Nehemías 5
Brenton's English Septuagint
1And the cry of the people and their wives was great against their brethren the Jews.
2And some said, We are numerous with our sons and our daughters; so we will take corn, and eat, and live.
3And some said, As to our fields and vineyards and houses, let us pledge them, and we will take corn, and eat.
4And some said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tributes:—our fields, and our vineyards, and houses are pledged.
5And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children are as their children: yet, behold, we are Gr. controlling tyrannically reducing our sons and our daughters to Gr. slaves slavery, and some of our daughters are enslaved: and there is no power of our hands, for our fields and our vineyards belong to the nobles.
6And I was much grieved as I heard their cry and these words.
7And my heart took counsel Gr. upon me within me, and I contended against the nobles, and the princes, and I said to them, Gr. shall Should every man demand of his brother what ye demand? And I appointed against them a great assembly,
8and I said to them, We of our free-will have redeemed our brethren the Jews that were sold to the Gentiles; and do ye sell your brethren? and shall they be delivered to us? And they were silent, and found no answer.
9And I said, The thing which ye do is not good; ye will not so walk in the fear of our God Gr. from because of the reproach of the Gentiles our enemies.
10Both my brethren, and my acquaintances, and I, have Gr. set, or placed to them; See Hebrew lent them money and corn: let us now leave off this exaction.
11Restore to them, I pray, as at this day, their fields, and their vineyards, and their olive-yards, and their houses, and bring forth to them corn and wine and oil of the money.
12And they said, We will restore, and we will not exact of them; we will do thus as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and bound them by oath to do according to this word.
13And I shook out my garment, and said, So may God shake out every man who shall not keep to this word, from his house, and from his q. d. fruits of labour labours, he shall be even thus shaken out, as an outcast and empty. And all the congregation said, Amen, and they praised the Lord: and the people did this thing.
14From the day that i. e., Artaxerxes the king he charged me to be their ruler in the land of Juda, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Arthasastha, twelve years, I and my brethren ate not provision extorted from them.
15But as for the former acts of extortion wherein those who were before me oppressed them, they even took of them their last money, forty didrachms for bread and wine; and the very outcasts of them Gr. exercise exercised authority over the people: but I did not so, because of the fear of God.
16Also in the work of the wall I treated them not with rigor, I bought not land: and all that were gathered together came Gr. there thither to the work.
17And the Jews, to the number of a hundred and fifty men, besides those coming to us from the nations round about, were at my table.
18And there came to me for one day one calf, and I had six choice sheep and a goat; and every ten days wine in abundance of all sorts: yet with these I required not the bread of extortion, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.
19Remember me, O God, for good, in all that I have done to this people.
Reina-Valera 1909
1ENTONCES fué grande el clamor del pueblo y de sus mujeres contra los Judíos sus hermanos.
2Y había quien decía: Nosotros, nuestros hijos y nuestras hijas, somos muchos: hemos por tanto tomado grano para comer y vivir.
3Y había quienes decían: Hemos empeñado nuestras tierras, y nuestras viñas, y nuestras casas, para comprar grano en el hambre.
4Y había quienes decían: Hemos tomado prestado dinero para el tributo del rey, sobre nuestras tierras y viñas.
5Ahora bien, nuestra carne es como la carne de nuestros hermanos, nuestros hijos como sus hijos: y he aquí que nosotros sujetamos nuestros hijos y nuestras hijas á servidumbre, y hay algunas de nuestras hijas sujetas: mas no hay facultad en nuestras manos para rescatarlas, porque nuestras tierras y nuestras viñas son de otros.
6Y enojéme en gran manera cuando oí su clamor y estas palabras.
7Meditélo entonces para conmigo, y reprendí á los principales y á los magistrados, y díjeles: ¿Tomáis cada uno usura de vuestros hermanos? Y convoqué contra ellos una grande junta.
8Y díjeles: Nosotros rescatamos á nuestros hermanos Judíos que habían sido vendidos á las gentes, conforme á la facultad que había en nosotros: ¿y vosotros aun vendéis á vuestros hermanos, y serán vendidos á nosotros? Y callaron, que no tuvieron qué responder.
9Y dije: No es bien lo que hacéis, ¿no andaréis en temor de nuestro Dios, por no ser el oprobio de las gentes enemigas nuestras?
10También yo, y mis hermanos, y mis criados, les hemos prestado dinero y grano: relevémosles ahora de este gravamen.
11Ruégoos que les devolváis hoy sus tierras, sus viñas, sus olivares, y sus casas, y la centésima parte del dinero y grano, del vino y del aceite que demandáis de ellos.
12Y dijeron: Devolveremos, y nada les demandaremos; haremos así como tú dices. Entonces convoqué los sacerdotes, y juramentélos que harían conforme á esto.
13Además sacudí mi vestido, y dije: Así sacuda Dios de su casa y de su trabajo á todo hombre que no cumpliere esto, y así sea sacudido y vacío. Y respondió toda la congregación: ¡Amén! Y alabaron á Jehová. Y el pueblo hizo conforme á esto.
14También desde el día que me mandó el rey que fuese gobernador de ellos en la tierra de Judá, desde el año veinte del rey Artajerjes hasta el año treinta y dos, doce años, ni yo ni mis hermanos comimos el pan del gobernador.
15Mas los primeros gobernadores que fueron antes de mí, cargaron al pueblo, y tomaron de ellos por el pan y por el vino sobre cuarenta siclos de plata: á más de esto, sus criados se enseñoreaban sobre el pueblo; pero yo no hice así, á causa del temor de Dios.
16También en la obra de este muro instauré mi parte, y no compramos heredad: y todos mis criados juntos estaban allí á la obra.
17Además ciento y cincuenta hombres de los Judíos y magistrados, y los que venían á nosotros de las gentes que están en nuestros contornos, estaban á mi mesa.
18Y lo que se aderezaba para cada día era un buey, seis ovejas escogidas, y aves también se aparejaban para mí, y cada diez días vino en toda abundancia: y con todo esto nunca requerí el pan del gobernador, porque la servidumbre de este pueblo era grave.
19Acuérdate de mí para bien, Dios mío, y de todo lo que hice á este pueblo.
King James Version
1And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.
2For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live.
3Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.
4There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.
5Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.
6And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
7Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
8And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.
9Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?
10I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.
11Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.
12Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.
13Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.
14Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.
15But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.
16Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work.
17Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us.
18Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.
19Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
World English Bible
1Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews.
2For there were some who said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live.”
3There were also some who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine.”
4There were also some who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral.
5Yet 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.”
6I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
7Then 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.
8I 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.
9Also 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?
10I likewise, my brothers and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury.
11Please 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.”
12Then 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.
13Also 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.
14Moreover 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.
15But 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.
16Yes, I also continued in the work of this wall. We didn’t buy any land. All my servants were gathered there to the work.
17Moreover 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.
18Now 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.
19Remember me, my God, for all the good that I have done for this people.