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.
Nehemiya ye tilimbaliyaa bo
1 Saayiŋ kewolu niŋ ì la musoolu naata woosii baake, ì baadiŋ Yahuudoolu la kuwo kamma la. 2 Doolu be a fo kaŋ ko, “Ntolu niŋ ǹ dinkewolu niŋ ǹ dimmusoolu siyaata le. Ntolu te tu noo la baluwo to fo niŋ ŋà siimaŋ kesoo soto, m̀ be meŋ domo la.” 3 Doolu be jee le mennu ko, “Ǹ ka ǹ na kunkoolu le laa sankayaaraŋo ti, ǹ na wayini* yiri kankaŋolu, aniŋ ǹ na buŋolu ñiŋ kamma la fo ǹ si siimaŋ kesoo soto noo konkoo waatoo kono.” 4 Tukuŋ, doolu fanaa ko, “Ǹ ka kodoo donto le ka mansa la naamoo joo ǹ na kunkoolu niŋ ǹ na wayini yiri kankaŋolu kunna. 5 Ntolu niŋ m̀ baadiŋ Yahuudoolu bee mu kiliŋ ne ti, aduŋ ǹ dinkewolu niŋ ì dinkewolu bee mu kiliŋ ne ti. Bari ǹ ka ǹ dinkewolu niŋ ǹ dimmusoolu waafi joŋolu ti le. Ǹ dimmusoolu doolu waafita le fokabaŋ. Bari ǹ te kuu noo la jee, kaatu ǹ na kunkoolu niŋ wayini yiri kankaŋolu keta moo doolu le taa ti.” 6 Kabiriŋ ŋà ì la woosiyo moyi, aniŋ ì la tuumiroo, n kamfaata baake le.
7 Kabiriŋ ŋa a kuwo miira kendeke, ŋa ñaatonkoolu niŋ alifaalu jalayi le. N ko ì ye ko, “Ali bee le ka lankaŋo taa ali fansuŋ moolu bulu.” Wo le to ŋa beŋ baa kumandi ka ì la kuwo bo ñoo to. 8 Bituŋ n ko, “Ŋà ǹ na katoo daŋo ke le ka m̀ baadiŋ Yahuudoolu kumakaa moolu bulu, mennu maŋ ke Yahuudoolu ti. Saayiŋ ali be ali baadiŋolu waafi la, tukuŋ ì ye naa ì seyinkaŋ waafi m̀ ma.” Ì tuta deyiriŋ ne, kaatu ì maŋ feŋ soto ì be meŋ fo la.
9 Bituŋ n tententa ka a fo ko, “Ali be meŋ ke kaŋ a maŋ tiliŋ. Fo ali maŋ ñaŋ na taama la Alla ñaasilaŋo le la baŋ, i si a je ǹ jawoolu mennu maŋ ke Yahuudoolu ti, te feŋ fo noo la ali ma? 10 Nte fanaa niŋ m baadiŋolu aniŋ kewolu mennu be m fee, ka ì donto kodoo niŋ siimaŋ kesoo la le. Bari ali ŋà ñiŋ lankaŋo taa bula. 11 Bii faŋo ali ì la kunkoolu seyi ì ma, wayini yiri kankaŋolu, olifu* yiroolu aniŋ buŋolu saayiŋ teŋ. Ali lankaŋo fanaa seyindi, ali ka meŋ kaniŋ, meŋ keta siidulaa kemenjaŋo ti kodoo to, siimaŋ kesoo to, wayini kutoo to, aniŋ tuloo to.”
12 Bituŋ ì kumata ko, “M̀ be feŋo bee murundi la ì kaŋ ne, aduŋ ǹ te feŋ kaniŋ na ì bulu kotenke. I ye meŋ fo, m̀ be wo le ke la.” Bituŋ ŋa piriisoolu* kumandi, aduŋ ŋa ñaatonkoolu niŋ alifaalu kalindi ka kuwo ke ì ye meŋ laahidi. 13 Ŋa n na dendika kopoo fanaa konkoŋ ne, aduŋ n kumata ko, “Allamaa Alla ye moo-wo-moo fanaa konkoŋ wo ñaama aniŋ a la sotofeŋolu, ka bo a la buŋo kono, niŋ a maarii maŋ a la laahidoo ke. Allamaa a maarii ye konkoŋ teŋ, a kenseŋo ye loo.” Kafoo bee kumata ko, “Amiin,” aduŋ ì ye Yaawe* tentu. Aduŋ moolu ye meŋ laahidi, ì ye a ke le.
Nehemiya la konotodiyaa
14 Sanji taŋ niŋ fuloo bee kono, kabiriŋ m mu Yahuuda bankoo kumandaŋo ti, ka bo Atasasita la mansayaa sanji muwanjaŋo la ka taa fo a la sanji taŋ saba niŋ fulanjaŋo la, m baadiŋolu mu wo, nte mu wo, moo maŋ domoroo domo meŋ ñanta ka dii nte kumandaŋo la.
15 Nte siŋo be kumandaŋolu mennu bee kaŋ, wolu ye duni kuliŋo le laa moolu kaŋ. Ì ka moolu kaniŋ domoroo niŋ wayinoo la le, aduŋ ì ka kodiforo kuntu taŋ naani le taa ì bulu luŋ-wo-luŋ. Ì la maakoyirilaalu fanaa ye dunoo le laa moolu kaŋ. Bari Alla ñaasilaŋo le ye a tinna nte maŋ maa wo ñaama. 16 M maŋ kene fanaa saŋ m faŋo ye, bari n tarata tata sansaŋo dookuwo le kunna. Kewolu mennu be m fee fanaa bee ye ì daa ke dookuwo ñiŋ to le. 17 Wo koolaa fanaa, Yahuudoolu niŋ ì la ñaatonkoolu moo keme niŋ taŋ luulu le ka domoroo ke n yaa, aniŋ moo doolu mennu naata ǹ yaa ka bo dandanna bankoolu kaŋ. 18 Luŋ-wo-luŋ ninsituuraa, saajii kende wooro, aniŋ bulafeŋ meseŋolu le ka tabi, aniŋ tili taŋ-wo-tili taŋ, wayinoo jamaa si naa. Ŋa a loŋ ne ko, dunoo kuliyaata moolu kaŋ baake le, wo le ye a tinna m maŋ n na domori sumaŋo kaniŋ, meŋ ñanta ka dii kumandaŋo la.
19 N na Alla, i hakiloo si bula ka neema m ma kuu betoo kamma la, ŋa meŋ ke ñiŋ moolu ye.
