Neemia 5
Cornilescu 1924 - Revised 2010, 2014
Plângerile poporului
5 Din partea oamenilor din popor şi din partea nevestelor lor s-au ridicat mari plângeri(A) împotriva fraţilor(B) lor iudei. 2 Unii ziceau: „Noi, fiii noştri şi fetele noastre suntem mulţi; să ni se dea grâu ca să mâncăm şi să trăim.” 3 Alţii ziceau: „Punem zălog ogoarele, viile şi casele noastre, ca să avem grâu în timpul foametei.” 4 Alţii ziceau: „Am împrumutat argint punând zălog ogoarele şi viile noastre pentru birul împăratului. 5 Şi totuşi carnea(C) noastră este ca şi carnea fraţilor noştri, copiii noştri sunt ca şi copiii lor; şi iată, supunem la robie(D) pe fiii noştri şi pe fetele noastre şi multe din fetele noastre au şi fost supuse la robie; suntem fără putere, căci ogoarele şi viile noastre sunt ale altora.” 6 M-am supărat foarte tare când le-am auzit plângerile şi cuvintele acestea. 7 Am hotărât să mustru pe cei mari şi pe dregători şi le-am zis: „Ce, voi împrumutaţi cu(E) camătă fraţilor voştri?” Şi am strâns în jurul meu o mare mulţime 8 şi le-am zis: „Noi am răscumpărat(F), după puterea noastră, pe fraţii noştri iudei vânduţi neamurilor, şi voi să vindeţi pe fraţii voştri? Şi încă nouă să ne fie vânduţi?” Ei au tăcut, neavând ce să răspundă. 9 Apoi am zis: „Ce faceţi voi nu este bine. N-ar trebui să umblaţi în frica(G) Dumnezeului nostru, ca(H) să nu fiţi de ocara neamurilor vrăjmaşe nouă? 10 Şi eu, şi fraţii mei, şi slujitorii mei le-am împrumutat argint şi grâu. Să le lăsăm dar datoria aceasta! 11 Daţi-le înapoi astăzi ogoarele, viile, măslinii şi casele şi a suta parte din argintul, din grâul, din mustul şi din untdelemnul pe care l-aţi cerut de la ei ca dobândă.” 12 Ei au răspuns: „Le vom da înapoi şi nu le vom cere nimic, vom face cum ai zis.” Atunci am chemat pe preoţi, înaintea cărora i-am pus să jure(I) că îşi vor ţine cuvântul. 13 Şi mi-am(J) scuturat mantaua zicând: „Aşa să scuture Dumnezeu afară din Casa Lui şi de averile lui pe orice om care nu-şi va ţine cuvântul şi aşa să fie scuturat omul acela şi lăsat cu mâinile goale!” Toată adunarea a zis: „Amin.” Şi au lăudat pe Domnul. Şi poporul s-a(K) ţinut de cuvânt.
Neemia, ca dregător
14 Din ziua când m-a pus împăratul dregător peste ei în ţara lui Iuda, de la al douăzecilea an până la al treizeci şi doilea(L) an al împăratului Artaxerxe, timp de doisprezece ani, nici eu, nici fraţii mei n-am trăit din veniturile cuvenite(M) dregătorului. 15 Înainte de mine, cei dintâi dregători împovărau poporul şi luau de la el pâine şi vin, afară de cei patruzeci de sicli de argint; chiar şi slujitorii lor apăsau poporul. Eu(N) n-am făcut aşa din frică(O) de Dumnezeu. 16 Ba mai mult, am lucrat la dregerea zidului acestuia, n-am cumpărat niciun ogor şi toţi slujitorii mei erau la lucru. 17 Aveam la masă(P) o sută cincizeci de oameni, iudei şi dregători, afară de cei ce veneau la noi din neamurile de primprejur. 18 Mi se pregătea(Q) în fiecare zi un bou, şase berbeci aleşi şi păsări şi, la fiecare zece zile, se pregătea din belşug tot vinul care era de trebuinţă. Cu toate acestea, n-am cerut(R) veniturile cuvenite dregătorului, pentru că lucrările apăsau greu asupra poporului acestuia. 19 Adu-Ţi(S) aminte de mine spre bine, Dumnezeule, pentru tot ce am făcut pentru poporul acesta!
