Nehemiah 5

1 And the cry of the people and their wives [was] great against their brethren the Jews.

百姓和他们的妻大大呼号，埋怨他们的弟兄犹大人。

2 And some said, We [are] numerous with our sons and our daughters; so we will take corn, and eat, and live.

有的说：“我们和儿女人口众多，要去得粮食度命”；

3 And some said, [As to] our fields and vineyards and houses, let us pledge [them], and we will take corn, and eat.

有的说：“我们典了田地、葡萄园、房屋，要得粮食充饥”；

4 And some said, We have borrowed money for the king's tributes: —our fields, and our vineyards, and houses [are pledged].

有的说：“我们已经指着田地、葡萄园，借了钱给王纳税。

5 And now our flesh [is] as the flesh of our brethren, our children [are] as their children: yet, behold, we are reducing our sons and our daughters to 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.

我们的身体与我们弟兄的身体一样；我们的儿女与他们的儿女一般。现在我们将要使儿女作人的仆婢，我们的女儿已有为婢的；我们并无力拯救，因为我们的田地、葡萄园已经归了别人。”

6 And I was much grieved as I heard their cry and these words.

我听见他们呼号说这些话，便甚发怒。

7 And my heart took counsel within me, and I contended against the nobles, and the princes, and I said to them, Should every man demand of his brother what you demand? And I appointed against them a great assembly,

我心里筹划，就斥责贵胄和官长说：“你们各人向弟兄取利！”于是我招聚大会攻击他们。

8 and I said to them, We of our free-will have redeemed our brethren the Jews that were sold to the Gentiles; and do you sell your brethren? and shall they be delivered to us? And they were silent, and found no answer.

我对他们说：“我们尽力赎回我们弟兄，就是卖与外邦的犹大人；你们还要卖弟兄，使我们赎回来吗？”他们就静默不语，无话可答。

9 And I said, The thing which you do [is] not good; you will not so walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the Gentiles our enemies.

我又说：“你们所行的不善！你们行事不当敬畏我们的 神吗？不然，难免我们的仇敌外邦人毁谤我们。

10 Both my brethren, and my acquaintances, and I, have lent them money and corn: let us now leave off this exaction.

我和我的弟兄与仆人也将银钱粮食借给百姓；我们大家都当免去利息。

11 Restore 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.

如今我劝你们将他们的田地、葡萄园、橄榄园、房屋，并向他们所取的银钱、粮食、新酒，和油，百分之一的利息都归还他们。”

12 And they said, We will restore, and we will not exact of them; we will do thus as you say. Then I called the priests, and bound them by oath to do according to this word.

众人说：“我们必归还，不再向他们索要，必照你的话行。”我就召了祭司来，叫众人起誓，必照着所应许的而行。

13 And 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 labors, 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.

我也抖着胸前的衣襟，说：“凡不成就这应许的，愿 神照样抖他离开家产和他劳碌得来的，直到抖空了。”会众都说：“阿们！”又赞美耶和华。百姓就照着所应许的去行。

14 From the day that 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.

自从我奉派作犹大地的省长，就是从亚达薛西王二十年直到三十二年，共十二年之久，我与我弟兄都没有吃省长的俸禄。

15 But as for the former acts of extortion wherein [those who were] before me oppressed them, they even took of them their last money, forty didrachmas for bread and wine; and the [very] outcasts of them exercised authority over the people: but I did not so, because of the fear of God.

在我以前的省长加重百姓的担子，每日索要粮食和酒，并银子四十舍客勒，就是他们的仆人也辖制百姓；但我因敬畏 神不这样行。

16 Also in the work of the wall I treated them not with rigor, I bought not land: and all that were gathered together [came] there to the work.

并且我恒心修造城墙，并没有置买田地；我的仆人也都聚集在那里做工。

17 And 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.

除了从四围外邦中来的犹大人以外，有犹大平民和官长一百五十人在我席上吃饭。

18 And 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.

每日预备一只公牛，六只肥羊，又预备些飞禽；每十日一次，多预备各样的酒。虽然如此，我并不要省长的俸禄，因为百姓服役甚重。

19 Remember me, O God, for good, [in] all that I have done to this people.

我的 神啊，求你记念我为这百姓所行的一切事，施恩与我。