UNehemiya 5
1 Ngalesosikhathi amadoda labomkabo baxokozela kakhulu besola abazalwane babo bamaJuda.
Then the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews.
2 Abanye babesithi, “Thina lamadodana lamadodakazi ethu sibanengi kakhulu; ukuthi sidle ukuze siphile kumele sizuze amabele.”
For there were some who said, “With our sons and daughters we are many. So let us get grain that we may eat and stay alive.”
3 Abanye babesithi, “Sesibambisa ngamasimu ethu, langezivini zethu kanye lemizi yethu ukuzuza amabele ngesikhathi sendlala.”
There were also some who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain during the famine.”
4 Abanye njalo labo babesithi, “Sesiseboleka imali ukuze sikwazi ukubhadala imithelo yenkosi eyamasimu ethu lezivini zethu.
Some also said, “We have borrowed money to pay the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards.
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.”
Yet now our flesh and blood is the same as our brothers, and our children are the same as their children. We are forced to sell our sons and our daughters to become slaves. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved. But it is not in our power to help it because other men now own our fields and our vineyards.”
6 Ngathi sengizwile ukukhala kwabo kanye lensolo yabo, ngathukuthela kakhulu.
I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.
7 Ngakuhlolisisa kuhle konke lokhu engqondweni yami ngasengicala izikhulu lezinduna. Ngathi, “Libhadalisa abantu bakini inzuzo!” Ngasengibiza umhlangano omkhulu ukuthi ngiqondane labo,
Then I thought about this, and brought charges against the nobles and officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his own brother.” I held a great assembly against them
8 ngathi, “Ngokusemandleni ethu, sesabahlenga abazalwane bethu abangamaJuda ababethengiselwe kwabeZizwe. Kodwa manje selibathengisa abafowenu, babuye bathengiselwe kithi njalo!” Bathula ngoba baswela abangakutsho.
and said to them, “We, as much as we are able, have bought back from slavery our Jewish brothers who had been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers and sisters that they may be sold back to us!” They were silent and never found a word to say.
9 Ngaqhubeka ngathi, “Elikwenzayo kakulunganga. Kungani lingahambi ngokwesaba uNkulunkulu na ukuze lingaklolodelwa yizitha zethu zabeZizwe?
Also I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations that are our enemies?
10 Mina labafowethu labantu bami lathi siyabeboleka abantu imali lamabele. Kodwa ukufuna inzuzo kakuphele!
I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. But we must stop charging interest on these loans.
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.”
Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses and the percentage of the money, the grain, the new wine, and the oil that you exacted 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 return what we took from them, and will require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” Then I called the priests, and made them swear to do as they had promised.
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.
I shook out the fold of my robe and said, “So may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep his promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” All the assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised Yahweh and the people did as they had promised.
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.
So from the time I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food provided for the governor.
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 the former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people, and took from them forty shekels of silver for their daily food and wine. Even their servants oppressed 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.
I also continued to work on the wall, and we bought no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.
17 Phezu kwalokho, amaJuda alikhulu lamatshumi amahlanu kanye lezinduna babesidla kwami kanye lalabo abeza kithi bevela ezizweni eziseduze.
At my table were the Jews and the officials, 150 men, besides those who came to us from among the nations who were around 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 what was prepared each day was one ox, six choice sheep, and also birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance, yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the demands were too heavy on the people.
19 Ungikhumbule ngomusa, Oh Nkulunkulu wami, ngenxa yakho konke esengikwenzele lababantu.
Call me to mind, my God, for good, because of all that I have done for this people.
