尼希米记 5
Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified)
民因贫苦呼号嗟怨
5 百姓和他们的妻大大呼号，埋怨他们的弟兄犹大人。 2 有的说：“我们和儿女人口众多，要去得粮食度命。” 3 有的说：“我们典了田地、葡萄园、房屋，要得粮食充饥。” 4 有的说：“我们已经指着田地、葡萄园借了钱，给王纳税。 5 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做人的仆婢，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。”
尼希米闻民怨则怒
6 我听见他们呼号说这些话，便甚发怒。 7 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 我对他们说：“我们尽力赎回我们弟兄，就是卖于外邦的犹大人，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 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 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。
劝众悉反其质
11 “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 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 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：“阿门！”又赞美耶和华。百姓就照着所应许的去行。
14 自从我奉派做犹大地的省长，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 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 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 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 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 我的神啊，求你记念我为这百姓所行的一切事，施恩于我。
Nehemiah 5
King James Version
5 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.
2 For 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.
3 Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.
4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.
5 Yet 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.
6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
7 Then 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.
8 And 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.
9 Also 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?
10 I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.
11 Restore, 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.
12 Then 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.
13 Also 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.
14 Moreover 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.
15 But 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.
16 Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work.
17 Moreover 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.
18 Now 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.
19 Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
Nehemiah 5
New English Translation
Nehemiah Intervenes on behalf of the Oppressed
5 Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.[a] 2 There were those who said, “With our sons and daughters, we are many. We must obtain[b] grain in order to eat and stay alive.” 3 There were others who said, “We are putting up our fields, our vineyards, and our houses as collateral in order to obtain grain during the famine.” 4 Then there were those who said, “We have borrowed money to pay our taxes to the king[c] on our fields and our vineyards. 5 And now, though we share the same flesh and blood as our fellow countrymen[d] and our children are just like their children,[e] still we have found it necessary to subject our sons and daughters to slavery.[f] Some of our daughters have been subjected to slavery, while we are powerless to help,[g] since our fields and vineyards now belong to other people.”[h]
6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints.[i] 7 I considered these things carefully[j] and then registered a complaint with the wealthy[k] and the officials. I said to them, “Each one of you is seizing the collateral[l] from your own countrymen!”[m] Because of them I called for[n] a great public assembly. 8 I said to them, “To the extent possible we have bought back our fellow Jews[o] who had been sold to the Gentiles. But now you yourselves want to sell your own countrymen,[p] so that we can then buy them back!” They were utterly silent, and could find nothing to say.
9 Then I[q] said, “The thing that you are doing is wrong![r] Should you not conduct yourselves[s] in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies? 10 Even I and my relatives[t] and my associates[u] are lending them money and grain. But let us abandon this practice of seizing collateral![v] 11 This very day return to them their fields, their vineyards, their olive trees, and their houses, along with the interest[w] that you are exacting from them on the money, the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil.”
12 They replied, “We will return these things,[x] and we will no longer demand anything from them. We will do just as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the wealthy and the officials[y] swear to do what had been promised.[z] 13 I also shook out my garment,[aa] and I said, “In this way may God shake out from his house and his property every person who does not carry out[ab] this matter. In this way may he be shaken out and emptied!” All the assembly replied, “So be it!” and they praised the Lord. Then the people did as they had promised.[ac]
14 From the day that I was appointed[ad] governor[ae] in the land of Judah, that is, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes—twelve years in all—neither I nor my relatives[af] ate the food allotted to the governor.[ag] 15 But the former governors who preceded me had burdened the people and had taken food and wine from them, in addition to[ah] forty shekels of silver. Their associates were also domineering over the people. But I did not behave in this way, due to my fear of God. 16 I gave myself to the work on this wall, without even purchasing[ai] a field. All my associates were gathered there for the work.
17 There were 150 Jews and officials who dined with me routinely,[aj] in addition to those who came to us from the nations[ak] all around us. 18 Every day one ox, six select sheep, and some birds were prepared for me, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Despite all this I did not require the food allotted to the governor, for the work was demanding on this people.
19 Please remember me for good, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 5:1 tn Heb “their brothers the Jews.”
- Nehemiah 5:2 tn Heb “take” (so also in v. 3).
- Nehemiah 5:4 tn Heb “for the tax of the king.”
- Nehemiah 5:5 tn Heb “according to the flesh of our brothers is our flesh.”
- Nehemiah 5:5 tn Heb “like their children, our children.”
- Nehemiah 5:5 tn Heb “to become slaves” (also later in this verse).
- Nehemiah 5:5 tn Heb “there is not power for our hand.” The Hebrew expression used here is rather difficult.