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 American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 5
Social and Economic Problems. 1 (A)Then there rose a great outcry of the people and their wives against certain of their Jewish kindred.[a] 2 Some said: “We are forced to pawn our sons and daughters in order to get grain to eat that we may live.” 3 Others said: “We are forced to pawn our fields, our vineyards, and our houses, that we may have grain during the famine.” 4 Still others said: “To pay the king’s tax we have borrowed money on our fields and vineyards. 5 (B)And though these are our own kindred, and our children are as good as theirs, we have had to reduce our sons and daughters to slavery, and violence has been done to some of our daughters! Yet we can do nothing about it, for our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
6 I was extremely angry when I heard the reasons for their complaint. 7 (C)After some deliberation, I called the nobles and magistrates to account, saying to them, “You are exacting interest from your own kindred!”[b] I then rebuked them severely, 8 (D)saying to them: “As far as we were able, we bought back our Jewish kindred who had been sold to Gentiles; you, however, are selling your own kindred, to have them bought back by us.” They remained silent, for they could find no answer. 9 I continued: “What you are doing is not good. Should you not conduct yourselves out of fear of our God rather than fear of the reproach of our Gentile enemies? 10 I myself, my kindred, and my attendants have lent the people money and grain without charge. Let us put an end to this usury! 11 Return to them this very day their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, together with the interest on the money, the grain, the wine, and the oil that you have lent them.” 12 They answered: “We will return everything and exact nothing further from them. We will do just what you ask.” Then I called for the priests to administer an oath to them that they would do as they had promised. 13 I shook out the folds of my garment, saying, “Thus may God shake from home and fortune every man who fails to keep this promise, and may he thus be shaken out and emptied!” And the whole assembly answered, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. Then the people did as they had promised.
Nehemiah’s Record. 14 Moreover, from the time that King Artaxerxes appointed me governor in the land of Judah, from his twentieth to his thirty-second year—during these twelve years neither I nor my kindred lived off the governor’s food allowance. 15 The earlier governors,[c] my predecessors, had laid a heavy burden on the people, taking from them each day forty silver shekels for their food; then, too, their attendants oppressed the people. But I, because I feared God, did not do this. 16 In addition, though I had acquired no land of my own, I did my part in this work on the wall, and all my attendants were gathered there for the work. 17 Though I set my table for a hundred and fifty persons, Jews and magistrates, as well as the neighboring Gentiles who came to us, 18 and though the daily preparations were made at my expense—one ox, six choice sheep, poultry—besides all kinds of wine in abundance every ten days, despite this I did not claim the governor’s allowance, for the labor lay heavy upon this people. 19 Keep in mind, my God, to my credit all that I did for this people.
Footnotes
- 5:1 Certain of their Jewish kindred: probably Jews who had returned from Babylonia who formed the social and economic elite in the province.
- 5:7 You are exacting interest from your own kindred!: contrary to the Mosaic law (Dt 23:20).
- 5:15 The earlier governors: both Sheshbazzar (Ezr 5:14) and Zerubbabel (Hg 1:1, 14; 2:2, 21) are said to be governors, and Mal 1:8 mentions a governor but does not name him. Other names are known from seal impressions of uncertain date.
Nehemiah 5
New Century Version
Nehemiah Helps Poor People
5 The men and their wives complained loudly against their fellow Jews. 2 Some of them were saying, “We have many sons and daughters in our families. To eat and stay alive, we need grain.”
3 Others were saying, “We are borrowing money against our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain because there is not much food.”
4 And still others were saying, “We are borrowing money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 We are just like our fellow Jews, and our sons are like their sons. But we have to sell our sons and daughters as slaves. Some of our daughters have already been sold. But there is nothing we can do, because our fields and vineyards already belong to other people.”
6 When I heard their complaints about these things, I was very angry. 7 After I thought about it, I accused the important people and the leaders, “You are charging your own brothers too much interest.” So I called a large meeting to deal with them. 8 I said to them, “As much as possible, we have bought freedom for our fellow Jews who had been sold to foreigners. Now you are selling your fellow Jews to us!” The leaders were quiet and had nothing to say.
9 Then I said, “What you are doing is not right. Don’t you fear God? Don’t let our foreign enemies shame us. 10 I, my brothers, and my men are also lending money and grain to the people. But stop charging them so much for this. 11 Give back their fields, vineyards, olive trees, and houses right now. Also give back the extra amount you charged—the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine, and oil.”
12 They said, “We will give it back and not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”
Then I called for the priests, and I made the important people and leaders take an oath to do what they had said. 13 Also I shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out everyone who does not keep his promise. May God shake him out of his house and out of the things that are his. Let that person be shaken out and emptied!”
Then the whole group said, “Amen,” and they praised the Lord. So the people did what they had promised.
14 I was appointed governor in the land of Judah in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ rule. I was governor of Judah for twelve years, until his thirty-second year. During that time neither my brothers nor I ate the food that was allowed for a governor. 15 But the governors before me had placed a heavy load on the people. They took about one pound of silver from each person, along with food and wine. The governors’ helpers before me also controlled the people, but I did not do that, because I feared God. 16 I worked on the wall, as did all my men who were gathered there. We did not buy any fields.
17 Also, I fed one hundred fifty Jewish people and officers at my table, as well as those who came from the nations around us. 18 This is what was prepared every day: one ox, six good sheep, and birds. And every ten days there were all kinds of wine. But I never demanded the food that was due a governor, because the people were already working very hard.
19 Remember to be kind to me, my God, for all the good I have done for these people.
Copyright of the Cornilescu Bible © 1924 belongs to British and Foreign Bible Society. Copyright © 2010, 2014 of the revised edition in Romanian language belongs to the Interconfessional Bible Society of Romania, with the approval of the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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