Nehemiah's Concern for the Poor
1 Some of the men and their wives complained about the Jews in power 2 and said, “We have large families, and it takes a lot of grain merely to keep us alive.”
3 Others said, “During the famine we even had to mortgage our fields, vineyards, and homes to them in order to buy grain.”
4 Then others said, “We had to borrow money from those in power to pay the government tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 We are Jews just as they are, and our children are as good as theirs. But we still have to sell our children as slaves, and some of our daughters have already been raped. We are completely helpless; our fields and vineyards have even been taken from us.”
6 When I heard their complaints and their charges, I became very angry. 7 So I thought it over and said to the leaders and officials, “How can you charge your own people interest?”
Then I called a public meeting and accused the leaders 8 by saying, “We have tried to buy back all of our people who were sold into exile. But here you are, selling more of them for us to buy back!” The officials and leaders did not say a word, because they knew this was true.
9 I continued, “What you have done is wrong! We must honor our God by the way we live, so the Gentiles can't find fault with us. 10 My relatives, my friends, and I are also lending money and grain, but we must no longer demand payment in return. 11 Now give back the fields, vineyards, olive orchards, and houses you have taken and also the interest you have been paid.”
12 The leaders answered, “We will do whatever you say and return their property, without asking to be repaid.”
So I made the leaders promise in front of the priests to give back the property. 13 Then I emptied my pockets and said, “If you don't keep your promise, that's what God will do to you. He will empty out everything you own, even taking away your houses.”
The people answered, “We will keep our promise.” Then they praised the Lord and did as they had promised.
Nehemiah Is Generous
14 I was governor of Judah from the twentieth year that Artaxerxes was king until the thirty-second year. And during these entire twelve years, my relatives and I refused to accept the food that I was allowed. 15 Each governor before me had been a burden to the people by making them pay for his food and wine and by demanding forty silver coins a day. Even their officials had been a burden to the people. But I respected God, and I didn't think it was right to be so hard on them. 16 I spent all my time getting the wall rebuilt and did not buy any property. Everyone working for me did the same thing. 17 I usually fed 150 of our own Jewish people and their leaders, as well as foreign visitors from surrounding lands. 18 Each day one ox, six of the best sheep, and lots of chickens were prepared. Then every ten days, a large supply of wine was brought in. I knew what a heavy burden this would have been for the people, and so I did not ask for my food allowance as governor.
19 I pray that God will bless me for everything I have done for my people.
شكوى الشعب من الظلم
1 وتعالَت صَيحةُ الشَّكوى مِنَ العائِدينَ مِنَ السَّبْـي، رِجالا ونِساءً، على إخوانِهمِ اليَهودِ. 2 فكانَ بَعضُهم يقولُ: «نحن وبَنونا وبَناتُنا كثيرونَ، أنُقايضُهُم بالحِنطَةِ لنأكُلَ ونَعيشَ؟» 3 وبَعضُهم الآخرُ: «أنَرْهَنُ حُقولَنا وكُرومَنا وبـيوتنا لنأخُذَ حِنطةً في هذِهِ المَجاعةِ؟» 4 وقالَ آخرونَ: «أنَقترِضْ مالا على حُقولِنا وكرومِنا لنُوفيَ ضريـبةَ المَلِكِ؟ 5 أنبـيعُ بنينا وبناتِنا للعبوديَّةِ ونحن وهؤلاءِ العائِدونَ مِنَ السَّبْـي مِن نسلٍ واحدٍ وبَنونا كبَنيهم؟ بل ها بعضُ بناتِنا مُستَعبداتٌ وما بأيدينا شيءٌ، وحقولُنا وكرومُنا أصبحت لغيرِنا».
