Nekkemiya 5
1 Awo ekibinja ky’abasajja ne bakazi baabwe ne bakaayana nnyo olwa baganda baabwe Abayudaaya.
About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.
2 Abamu ku bo ne boogera nti, “Ffe, ne batabani baffe ne bawala baffe tuli bangi nnyo, tulina okufuna eŋŋaano ey’okulya okutubeezaawo nga tuli balamu.”
Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.”
3 Abamu ne boogera nti, “Twasingawo ebibanja byaffe, n’ennimiro zaffe ez’emizabbibu n’amaka gaffe tuleme okufa enjala mu kyeya.”
Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.”
4 N’abalala ne boogera nti, “Twewola sente okusobola okusasula omusolo gwa kabaka ku bibanja byaffe ne ku nnimiro zaffe ez’emizabbibu.
Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.
5 Newaakubadde nga tuli omusaayi gumu ne baganda baffe, n’abaana baffe baana baabwe, kyatuleetera okuwaliriza batabani baffe ne bawala baffe okubawaayo mu buddu. Abamu ku bawala baffe twali twabawaayo dda mu busibe; kaakano tetusobola kununula bibanja byaffe ebyo kubanga abantu abalala baabitwala awamu n’ennimiro zaffe ez’emizabbibu.”
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 Bwe nawulira okukaaba kwabwe n’ebigambo ebyo ne nsunguwala nnyo.
When I heard their outcry and these complaints, I became extremely angry,
7 Ne mbirowoozaako, ne nnenya abakungu n’abafuzi. Ne mbagamba nti, “Muggya omusolo ku baganda bammwe ne mukola amagoba!” Kyennava mpita olukuŋŋaana olunene okugonjoola ensonga ezo,
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 ne mbagamba nti, “Twakola kye tusobola okununula baganda baffe Abayudaaya abaatundibwa mu bannamawanga, naye mmwe mutunda baganda bammwe, ffe ne tubagula okuva ku be mubaguzizza!” Ne basiriikirira, kubanga tebaalina kyakuddamu.
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 Ne nyongera okubagamba nti, “Kye mukola si kirungi. Tekibagwanidde okutambula nga mutya Katonda waffe, okwewala okuswala mu maaso g’abalabe baffe, bannamawanga?
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 Nze, baganda bange ne basajja bange, tuwola abantu ensimbi n’emmere ey’empeke, naye ekigambo ky’okuggya omusolo ku bantu nga kuliko amagoba kikome.
I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending the people money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury.
11 Mubaddize leero ebibanja byabwe, n’ennimiro zaabwe ez’emizabbibu, n’ez’emizeeyituuni, n’ennyumba zaabwe, ne ku misolo gye mu bawooza, mubaddize kimu kya kikumi ku nsimbi, ne ku mmere ey’empeke ne ku wayini omuggya ne ku mafuta.”
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 Awo ne baddamu nti, “Tulibibaddiza, so tetuliddayo kubasaba kintu kyonna. Tunaakola nga bw’olagidde.” Kyennava mpita bakabona ne ndayiza abakungu n’abakulembeze okukola ebyo bye baasuubiza.
“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 Ne nkunkumula ne nsawo ez’ekyambalo kyange ne njogera nti, “Mukama Katonda akole bw’atyo ennyumba y’omuntu oyo, n’eby’obugagga bwe abimuggyeko, ataakole nga bw’asuubizza. Omuntu oyo akunkumulibwe bw’atyo aleme okusigaza ekintu!” Olukuŋŋaana lwonna ne baddamu nti, “Amiina, era Mukama yeebazibwe.” Abantu ne bakola nga bwe baasuubiza.
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 Ate era okuva mu kiseera mwe nalondebwa okuba owessaza w’ensi ya Yuda, mu mwaka ogw’amakumi abiri ogw’obufuzi bwa Kabaka Alutagizerugizi okutuuka ku mwaka ogw’amakumi asatu mu ebiri, gy’emyaka ekkumi n’ebiri, nze newaakubadde baganda bange tetwalya ku mmere eyatugerekebwa, eyali eteekwa okuba ey’owessaza.
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 Naye abessaza abansooka baazitoowerezanga abantu, nga babawooza ekitundu kya kilo eya ffeeza, ne bagattako emmere ne wayini. Naye nze si bwe nakolanga, olw’okutya Katonda.
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 Ne mmalirira okukola omulimu ku bbugwe oyo, nze n’abasajja bange bonna ne twewaayo okukola ne tutadda mu kululunkanira ttaka.
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 Abantu kikumi mu ataano, Abayudaaya abaabulijjo n’abakulu, be baaliranga awamu nange ku mmeeza, okwo nga kw’otadde n’abaava mu mawanga agaatuliraananga.
There were 150 Jews and officials at my table, besides the guests from the surrounding nations.
18 Buli lunaku ente emu, n’endiga ensava mukaaga n’enkoko nga tezibuzeeko bye byantegekerwanga, ne buli nnaku kkumi ne nfunanga wayini owa buli kika. Wakati mu ebyo byonna saasaba mmere eyali eteekwa okuweebwa owessaza, kubanga abantu baandizitoowereddwa nnyo.
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 Nzijukira Ayi Katonda wange, olw’ebyo byonna bye nkoledde abantu bano.
Remember me favorably, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.
