UNehemiya 5
1 Ngalesosikhathi amadoda labomkabo baxokozela kakhulu besola abazalwane babo bamaJuda.
Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their countrymen the Jews.
2 Abanye babesithi, “Thina lamadodana lamadodakazi ethu sibanengi kakhulu; ukuthi sidle ukuze siphile kumele sizuze amabele.”
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 Abanye babesithi, “Sesibambisa ngamasimu ethu, langezivini zethu kanye lemizi yethu ukuzuza amabele ngesikhathi sendlala.”
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 Abanye njalo labo babesithi, “Sesiseboleka imali ukuze sikwazi ukubhadala imithelo yenkosi eyamasimu ethu lezivini zethu.
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 Loba siyinyamanye legazi linye labantu bakithi njalo loba amadodana ethu elingana lawabo, kodwa sizibona sesifuqela amadodana lamadodakazi ethu ebugqilini. Abanye bamadodakazi ethu bavele sebegqilaziwe, kodwa kasilamandla, ngoba amasimu ethu lezivini zethu sekungokwabanye.”
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 Ngathi sengizwile ukukhala kwabo kanye lensolo yabo, ngathukuthela kakhulu.
And on hearing their outcry and what they said I was very angry.
7 Ngakuhlolisisa kuhle konke lokhu engqondweni yami ngasengicala izikhulu lezinduna. Ngathi, “Libhadalisa abantu bakini inzuzo!” Ngasengibiza umhlangano omkhulu ukuthi ngiqondane labo,
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 ngathi, “Ngokusemandleni ethu, sesabahlenga abazalwane bethu abangamaJuda ababethengiselwe kwabeZizwe. Kodwa manje selibathengisa abafowenu, babuye bathengiselwe kithi njalo!” Bathula ngoba baswela abangakutsho.
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 Ngaqhubeka ngathi, “Elikwenzayo kakulunganga. Kungani lingahambi ngokwesaba uNkulunkulu na ukuze lingaklolodelwa yizitha zethu zabeZizwe?
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 Mina labafowethu labantu bami lathi siyabeboleka abantu imali lamabele. Kodwa ukufuna inzuzo kakuphele!
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 Babuyiseleni khona manje amasimu abo, lezivini zabo, lezihlahla zabo zama-oliva kanye lezindlu zabo, njalo lenzuzo yokweboleka leyo eliyithathayo kubo, ingxenye eyodwa yekhulu emalini, emabeleni, ewayinini elitsha lemafutheni.”
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 Bathi, “Sizakubuyisela. Njalo kasiyikubiza lutho kubo. Sizakwenza njengoba usitsho.” Ngasengibiza abaphristi ngathi izikhulu lezinduna kabenze isifungo sokuthi bazakwenza lokho abakuthembisileyo.
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 Njalo ngathintitha amavinqo esigqoko sami ngathi, “UNkulunkulu uzamthintitha kanje emkhupha endlini yakhe laselifeni lakhe wonke umuntu ongemi ngalesi isithembiso. Kanjalo umuntu onjalo kathintithwe achithwe!” Besizwa lokho umhlangano wonke wathi, “Ameni,” badumisa uThixo. Abantu benza njengokuthembisa kwabo.
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 Kwathi njalo, kusukela ngomnyaka wamatshumi amabili wokubusa kweNkosi u-Athazekisisi, sengibekiwe ukuba ngumbusi wabo elizweni lakoJuda, kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wakhe wamatshumi amathathu lambili, iminyaka elitshumi lambili, mina labazalwane bami kasizange sikuthinte ukudla okwakwabelwe umbusi.
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 Kodwa ababusi bangaphambili, labo abangandulelayo, babethwalisa nzima abantu ngokuthatha kubo amashekeli esiliva angamatshumi amane phezu kokudla lewayini. Labasekeli babo labo bathwalisa nzima abantu. Kodwa ngenxa yokumesaba uNkulunkulu mina kangikwenzanga lokho.
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 Esikhundleni salokho, ngazinikela emsebenzini womduli lo. Wonke amadoda ayelami abuthana khona ukuzasebenza; kasizange sizizuzele umhlaba.
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 Phezu kwalokho, amaJuda alikhulu lamatshumi amahlanu kanye lezinduna babesidla kwami kanye lalabo abeza kithi bevela ezizweni eziseduze.
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 Insuku ngensuku kwakuhlatshwa inkabi eyodwa, lezimvu zekhethelo eziyisithupha, lenkukhu, kulungiselwe mina, kuthi kuzozonke insuku ezilitshumi kulethwe yonke imihlobo yewayini. Phezu kwakho konke lokhu, kangizange ngikubize lokho kudla okwakuyisabelo sombusi, ngoba abantu laba babethwele nzima ngezinto ezifunekayo.
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 Ungikhumbule ngomusa, Oh Nkulunkulu wami, ngenxa yakho konke esengikwenzele lababantu.
Keep in mind, O my God, for my good, all I have done for this people.
