Neyemi 5
1 Mibali elongo na basi na bango bayimaki-yimaki makasi mpo na kotelemela bandeko na bango, Bayuda.
About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.
2 Bamoko bazalaki koloba: — Biso elongo na bana na biso ya mibali mpe ya basi, tozali ebele; tozali na posa ya ble oyo ekoki na motango na biso mpo ete tolia mpe towumela na bomoi.
Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.”
3 Bamosusu bazalaki mpe koloba: — Tozali kosimbisa bilanga na biso, bilanga na biso ya vino mpe bandako na biso lokola ndanga mpo na kozwa ble na tango ya nzala makasi.
Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.”
4 Bamosusu lisusu bazalaki koloba: — Topesaki bilanga na biso mpe bilanga na biso ya vino lokola ndanga mpo na kodefa mbongo ya kofuta mpako ya mokonzi.
Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.
5 Nzokande tozali nzoto moko mpe makila moko na bandeko na biso, mpe bana na biso bakeseni te na bana na bango; kasi tala ndenge nini tosili kosambwa: tosengeli koteka bana na biso ya mibali mpe ya basi lokola bawumbu; mpe bana na biso mosusu ya basi bakomi bawumbu, mpe tozangi nguya ya kosikola bango, mpo ete bilanga na biso mpe bilanga na biso ya vino ekomi ya bato mosusu!
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 Tango nayokaki koyimayima na bango mpe maloba wana nyonso, nasilikaki makasi.
When I heard their outcry and these complaints, I became extremely angry,
7 Nazwaki mokano ya kopamela bakambi mpe bankumu; nalobaki na bango: — Tango bodefisaka bandeko na bino, bosengaka bango mileki! Bozali nde komemisa bandeko na bino moko mokumba monene boye! Nabengisaki mayangani moko ya monene mpo na kolobela makambo yango elongo na bango.
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 Nalobaki na bango: — Biso, kolanda makoki na biso, tosikolaki bandeko na biso, Bayuda, oyo batekamaki epai ya bapagano. Kasi bino sik’oyo, bozali bino moko koteka bandeko na bino, mpe bozali koteka bango kaka epai ya bato ya ekolo na biso! Bavandaki kimia mpe bazangaki liloba ya kozongisa.
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 Nabakisaki: — Makambo oyo bozali kosala ezali malamu te. Bosengelaki te kotambola na kotosa Nzambe na biso mpo ete topesa te na bapagano oyo bazali banguna na biso nzela ya kotiola biso?
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 Ngai, bandeko na ngai mpe basali na ngai, todefisaki bango mbongo mpe ble. Nabondeli bino, totikela bango niongo yango!
I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending the people money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury.
11 Bozongisela bango na lombangu bilanga na bango, bilanga na bango ya vino, bilanga na bango ya banzete ya olive mpe bandako na bango; mpe botikela bango eteni ya nkama moko ya mbongo, ya ble, ya vino ya sika mpe ya mafuta oyo bokatelaki bango lokola mileki.
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 Bazongisaki: — Tokosala ndenge olobi, tokozongisa yango mpe tokosenga bango lisusu eloko moko te na likolo. Bongo nabengisaki Banganga-Nzambe; mpe nasengaki na bakambi mpe bakalaka ete balapa ndayi, liboso ya Banganga-Nzambe, ete bakosala ndenge balaki.
“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 Mpe napupolaki songe ya nzambala na ngai na koloba: — Tika ete Nzambe apupola ndenge ngai nazali kosala mpe abengana, mosika ya ndako na ye mpe ya biloko na ye, moto nyonso oyo akokokisa te elaka na ye; mpe tika ete bapupola ye ndenge wana mpe atikala maboko pamba! Lisanga mobimba ezongisaki: — Amen! Bakumisaki Yawe mpe bakokisaki makambo oyo balakaki.
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 Wuta mokolo oyo mokonzi akomisaki ngai moyangeli kati na mokili ya Yuda, elingi koloba: kobanda na mobu ya tuku mibale ya bokonzi ya Aritakizerisesi kino na mobu ya tuku misato na mibale, elekaki mibu zomi na mibale, ezala ngai to bandeko na ngai, totikalaki mokolo moko te kobika na mpako oyo bapesaka na moyangeli.
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 Nzokande, bayangeli oyo bakambaki liboso na ngai bazalaki konyokola bato mpe kosenga na makasi ete bapesa bilei, vino mpe mbongo ya bibende ya palata, tuku minei. Ezala bakalaka na bango mpe bazalaki kaka konyokola bato. Kasi ngai, natikalaki kosala bongo te, pamba te nazalaki kotosa Nzambe.
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 Kutu, namipesaki lisusu koleka na mosala ya kobongisa mir oyo; basali na ngai nyonso bamipesaki mpe na mosala mpe totikalaki kosomba ata eteni moko te ya mabele.
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 Na mesa na ngai, bato nkama moko na tuku mitano, Bayuda mpe bakalaka, bazalaki kolia elongo na bato oyo bazalaki koya epai na biso wuta na bikolo ya bapaya ya zingazinga.
There were 150 Jews and officials at my table, besides the guests from the surrounding nations.
18 Mikolo nyonso, bazalaki kolambela ngai ngombe moko ya mobali, meme motoba ya malamu mpe basoso; mpe sima na mikolo zomi nyonso, bazalaki koya kotikela ngai vino ebele. Atako bongo, natikalaki kosenga eloko moko te kati na biloko oyo esengeli mpo na moyangeli, pamba te mokumba ya misala ezalaki makasi na mito ya bato.
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 Oh Nzambe na ngai, kanisa ngai mpe talisa ngai ngolu na Yo mpo na nyonso oyo nasili kosala mpo na bato oyo!
Remember me favorably, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.
