Neyemi 5
1 Mibali elongo na basi na bango bayimaki-yimaki makasi mpo na kotelemela bandeko na bango, Bayuda.
Around this time some people and their wives started a tremendous argument with the other 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.
They were complaining, “Our families are so large we need more food so we can eat and live.”
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 added, “We've had to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to buy food 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 more said, “We've had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king's tax.
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!
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 Tango nayokaki koyimayima na bango mpe maloba wana nyonso, nasilikaki makasi.
I became very angry when I heard them protesting their grievances.
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.
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 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.
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 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?
“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 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 men have been have been lending the people money and food. Please, let's stop this business of charging interest!
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.
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 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 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 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 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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
I had 150 Jews and officials eating at my table, as well as visitors from nearby countries.
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.
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 Oh Nzambe na ngai, kanisa ngai mpe talisa ngai ngolu na Yo mpo na nyonso oyo nasili kosala mpo na bato oyo!
Please remember me positively, my God, for all that I've done for this people.
