Nehemiah Helps the Poor
1Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. 2Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.”
3Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.”
4Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. 5Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”
6When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 7I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.
9So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? 10I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! 11Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”
12“We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”
Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. 13I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!”
At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
14Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. 15But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels5:15 That is, about 1 pound or about 460 grams of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. 16Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we5:16 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac I did not acquire any land.
17Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. 18Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.
19Remember me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people.
Nehemiya Ateteza Anthu Aumphawi
1Tsono anthu ena ndi akazi awo anayamba kudandaula kwambiri chifukwa cha Ayuda anzawo. 2Ena ankanena kuti, “Ife ndi ana athu aamuna ndi aakazi, tilipo ochuluka kwambiri. Choncho tikufuna tirigu kuti tidye ndi kukhala ndi moyo.”
3Panali ena amene ankanena kuti, “Ife tikuchita kupereka minda yathu, mitengo yathu ya mphesa ndi nyumba zathu ngati chikole kuti tipeze tirigu chifukwa njala yakula.”
4Panalinso ena amene ankanena kuti, “ife tinachita kukongola ndalama zoti tipereke msonkho wa minda ndi mitengo yathu ya mphesa kwa mfumu. 5Ngakhale kuti ndife amodzi ndi abale athuwa, ndipo ngakhalenso ana athu ndi ofanana ndi ana awo, ife tikukakamiza ana athu kuti akhale akapolo. Ena mwa ana athu aakazi atengedwa kale ukapolo. Ife tilibe mphamvu yochitapo kanthu popeza anthu ena anatenga kale minda yathu ndi mitengo yathu ya mphesa.”
6Nditamva madandawulo awo ndi zimene amanenazi ndinapsa mtima kwambiri. 7Nditalingalira bwino ndinatsimikiza zoti ndichitepo kanthu ndipo kenaka ndinawadzudzula anthu olemekezeka ndi akuluakuluwo. Ndinawawuza kuti, “Zoona ndithu inu nʼkumalipiritsana chiwongoladzanja chachikulu anthu apachibale nokhanokha!” Choncho ndinayitanitsa msonkhano waukulu kuti ndiwazenge mlandu 8ndipo ndinati, “Monga zakhaliramu ife tikutha kuwombola abale anthu amene anagulitsidwa ukapolo kwa anthu ena. Kodi tsopano inu mukugulitsanso abale anu kwa anzawo kuti ife tiwumirizidwe kuwawombola?” Iwo anakhala chete, chifukwa sanapeze mawu oti anene.
9Kotero ndinapitiriza kunena kuti, “Zimene mukuchitazi si zabwino. Kodi inu simungakhale ndi moyo woopa Mulungu wathu kuti tipewe kunyoza kwa adani athu, anthu a mitunda inayi? 10Ine ndi abale anga ndiponso antchito anga tikuwakongozanso anthuwa ndalama ndi tirigu. Ndipo tiyeni tilekeretu zolandira chiwongoladzanja! 11Abwezereni lero lomwe minda yawo, mitengo ya mphesa, mitengo ya olivi ndiponso nyumba zawo. Muwabwezerenso chiwongoladzanja cha ndalama, tirigu, vinyo ndi mafuta zimene munatenga.”
12Iwo anayankha kuti, “Ife tidzawabwezera zimenezi popanda kupemphapo kanthu kalikonse kwa iwo. Tidzachita monga mwanena.”
Pambuyo pake ndinayitanitsa ansembe ndipo pamaso pawo ndinawalumbiritsa atsogoleriwo ndi akuluakuluwo kuti adzachitadi zomwe analonjezazo. 13Ndipo inenso ndinakutumula chovala changa ndi kuti, “Chimodzimodzinso Mulungu akutumule munthu wosasunga malonjezano ake. Amulande nyumba yake ndi katundu wake ndi kumusandutsa mʼmphawi!”
Apo msonkhano wonse unati, “Ameni” natamanda Yehova. Ndipo anthu aja anachita monga analonjezera.
14Ndiponso kuyambira nthawi imene anandisankha kuti ndikhale bwanamkubwa wa dziko la Yuda, kuchokera chaka cha makumi awiri mpaka chaka cha 32 muulamuliro wa ufumu wa Aritasasita, ndiye kuti kwa zaka zokwana 12, ine ngakhale abale anga sitinalandire chakudya choyenerera bwanamkubwa. 15Koma abwanamkubwa akale ankasautsa anthu. Iwo ankalanda anthu chakudya ndi vinyo ndi kuwalipiritsanso masekeli asiliva makumi anayi. Ngakhalenso antchito awo amavutitsa anthu kwambiri. Koma ine sindinachite zimenezo chifukwa ndimaopa Mulungu. 16Ndiponso ndinadzipereka kugwira ntchito yomanga khoma la mzinda wa Yerusalemu popanda ngakhale kugulapo munda. Antchito anganso anasonkhana komweko kuti agwire ntchito ndipo sitinafunenso malo ena.
17Kuwonjezera apa, ndinkadyetsa Ayuda, akuluakulu kuphatikizanso anthu amene ankabwera kwa ife kuchokera kwa mitundu ya anthu otizungulira okwanira 150. 18Tsiku lililonse pamaphikidwa ngʼombe imodzi, nkhosa zabwino zisanu ndi imodzi pamodzi ndi nkhuku. Ndipo pakutha pa masiku khumi aliwonse pankakhala matumba achikopa ochuluka a vinyo wa mitundu yonse. Ngakhale zinali choncho, Ine sindinatenge chakudya choperekedwa kwa bwanamkubwa, chifukwa izi zinali zosautsa anthu.
19Kuti zinthu zindiyendere bwino, kumbukirani Yehova Mulungu wanga pa zonse zimene ndachitira anthu awa.
