Oppression of the Poor
1 Some time later many of the people, both men and women, began to complain against the other Jews. 2 Some said, “We have large families, we need grain to keep us alive.”
3 Others said, “We have had to mortgage our fields and vineyards and houses to get enough grain to keep us from starving.”
4 Still others said, “We had to borrow money to pay the royal tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 We are of the same race as the other Jews. Aren't our children just as good as theirs? But we have to make slaves of our children. Some of our daughters have already been sold as slaves. We are helpless because our fields and vineyards have been taken away from us.”
6 When I heard their complaints, I grew angry 7 and decided to act. I denounced the leaders and officials of the people and told them, “You are oppressing your own relatives!”
I called a public assembly to deal with the problem 8 and said, “As far as we have been able, we have been buying back our Jewish relatives who had to sell themselves to foreigners. Now you are forcing your own relatives to sell themselves to you, their own people!” The leaders were silent and could find nothing to say.
9 Then I said, “What you are doing is wrong! You ought to obey God and do what's right. Then you would not give our enemies, the Gentiles, any reason to ridicule us. 10 I have let the people borrow money and grain from me, and so have my companions and those who work for me. Now let's give up all our claims to repayment. 11 Cancel all the debts they owe you—money or grain or wine or olive oil. And give them back their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses right now!”
12 The leaders replied, “We'll do as you say. We'll give the property back and not try to collect the debts.”
I called in the priests and made the leaders swear in front of them to keep the promise they had just made. 13 Then I took off the sash I was wearing around my waist and shook it out. “This is how God will shake any of you who don't keep your promise,” I said. “God will take away your houses and everything you own, and will leave you with nothing.”
Everyone who was present said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord. And the leaders kept their promise.
Nehemiah's Unselfishness
14 During all the twelve years that I was governor of the land of Judah, from the twentieth year that Artaxerxes was emperor until his thirty-second year, neither my relatives nor I ate the food I was entitled to have as governor. 15 Every governor who had been in office before me had been a burden to the people and had demanded forty silver coins a day for food and wine. Even their servants had oppressed the people. But I acted differently, because I honored God. 16 I put all my energy into rebuilding the wall and did not acquire any property. Everyone who worked for me joined in the rebuilding. 17 I regularly fed at my table a hundred and fifty of the Jewish people and their leaders, besides all the people who came to me from the surrounding nations. 18 Every day I served one beef, six of the best sheep, and many chickens, and every ten days I provided a fresh supply of wine. But I knew what heavy burdens the people had to bear, and so I did not claim the allowance that the governor is entitled to.
19 I pray you, O God, remember to my credit everything that I have done for this 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.
