尼希米記 5
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
尼希米幫助窮苦人
5 那時，民眾和他們的妻子都抱怨他們的猶太同胞。 2 有的說：「我們和我們的兒女人口眾多，需要糧食來活命。」 3 有的說：「因為饑荒的緣故，我們要將田地、葡萄園和房屋作抵押來獲取糧食。」 4 有的說：「我們要借錢才能繳納王對我們的田地和葡萄園徵收的稅。 5 我們和他們是同胞，我們的孩子就像他們的孩子。但現在我們的兒女要被迫成為僕婢，甚至我們的女兒有些已經淪為奴婢。我們卻無能為力，因為我們的田地和葡萄園已經歸別人了。」
6 聽到他們的抱怨後，我非常憤怒。 7 經過深思熟慮後，我便斥責這些貴族和官員，說：「你們竟然向同胞放高利貸！」於是我召開大會處理他們的問題。 8 我對他們說：「我們在盡力贖回那些被賣到外邦的猶太同胞，你們卻要賣他們為奴，好讓我們再贖回他們嗎？」他們都沉默不語，無言以對。 9 我繼續說：「你們的所作所為實在不對。難道你們不應該敬畏上帝，以免我們的仇敵凌辱我們嗎？ 10 我和我的兄弟及僕人都借錢、借糧給民眾，現在我們要停止放高利貸。 11 你們今天就要歸還他們的田地、葡萄園、橄欖園和房屋，以及你們向他們所收的五穀、新酒和油的利息。」
12 他們說：「我們會照你的話去做，把東西還給他們，不再向他們索債。」於是，我召來祭司，讓這些人起誓遵守自己的諾言。 13 我抖著衣服說：「如果你們不守誓言，願上帝也這樣抖掉你們的家園和你們勞碌得來的，使你們一無所有。」全體會眾都說：「阿們！」他們讚美耶和華，民眾都遵照誓言去行。
尼希米大公無私
14 從亞達薛西王二十年至三十二年，也就是我奉派為猶大省長的十二年間，我和我的弟兄都沒有吃省長的俸祿。 15 在我之前的省長使民眾負擔沉重，天天索取食物、酒及五百克銀子。他們的僕人也欺壓民眾，但我因敬畏上帝而沒有這樣做。 16 我全心修築城牆，沒有購置田產，我的僕人也都參與修建城牆的工作。 17 除了從周圍外邦來到我們這裡的人之外，還有一百五十名猶太人和官員與我一同吃飯。 18 我每天需要預備一頭公牛、六隻肥羊和飛禽；每十天還要大量供應各樣酒品。即使這樣，我仍然沒有吃省長的俸祿，因為民眾已經負擔沉重。 19 我的上帝啊，求你記念我為這些民眾所做的一切，施恩於我。
Nehemiah 5
New King James Version
Nehemiah Deals with Oppression
5 And there was a great (A)outcry of the people and their wives against their (B)Jewish brethren. 2 For there were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain, that we may eat and live.”
3 There were also some who said, “We have mortgaged our lands and vineyards and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine.”
4 There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards. 5 Yet now (C)our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we (D)are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards.”
6 And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. 7 After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, (E)“Each of you is [a]exacting usury from his brother.” So I [b]called a great assembly against them. 8 And I said to them, “According to our ability we have (F)redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?”
Then they were silenced and found nothing to say. 9 Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk (G)in the fear of our God (H)because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? 10 I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this [c]usury! 11 Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them.”
12 So they said, “We will restore it, and will require nothing from them; we will do as you say.”
Then I called the priests, (I)and required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise. 13 Then (J)I shook out [d]the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out each man from his house, and from his property, who does not perform this promise. Even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.”
And all the assembly said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord. (K)Then the people did according to this promise.
The Generosity of Nehemiah
14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year (L)until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers (M)ate the governor’s provisions. 15 But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but (N)I did not do so, because of the (O)fear of God. 16 Indeed, I also continued the (P)work on this wall, and [e]we did not buy any land. All my servants were gathered there for the work.
17 And (Q)at my table were one hundred and fifty Jews and rulers, besides those who came to us from the nations around us. 18 Now that (R)which was prepared daily was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine. Yet in spite of this (S)I did not demand the governor’s provisions, because the bondage was heavy on this people.
19 (T)Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 5:7 charging interest
- Nehemiah 5:7 Lit. held
- Nehemiah 5:10 interest
- Nehemiah 5:13 Lit. my lap
- Nehemiah 5:16 So with MT; LXX, Syr., Vg. I
Nehemiah 5
Lexham English Bible
Nehemiah Deals with Strife
5 Now there was a great cry of distress of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. 2 There were those who were saying, “Our sons and daughters, we are many. We must get grain so that we may eat and live.” 3 There were also those saying, “We have pledged our fields and our vineyards and our houses so that we can get grain in the famine.” 4 And there were those who were saying, “We have borrowed money on our fields and our vineyards for the tax of the king. 5 Now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our sons are like their sons. Look, we are subduing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and there are some from our daughters being molested. We are powerless,[a] and our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
6 I was very angry when I heard their shouts and these words. 7 I thought over this in my heart, and then I quarreled with the nobles and the prefects. I said to them, “You yourselves are taking interest from your own brother!” So I called the great assembly against them, 8 and I said to them: “We ourselves have bought back our brothers the Jews who were sold to the nations as we were able. But now you yourselves have sold your brothers so they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say.
9 So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God to prevent the disgrace from the nations, our enemies? 10 Also, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Please stop taking this interest. 11 Please restore to them this day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, their houses, and the interest on the money, the grain, the grape juice, and the olive oil that you have been taking from them.” 12 So they said, “We will restore it and will not request anything more. So we will do as you say.” Then I called the priests and made them take an oath to do this promise. 13 I also shook out my garment and said, “This is how God will shake out everyone from his house who will not keep this promise. So this is how his possessions will be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen!” And they praised Yahweh, and the people kept this promise.
Nehemiah Denies His Allotment
14 Moreover, from the appointed day I was made their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes—twelve years. My brothers and I did not eat the food allowance of the governor. 15 The former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and they took food and wine from them, besides forty shekels. Also, their servants controlled the people, but I did not do so because of the fear of God. 16 I also devoted myself to the work of this wall, and we did not buy land. All of my servants were gathered for the work. 17 One hundred and fifty men, prefects and Jews, and those who came to us from the nations around us, were at my table. 18 Now what was prepared each day for me was one ox, six choice sheep, and birds. And every ten days all kinds of wine were made. But for this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor because the slavery was too heavy on this people. 19 Remember me for good, my God, all that I have done for this people.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 5:5 Literally “There is no power in our hand”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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