Nehemia 5
1 Ary nitaraina mafy ny lehilahy sy ny vadiny ny amin’ ny Jiosy rahalahiny.
Around this time some people and their wives started a tremendous argument with the other Jews.
2 Fa nisy nanao hoe: Maro izahay mbamin’ ny zanakai-lahy sy ny zanakai-vavy; koa ta-hahazo vary izahay mba hohaninay hivelomanay.
They were complaining, “Our families are so large we need more food so we can 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.
Others added, “We've had to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to buy food during the famine.”
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.
Still more said, “We've had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king's tax.
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.
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 Dia tezitra indrindra aho, raha nahare ny fitarainany sy izany teny izany.
I became very angry when I heard them protesting their grievances.
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.
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 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.
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 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?
“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 Izaho sy ny rahalahiko ary ny zatovoko efa nampanàna vola sy vary taminy; koa masìna ianareo, aoka re hafointsika izany trosa izany;
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 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 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 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,
“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 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.
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 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.
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 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 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 Eny, izaho naharitra nanao io manda io ihany, sady tsy nividy tany izahay; ary ny zatovoko rehetra dia voangona hanao ny asa.
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 Ary teo amin’ ny latabatro nisy Jiosy sy mpanapaka dimam-polo amby zato afa-tsy izay nankeo aminay avy tamin’ ny firenena manodidina anay.
I had 150 Jews and officials eating at my table, as well as visitors from nearby countries.
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.
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 Tsarovy aho ka hasoavy, ry Andriamanitro ô, araka izay rehetra nataoko ho an’ ity firenena ity.
Please remember me positively, my God, for all that I've done for this people.
