Nehemia 5

1 Ary nitaraina mafy ny lehilahy sy ny vadiny ny amin’ ny Jiosy rahalahiny.

Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their countrymen the Jews.

2 Fa nisy nanao hoe: Maro izahay mbamin’ ny zanakai-lahy sy ny zanakai-vavy; koa ta-hahazo vary izahay mba hohaninay hivelomanay.

For there were some who said, We, our sons and our daughters, are a great number: let us get grain, so that we may have food for our needs.

3 Ary nisy koa nanao hoe: Ny taninay sy ny tanim-boalobokay ary ny tranonay dia efa nataonay antoka, koa ta-hahazo vary izahay noho ny mosary.

And there were some who said, We are giving our fields and our vine-gardens and our houses for debt: let us get grain because we are in need.

4 Ary nisy koa indray nanao hoe: Efa nisambo-bola izahay handoavanay ny hetran’ ny mpanjaka, ary ny taninay sy ny tanim-boalobokay no nataonay antoka.

And there were others who said, We have given up our fields and our vine-gardens to get money for the king's taxes.

5 Kanefa mba tahaka ny nofon’ ny rahalahinay ihany ny nofonay, ary tahaka ny zanany ihany ny zanakay; fa na dia izany aza, indreo izahay manetry ny zanakai-lahy sy ny zanakai-vavy ho andevo, ary ny sasany amin’ ny zanakai-vavy dia efa andevo rahateo; nefa tsy manan-ko enti-manavotra azy izahay, satria lasan’ ny sasany ny taninay sy ny tanim-boalobokay.

But our flesh is the same as the flesh of our countrymen, and our children as their children: and now we are giving our sons and daughters into the hands of others, to be their servants, and some of our daughters are servants even now: and we have no power to put a stop to it; for other men have our fields and our vine-gardens.

6 Dia tezitra indrindra aho, raha nahare ny fitarainany sy izany teny izany.

And on hearing their outcry and what they said I was very angry.

7 Ary nihevitra tao am-poko aho, ka dia nananatra mafy ny manan-kaja sy ny mpanapaka ka nanao taminy hoe: Samy mampanàna zavatra amin’ ny rahalahinareo avy ianareo. Dia nanendry fiangonan-dehibe aho hitsarana azy.

And after turning it over in my mind, I made a protest to the chiefs and the rulers, and said to them, Every one of you is taking interest from his countryman. And I got together a great meeting of protest.

8 Ary hoy izaho taminy: Izahay araka izay tratry ny nanananay dia efa nanavotra ny Jiosy rahalahinay, izay efa namidy tamin’ ny jentilisa; fa ianareo kosa moa hivarotra ny rahalahinareo va, ka hamidy aminay va izy? Dia sina izy, fa tsy hitany izay havaliny.

And I said to them, We have given whatever we were able to give, to make our brothers the Jews free, who were servants and prisoners of the nations: and would you now give up your brothers for a price, and are they to become our property? Then they said nothing, answering not a word.

9 Ary hoy koa aho: Tsy tsara izao ataonareo izao; moa tsy tokony handeha amin’ ny fahatahorana an’ Andriamanitsika va ianareo noho ny fanaratsian’ ny jentilisa fahavalontsika?

And I said, What you are doing is not good: is it not the more necessary for you to go in the fear of our God, because of the shame which the nations may put on us?

10 Izaho sy ny rahalahiko ary ny zatovoko efa nampanàna vola sy vary taminy; koa masìna ianareo, aoka re hafointsika izany trosa izany;

Even I and my servants have been taking interest for the money and the grain we have let them have. So now, let us give up this thing.

11 eny, masìna ianareo, ampodio aminy anio ihany ny taniny sy ny tanim-boalobony sy ny tanin’ olivany sy ny tranony sy ny ampahazaton’ ny vola sy ny vary ary ny divay sy ny diloilo izay nampisamborinareo azy.

Give back to them this very day their fields, their vine-gardens, their olive-gardens, and their houses, as well as a hundredth part of the money and the grain and the wine and the oil which you have taken from them.

12 Dia hoy ireo: Eny, hampodinay izany, ka tsy haka na inona na inona aminy izahay, fa hanao araka izay lazainao. Dia niantso ny mpisorona aho ka nampianiana ireo hanao araka izany teny izany,

Then they said, We will give them back, and take nothing for them; we will do as you say. Then I sent for the priests and made them take an oath that they would keep this agreement.

13 sady nanakopaka ny lambako teo am-pofoako aho ka nanao hoe: Ho tahaka izany anie no hanakopahan’ Andriamanitra ny olona rehetra izay tsy mahantanteraka izany teny izany hiala amin’ ny tranony sy ny vokatry ny asany; eny, hakopaka ka hofoanana tahaka izany anie izy. Ary ny fiangonana rehetra nanao hoe: Amena; sady nidera an’ i Jehovah izy. Ary dia nanao araka izany teny izany ny olona.

And shaking out the folds of my robe, I said, So may God send out from his house and his work every man who does not keep this agreement; even so let him be sent out and made as nothing. And all the meeting of the people said, So be it, and gave praise to the Lord. And the people did as they had said.

14 Ary koa, hatramin’ ny andro nanendrena ahy ho governora amin’ ny tany Joda, dia hatramin’ ny taona faharoa-polo ka hatramin’ ny taona faharoa amby telo-polo nanjakan’ i Artaksersesy, dia roa ambin’ ny folo taona izay, izaho sy ny raha! ahiko tsy mba nihinana izay anjara-fiveloman’ ny governora.

Now from the time when I was made ruler of the people in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year till the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, for twelve years, I and my servants have never taken the food which was the right of the ruler.

15 Fa ireo governora fahiny izay teo alohako ireo dia nahavaky tratra ny olona ka nampandoa azy hanina sy divay ary sekely volafotsy efa-polo koa; eny, na dia ny zatovony aza dia nisetrasetra tamin’ ny olona; fa izaho tsy mba nanao izany noho ny fahatahorako an’ Andriamanitra.

But earlier rulers who were before me made the people responsible for their upkeep, and took from them bread and wine at the rate of forty shekels of silver; and even their servants were lords over the people: but I did not do so, because of the fear of God.

16 Eny, izaho naharitra nanao io manda io ihany, sady tsy nividy tany izahay; ary ny zatovoko rehetra dia voangona hanao ny asa.

And I kept on with the work of this wall, and we got no land for ourselves: and all my servants were helping with the work.

17 Ary teo amin’ ny latabatro nisy Jiosy sy mpanapaka dimam-polo amby zato afa-tsy izay nankeo aminay avy tamin’ ny firenena manodidina anay.

And more than this, a hundred and fifty of the Jews and the rulers were guests at my table, in addition to those who came to us from the nations round about us.

18 Ary ny namboarina ho ahy isan’ andro dia omby iray sy ondry matavy enina ary vorona koa, ary indray mandeha isan-kafoloana dia nasiana divay samy hafa betsaka; nefa na dia izany aza, ny anjara-fiveloman’ ny governora dia tsy mba nilaiko, satria nahavesatra ny olona ny fanompoana.

Now the food made ready for one day was one ox and six fat sheep, as well as fowls; and once in ten days a store of all sorts of wine: but all the same, I did not take the food to which the ruler had a right, because the people were crushed under a hard yoke.

19 Tsarovy aho ka hasoavy, ry Andriamanitro ô, araka izay rehetra nataoko ho an’ ity firenena ity.

Keep in mind, O my God, for my good, all I have done for this people.