Nehemia 5

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

And the cry of the people and their wives [was] great against their brethren 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.

And some said, We [are] numerous with our sons and our daughters; so we will take corn, and eat, and live.

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 some said, [As to] our fields and vineyards and houses, let us pledge [them], and we will take corn, and eat.

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 some said, We have borrowed money for the king's tributes: —our fields, and our vineyards, and houses [are pledged].

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.

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

And I was much grieved as I heard their cry and these words.

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 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 ye demand? And I appointed against them a great assembly,

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 of our free-will have redeemed our brethren the Jews that were sold to the Gentiles; and do ye sell your brethren? and shall they be delivered to us? And they were silent, and found no answer.

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, The thing which ye do [is] not good; ye will not so walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the Gentiles our enemies.

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

Both my brethren, and my acquaintances, and I, have lent them money and corn: let us now leave off this exaction.

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.

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 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,

And they said, We will restore, and we will not exact of them; we will do thus as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and bound them by oath to do according to this word.

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 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 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.

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 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 as for the former acts of extortion wherein [those who were] before me oppressed them, they even took of them their last money, forty didrachms 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 Eny, izaho naharitra nanao io manda io ihany, sady tsy nividy tany izahay; ary ny zatovoko rehetra dia voangona hanao ny asa.

Also in the work of the wall I treated them not with rigor, I bought not land: and all that were gathered together [came] thither to 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 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 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.

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

Remember me, O God, for good, [in] all that I have done to this people.