- Nehemiah 5:5 sn The poor among the returned exiles were being exploited by their rich countrymen. Moneylenders were loaning large amounts of money, and not only collecting interest on loans which was illegal (Lev 25:36-37; Deut 23:19-20), but also seizing pledges as collateral (Neh 5:3) which was allowed (Deut 24:10). When the debtors missed a payment, the moneylenders would seize their collateral: their fields, vineyards and homes. With no other means of income, the debtors were forced to sell their children into slavery, a common practice at this time (Neh 5:5). Nehemiah himself was one of the moneylenders (Neh 5:10), but he insisted that seizure of collateral from fellow Jewish countrymen was ethically wrong (Neh 5:9).
- Nehemiah 5:6 tn Heb “words.”
- Nehemiah 5:7 tn Heb “my heart was advised upon me.”
- Nehemiah 5:7 tn Heb “nobles.”
- Nehemiah 5:7 tn Heb “taking a creditor’s debt.” The Hebrew noun מַשָּׁא (mashaʾ) means “interest; debt” and probably refers to the collateral (pledge) collected by a creditor (HALOT 641-42 s.v.). This particular noun form appears only in Nehemiah (5:7, 10; 10:32); however, it is related to מַשָּׁאָה (mashaʾah, “contractual loan; debt; collateral”) which appears elsewhere (Deut 24:10; Prov 22:26; cf. Neh 5:11). See the note on the word “people” at the end of v. 5. The BHS editors suggest emending the MT to מָשָׂא (masaʾ, “burden”), following several medieval Hebrew mss; however, the result is not entirely clear: “you are bearing a burden, a man with his brothers.”
- Nehemiah 5:7 tn Heb “his brothers.”
- Nehemiah 5:7 tn Heb “I gave.”
- Nehemiah 5:8 tn Heb “our brothers, the Jews.”
- Nehemiah 5:8 tn Heb “your brothers.”
- Nehemiah 5:9 tc The translation reads with the Qere and the ancient versions וָאוֹמַר (vaʾomar, “and I said”) rather than the MT Kethib, וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyoʾmer, “and he said”).
- Nehemiah 5:9 tn Heb “not good.” The statement “The thing…is not good” is an example of tapeinosis, a figurative expression which emphasizes the intended point (“The thing…is wrong!”) by negating its opposite.
- Nehemiah 5:9 tn Heb “[should you not] walk.”
- Nehemiah 5:10 tn Heb “brothers.”
- Nehemiah 5:10 tn Heb “servants.”
- Nehemiah 5:10 tn Heb “this debt.” This expression is a metonymy of association: “debt” refers to the seizure of the collateral of the debt.
- Nehemiah 5:11 tc The MT reads וּמְאַת (umeʾat, “and the hundredth”) which is somewhat enigmatic. The BHS editors suggest emending to וּמַשַּׁאת (umashaʾt, “and the debt”) which refers to the interest or collateral (pledge) seized by a creditor (Deut 24:10; Prov 22:26; see HALOT 641-42 s.v. מַשָּׁא). The term מַשַּׁאת (mashaʾt) is related to the noun מָשָּׁא (mashaʾ, “debt”) in 5:7, 10.
- Nehemiah 5:12 tn The words “these things” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Nehemiah 5:12 tn Heb “took an oath from them”; the referents (the wealthy and the officials, cf. v. 7) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Nehemiah 5:12 tn Heb “according to this word.”
- Nehemiah 5:13 tn Heb “my bosom.”
- Nehemiah 5:13 tn Heb “cause to stand.”
- Nehemiah 5:13 tn Heb “according to this word.”
- Nehemiah 5:14 tc The BHS editors suggest reading צֻוֵּאתִי (tsuvveʾti, “and I was appointed”) rather than the reading of the MT, אֹתִי צִוָּה (tsivvah ʾoti, “he appointed me”).
- Nehemiah 5:14 tc The translation reads with one medieval Hebrew ms פֶּחָה (pekhah, “governor”) rather than פֶּחָם (pekham, “their governor”) of the MT. One would expect the form with pronominal suffix to have a tav (ת) before the suffix.
- Nehemiah 5:14 tn Heb “brothers.”
- Nehemiah 5:14 tn Heb “the food of the governor.” Cf. v. 18.
- Nehemiah 5:15 tc The Hebrew term אַחַר (ʾakhar) is difficult here. It normally means “after,” but that makes no sense here. Some scholars emend it to אַחַד (ʾakhad) and supply the word “day,” which yields the sense “daily.” Cf. TEV “40 silver coins a day for food and wine.”
- Nehemiah 5:16 tn Heb “we did not purchase.”
- Nehemiah 5:17 tn Heb “officials at my table.”
- Nehemiah 5:17 tn Or “from the Gentiles.” The same Hebrew word can refer to “the Gentiles” or “the nations.” Cf. the phrase in 6:16.
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