6 فلمَّا سَمِعتُ صراخَهُم وكلامَهُم هذا غَضِبتُ جدًّا. 7 فشاورتُ نَفسي ووبَّختُ رؤساءَهُم ووُلاةَ أمرهِم مِن إخوانِهِم اليهودِ وقلتُ لهُم: «أنتم تأخذونَ الرِّبا مِن إخوتِكُم بَني قومِكُم». ودَعَوتُ إلى إجتماعٍ عامٍ 8 وقلتُ لهُم: «نحنُ على قَدْرِ طاقتِنا افتَدَيْنا إخوانَنا اليَهودَ الّذينَ بـيعُوا للأممِ. وها أنتُمُ الآنَ تَبـيعونَ إخوانكُم للأمَمِ فنَعودُ ونَفْتَديهِمْ نحن». فَسكتوا وما وجدوا جوابا. 9 وقلتُ: «ما تعملونَه خطأٌ، فخافوا اللهَ إلهَنا حتّى تـتفادوا تعيـيرَ الأممِ أعدائِنا؟ 10 فأنا وإخواني ورجالي أقرَضْنا الشَّعبَ مالا وحِنطةً، ولكنَّنا نَعفيهِم مِن هذا الدَّينِ. 11 وأنتم أيضا أعيدوا إليهم في هذا اليومِ حُقولَهم وكُرومَهم وزَيتونَهم وبـيوتَهم، ولا تطالِبوهُم بالمالِ والحِنطةِ والخَمرِ والزَّيتِ». 12 فقالوا: «نُعيدُها ولا نطلبُ مِنهم شيئا، وكما تقولُ نعملُ». ودَعَوتُ الكهَنةَ وحَلَّفْتُهم أنْ يَعملوا بِما أقولُ. 13 فنفَّضتُ جَيـبَ رِدائي وقلتُ: «هكذا يَنفضُ اللهُ كلَّ مَنْ لا يُشارِكُ في هذا العملِ مِمَّا في بـيتِهِ ومِن تَعَبِ يَدَيهِ، فيكونُ كجَيـبِ ردائي هذا منفوضا وفارِغا»، فقالَتِ الجماعةُ كُلُّها: «آمينَ». وحَمَدَتِ الرّبَّ. وعمِلَ الشعبُ بِـحسَبِ هذا الكلامِ.
نزاهة نحميا
14 وفوقَ ذلِكَ، فَمِن يومِ أمَرني المَلِكُ أنْ أكونَ واليا في أرضِ يَهوذا، مِنَ السَّنةِ العِشرينَ إلى السَّنةِ الثانيةِ والثلاثينَ لأرتَحْشَشْتا المَلِكِ، أيّ مُدةَ إثنَتَي عَشْرَةَ سنَةً، لم آكلْ أنا ولا إخواني خُبزا مِن تِلكَ الوظيفةِ. 15 وأمَّا الوُلاةُ الأوَّلونَ الّذينَ كانوا قَبْلي، فثَقَّلُوا على الشعبِ وكانوا يأخذونَ منِهُم كلَّ يومٍ ما يَزيدُ على أربعينَ قِطعةً مِن الفِضَّةِ لِشراءِ الخُبزِ والخَمرِ. بل كانَ رِجالُهم أيضا يَظلِمونَ الشَّعبَ. أمَّا أنا فما عَمِلْتُ مِثلَ ذلِكَ لأنِّي أخافُ اللهَ. 16 وإنَّما صَرفتُ جُهْدي إلى بِناءِ هذا السُّورِ حتّى إنِّي ما اقتنَيتُ حَقلا. وكانَ جميعُ رِجالي مُجتمعينَ هناكَ للبِناءِ، 17 وكانَ على مائدتي مِنَ اليهودِ والولاةِ مئَةٌ وخمسونَ رَجلا، فضلا عمَّن جاءَنا مِنَ الأُممِ الّذينَ حولَنا. 18 وكُنتُ أُهَيِّـئُ كلَّ يومٍ ثورا وستَّةً مِنْ خِيارِ الغنَمِ، ما عدا الطَّيرَ وفي كُلِّ عشرَةِ أيّامٍ خمرا كثيرا. ومعَ هذا كلِّه لم أطلُبْ أُجرةَ مَنصِبـي كوَالٍ، لأنَّ الضَّرائِبَ كانَت عِبْئا ثقيلا على هؤلاءِ الشَّعبِ. 19 فاذكرْني يا إلهي بالخيرِ على جميعِ ما عمِلْتُه لأجلِهم.
