Nehemija 5

1 Tam je bilo veliko vpitje ljudstva in njihovih žena zoper njihove brate Jude.

Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews.

2 Kajti tam so bili, ki so rekli: »Nas, naših sinov in naših hčera je mnogo. Zato zanje zbiramo žito, da bomo lahko jedli in živeli.«

For there were some who said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live.”

3 Tam so bili tudi nekateri, ki so rekli: »Zaradi pomanjkanja smo zastavili svoje dežele, vinograde in hiše, da bi lahko kupili žito.«

There were also some who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine.”

4 Tam so bili tudi, ki so rekli: »Izposodili smo si denar za kraljevi davek in to [za ceno] naših dežel in vinogradov.

There were also some who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral.

5 Vendar je sedaj naše meso kakor meso naših bratov, naši otroci kakor njihovi otroci. Glej, svoje sinove prinašamo v sužnost in svoje hčere, da bodo služabnice in nekatere izmed naših hčera so že privedene v sužnost. Niti to ni v naši moči, da jih odkupimo, kajti drugi možje imajo naše dežele in vinograde.«

Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring our sons and our daughters into bondage to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. It is also not in our power to help it, because other men have our fields and our vineyards.”

6 Bil sem zelo jezen, ko sem slišal njihovo vpitje in te besede.

I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

7 Potem sem se posvetoval s seboj in oštel plemiče in vladarje ter jim rekel: »Vi terjate obresti, vsakdo od svojega brata.« In zoper njih sem postavil velik zbor.

Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, “You exact usury, everyone of his brother.” I held a great assembly against them.

8 Rekel sem jim: »Po svoji zmožnosti smo odkupili svoje brate Jude, ki so bili prodani poganom. Vi pa boste celo prodajali svoje brate? Ali naj bi bili oni prodani nam?« Potem so ohranili svoj mir in nič niso našli, da bi odgovorili.

I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say.

9 Prav tako sem rekel: »To ni dobro, kar delate. Ali ne bi morali hoditi v strahu našega Boga zaradi graje poganov, naših sovražnikov?

Also I said, “The thing that you do is not good. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?

10 Tudi jaz in moji bratje in moji služabniki bi lahko od njih terjali denar in žito. Prosim vas, prenehajmo s tem oderuštvom.

I likewise, my brothers and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury.

11 Povrnite jim, prosim vas, celo ta dan, njihove dežele, njihove vinograde, njihove oljčne nasade in njihove hiše, tudi stoti del denarja in od žita, vina in olja, ki ste jih vzeli od njih.«

Please restore to them, even today, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, that you are charging them.”

12 Potem so rekli: »Povrnili jim bomo in ničesar ne bomo zahtevali od njih. Storili bomo tako, kakor praviš.« Potem sem poklical duhovnike in od njih vzel prisego, da bi storili glede na to obljubo.

Then they said, “We will restore them, and will require nothing of them. We will do so, even as you say.” Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise.

13 Prav tako sem stresel svoje naročje in rekel: »Tako naj Bog iztrese vsakega človeka iz njegove hiše in od njegovega truda, ki ne izpolni te obljube, celo tako bo iztresen in izpraznjen.« In vsa skupnost je rekla: »Amen« in hvalili so Gospoda. In ljudstvo je storilo glede na to obljubo.

Also I shook out my lap, and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that doesn’t perform this promise; even may he be shaken out and emptied like this.” All the assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD. The people did according to this promise.

14 Poleg tega od časa, ko sem bil določen, da bi bil njihov voditelj v Judovi deželi, od dvajsetega leta, celo do dvaintridesetega leta kralja Artakserksa, to je dvanajst let, jaz in moji bratje nismo jedli kruha od voditelja.

Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brothers have not eaten the bread of the governor.

15 Toda prejšnji voditelji, ki so bili pred menoj, so bili v breme ljudstvu in so od njih jemali kruh in vino, poleg štiridesetih šeklov srebra. Da, celo njihovi služabniki so vladali nad ljudstvom. Toda zaradi Božjega strahu jaz nisem tako storil.

But the former governors who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and wine from them, plus forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants ruled over the people, but I didn’t do so, because of the fear of God.

16 Da, prav tako sem nadaljeval pri delu tega obzidja niti nismo kupili nobene zemlje in vsi moji služabniki so bili zbrani tja k delu.

Yes, I also continued in the work of this wall. We didn’t buy any land. All my servants were gathered there to the work.

17 Poleg tega jih je bilo pri moji mizi sto petdeset izmed Judov in vladarjev, poleg tistih, ki so prišli k nam izmed poganov, ki so okoli nas.

Moreover there were at my table, of the Jews and the rulers, one hundred fifty men, in addition to those who came to us from among the nations that were around us.

18 Torej tega, kar je bilo dnevno pripravljeno zame, je bilo: en vol in šest izbranih ovc. Tudi perjad je bila pripravljena zame in enkrat na deset dni izbor vseh vrst vina. Vendar za vse to nisem zahteval kruha od voditelja, ker je bilo suženjstvo težko nad tem ljudstvom.

Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days a store of all sorts of wine. Yet for all this, I didn’t demand the governor’s pay, because the bondage was heavy on this people.

19 Misli name, moj Bog, za dobro, glede na vse, kar sem storil za to ljudstvo.

Remember me, my God, for all the good that I have done for this people.