round about, [were] at my table.
18 Parabatur autem mihi per dies singulos bos unus, arietes sex electi, exceptis volatilibus, et inter dies decem vina diversa, et alia multa tribuebam: insuper et annonas ducatus mei non quæsivi: valde enim attenuatus erat populus.
And there came [to me] for one day one calf, and I had six choice sheep and a goat; and every ten days wine in abundance of all sorts: yet with these I required not the bread of extortion, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.
19 Memento mei, Deus meus, in bonum, secundum omnia quæ feci populo huic.
Remember me, O God, for good, [in] all that I have done to this people.
