Nehemia 5
1 Zvino kwakava nokuchema kukuru kwavarume navakadzi vavo pamusoro pehama dzavo vaJudha.
About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.
2 Nokuti vamwe vakati, “Isu navanakomana navanasikana vedu tiri vazhinji; kuti tidye uye kuti tigorarama, tinofanira kuwana zviyo.”
Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.”
3 Vamwe vaiti, “Isu takaita minda yedu neminda yedu yemizambiringa uye nemisha yedu kuti zvive rubatso kuti tiwane zviyo panguva yenzara.”
Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.”
4 Vamwezve vakati, “Takatozokwereta mari kuti tiripe mutero wamambo weminda yedu neminda yemizambiringa.
Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.
5 Kunyange tiri venyama imwe uye tiri veropa rimwe savanhu venyika yedu, uye kunyange vanakomana vedu vakangofanana nevavo, takaguma taisa vanakomana vedu navanasikana vedu kuutapwa. Vamwe vavanasikana vedu vakatotapwa kare, asi isu hatina simba, nokuti minda yedu neminda yemizambiringa yava yavamwe.”
We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
6 Pandakanzwa kuchema kwavo kukuru nezvairehwa izvi, ndakatsamwa kwazvo.
When I heard their outcry and these complaints, I became extremely angry,
7 Zvino ndakazvirangarira mupfungwa dzangu ipapo ndikatsiura vakuru navabati ndikati kwavari, “Imi muri kureva mhindu kuvanhu venyika yenyu!” Saka ndakavakoka kumusangano mukuru kuti ndivarayire
and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them
8 uye ndikati, “Napataigona napo takadzikinura hama dzedu dzechiJudha avo vakanga vatengeswa kune vedzimwe ndudzi. Zvino imi mava kutengesa hama dzenyu, kuti dzigotengeswazve kwatiri here?” Vakanyarara nokuti vakashayiwa chokutaura.
and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say.
9 Saka ndakaenderera mberi ndikati, “Zvamunoita hazvina kunaka. Ko, hamaifanira kufamba mukutya Mwari wedu here kuti vavengi vedu vechihedheni varege kutishora.
So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies?
10 Ini nehama dzangu uye navaranda vangu tiri kukweretesa vanhu mari nezviyo. Asi izvo zvokureva mhindu ngazvigume!
I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending the people money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury.
11 Vadzorerei minda yavo nokukurumidza, neminda yavo yemizambiringa, neyemiorivhi, nedzimba dzavo uyewo nemhindu yamunoripisa, chikamu chimwe chete muzana chemari, zviyo, newaini itsva uye namafuta.”
Please restore to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you have been assessing them.”
12 Ivo vakati, “Tichavadzorera. Uye hatichazorevi chimwe chinhuzve kubva kwavari. Tichaita sezvamareva.” Ipapo ndakadana vaprista ndikaita kuti vakuru navabati vaite mhiko kuti vagoita sezvavakanga vavimbisa.
“We will restore it,” they replied, “and will require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and required of the nobles and officials an oath that they would do what they had promised.
13 Ndakazunzawo mikombero yenguo yangu ndikati, “Mwari ngaazunze saizvozvi kubva muimba yake nemidziyo yake, mumwe nomumwe asingachengeti vimbiso iyi. Naizvozvo, munhu akadai ngaazunzwe asare asina chinhu.” Ipapo ungano yose yakati, “Ameni,” uye vakarumbidza Jehovha. Uye vanhu vakaita sezvavakanga vavimbisa.
I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake out of His house and possession every man who does not keep this promise. May such a man be shaken out and have nothing!” The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
14 Pamusoro pezvo, kubva pagore ramakumi maviri raMambo Atazekisesi, pandakagadzwa somubati wavo munyika yaJudha, kusvikira pagore rake ramakore makumi matatu namaviri, makore gumi namaviri, ini nehama dzangu hatina kudya zvokudya zvaipiwa kumubati.
Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year (twelve years total), neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor.
15 Asi vabati vokutanga, avo vakanditangira, vairemedza vanhu uye vaitora kubva kwavari mashekeri makumi mana esirivha, pamusoro pezvo vachitorazve zvokudya newaini. Kunyange vabatsiri vavo vairemedzawo vanhu. Asi ini handina kuita izvozvo nokuti ndaitya Mwari.
The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people, but I did not do this because of my fear of God.
16 Panzvimbo yaizvozvo, ndakazvipira kuita basa iri rorusvingo. Varanda vangu vose vakanga vakaungana pabasa ipapo; hatina kutombotora minda ipi zvayo.
Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of the wall, and all my servants were gathered there for the work; we did not acquire any land.
17 Pamusoro paizvozvo, vaJudha zana namakumi mashanu navabati, pamwe chete navaHeti vaibva kundudzi dzakatikomberedza, vaidya patafura yangu.
There were 150 Jews and officials at my table, besides the guests from the surrounding nations.
18 Zuva rimwe nerimwe ndaigadzirirwa nzombe imwe, makwai akaisvonaka matanhatu nehuku, uye pagumi roga ramazuva ndaipiwa waini zhinji dzemhando dzose. Kunyange zvakadaro hazvo, handina kumbokumbira zvokudya zvomubati, nokuti mitoro yakanga yakatakudzwa vanhu ava yairema kwazvo.
Each day one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine was provided. But I did not demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy.
19 Haiwa Mwari wangu, ndirangarirei henyu nenyasha, nokuda kwezvose zvandakaitira vanhu ava.
Remember me favorably, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.
