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.
尼希米帮助穷苦人
1那时，民众和他们的妻子都抱怨他们的犹太同胞。 2有的说：“我们和儿女人口众多，需要粮食来活命。” 3有的说：“因为饥荒的缘故，我们要将田地、葡萄园和房屋作抵押来获取粮食。” 4有的说：“我们要借钱才能缴纳王对我们的田地和葡萄园征收的税。 5我们和他们是同胞，我们的孩子就像他们的孩子。但现在我们的儿女要被迫成为仆婢，甚至我们的女儿有些已经沦为奴婢。我们却无能为力，因为我们的田地和葡萄园已经归别人了。”
6听到他们的怨声载道后，我非常愤怒。 7经过深思熟虑后，我便斥责贵族和官员，说：“你们竟然向同胞放高利贷！”于是我召开大会处理他们的问题。 8我对他们说：“我们在尽力赎回那些被卖到外邦的犹太同胞，你们却要卖他们为奴，好让我们再赎回他们吗？”他们都沉默不语，无言以对。 9我继续说：“你们的所作所为实在不对。难道你们不应该敬畏上帝，以免我们的仇敌凌辱我们吗？ 10我和我的兄弟及仆人都借钱、借粮给民众，现在我们要停止收取利息。 11你们今天就要归还他们的田地、葡萄园、橄榄园和房屋，以及你们向他们所收的五谷、新酒和油的利息。”
12他们说：“我们会照你的话去做，把东西还给他们，不再向他们索债。”于是，我召来祭司，让这些人起誓遵守自己的诺言。 13我抖着衣服说：“如果你们不守誓言，愿上帝也这样抖掉你们的家园和你们劳碌得来的，使你们一无所有。”全体会众都说：“阿们！”他们赞美耶和华，民众都遵照誓言去行。
尼希米大公无私
14从亚达薛西王二十年至三十二年，也就是我奉派为犹大省长的十二年间，我和我的弟兄都没有吃省长的俸禄。 15在我之前的省长使民众负担沉重，天天索取食物、酒及十两银子。他们的仆人也欺压民众，但我因敬畏上帝就没有这样做。 16我全心修筑城墙，没有购置田产，我的仆人也都参与修建城墙的工作。 17除了从周围外邦来到我们这里的人之外，还有一百五十名犹太人和官员与我一同吃饭。 18我每天需要预备一头公牛、六只肥羊和飞禽；每十天还要大量供应各样酒品。即使这样，我仍然没有吃省长的俸禄，因为民众已经负担沉重。 19我的上帝啊，求你记念我为这些民众所做的一切，施恩于我。
