Nehemia 5
1 Zvino kwakava nokuchema kukuru kwavarume navakadzi vavo pamusoro pehama dzavo vaJudha.
Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their countrymen the Jews.
2 Nokuti vamwe vakati, “Isu navanakomana navanasikana vedu tiri vazhinji; kuti tidye uye kuti tigorarama, tinofanira kuwana zviyo.”
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 Vamwe vaiti, “Isu takaita minda yedu neminda yedu yemizambiringa uye nemisha yedu kuti zvive rubatso kuti tiwane zviyo panguva yenzara.”
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 Vamwezve vakati, “Takatozokwereta mari kuti tiripe mutero wamambo weminda yedu neminda yemizambiringa.
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 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.”
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 Pandakanzwa kuchema kwavo kukuru nezvairehwa izvi, ndakatsamwa kwazvo.
And on hearing their outcry and what they said I was very 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 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 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 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 Saka ndakaenderera mberi ndikati, “Zvamunoita hazvina kunaka. Ko, hamaifanira kufamba mukutya Mwari wedu here kuti vavengi vedu vechihedheni varege kutishora.
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 Ini nehama dzangu uye navaranda vangu tiri kukweretesa vanhu mari nezviyo. Asi izvo zvokureva mhindu ngazvigume!
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 Vadzorerei minda yavo nokukurumidza, neminda yavo yemizambiringa, neyemiorivhi, nedzimba dzavo uyewo nemhindu yamunoripisa, chikamu chimwe chete muzana chemari, zviyo, newaini itsva uye namafuta.”
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 Ivo vakati, “Tichavadzorera. Uye hatichazorevi chimwe chinhuzve kubva kwavari. Tichaita sezvamareva.” Ipapo ndakadana vaprista ndikaita kuti vakuru navabati vaite mhiko kuti vagoita sezvavakanga vavimbisa.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 Panzvimbo yaizvozvo, ndakazvipira kuita basa iri rorusvingo. Varanda vangu vose vakanga vakaungana pabasa ipapo; hatina kutombotora minda ipi zvayo.
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 Pamusoro paizvozvo, vaJudha zana namakumi mashanu navabati, pamwe chete navaHeti vaibva kundudzi dzakatikomberedza, vaidya patafura yangu.
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 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.
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 Haiwa Mwari wangu, ndirangarirei henyu nenyasha, nokuda kwezvose zvandakaitira vanhu ava.
Keep in mind, O my God, for my good, all I have done for this people.
