Nehemia 5
1 Zvino kwakava nokuchema kukuru kwavarume navakadzi vavo pamusoro pehama dzavo vaJudha.
Then the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow 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, “With our sons and daughters we are many. So let us get grain that we may 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.”
There were also some who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain during the famine.”
4 Vamwezve vakati, “Takatozokwereta mari kuti tiripe mutero wamambo weminda yedu neminda yemizambiringa.
Some also said, “We have borrowed money to pay the king's tax on our fields and our 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.”
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 Pandakanzwa kuchema kwavo kukuru nezvairehwa izvi, ndakatsamwa kwazvo.
I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.
7 Zvino ndakazvirangarira mupfungwa dzangu ipapo ndikatsiura vakuru navabati ndikati kwavari, “Imi muri kureva mhindu kuvanhu venyika yenyu!” Saka ndakavakoka kumusangano mukuru kuti ndivarayire
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 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 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 Saka ndakaenderera mberi ndikati, “Zvamunoita hazvina kunaka. Ko, hamaifanira kufamba mukutya Mwari wedu here kuti vavengi vedu vechihedheni varege kutishora.
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 Ini nehama dzangu uye navaranda vangu tiri kukweretesa vanhu mari nezviyo. Asi izvo zvokureva mhindu ngazvigume!
I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. But we must stop charging interest on these loans.
11 Vadzorerei minda yavo nokukurumidza, neminda yavo yemizambiringa, neyemiorivhi, nedzimba dzavo uyewo nemhindu yamunoripisa, chikamu chimwe chete muzana chemari, zviyo, newaini itsva uye namafuta.”
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 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 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 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 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 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.
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 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 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 Panzvimbo yaizvozvo, ndakazvipira kuita basa iri rorusvingo. Varanda vangu vose vakanga vakaungana pabasa ipapo; hatina kutombotora minda ipi zvayo.
I also continued to work on the wall, and we bought no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.
17 Pamusoro paizvozvo, vaJudha zana namakumi mashanu navabati, pamwe chete navaHeti vaibva kundudzi dzakatikomberedza, vaidya patafura yangu.
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 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 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 Haiwa Mwari wangu, ndirangarirei henyu nenyasha, nokuda kwezvose zvandakaitira vanhu ava.
Call me to mind, my God, for good, because of all that I have done for this people.
