1 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.2 And there were that said, We, our sons and our daughters, are many, and we must procure corn that we may eat and live.3 And there were that said, We have had to pledge our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, that we might procure corn in the dearth.4 And there were that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute upon our fields and vineyards;5 yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and behold, we must bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage {already}; neither is it in the power of our hand {to redeem them}, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.7 And I consulted with myself; and I remonstrated with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother! And I set a great assembly against them.8 And I said to them, We, according to our ability, have redeemed our brethren the Jews, who were sold to the nations; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? And they were silent and found no answer.9 And I said, The thing that ye do is not good. Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, so as not to be the reproach of the nations our enemies?10 I also, my brethren and my servants, we might exact usury of them, money and corn. I pray you, let us leave off this usury.11 Restore, I pray you, to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive-gardens, and their houses, also the hundredth {part} of the money, and of the corn, the wine and the oil, that ye have exacted of them.12 And they said, We will restore {them}, and will require nothing of them; so will we do, as thou hast said. And I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.13 Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house and from his earnings, that performeth not this promise: even thus be he shaken out and emptied! And all the congregation said, Amen! And they praised Jehovah. And the people did according to this promise.14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.15 But the former governors that were before me had been chargeable to the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver: even their servants bore rule over the people. But I did not so, because of the fear of God.16 Yea, also I applied myself to this work of the wall, and we bought no fields; and all my servants were gathered thither for the work.17 And there were at my table a hundred and fifty of the Jews and the rulers, besides those that came to us from among the nations that were about us.18 And that which was prepared daily was one ox {and} six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days all sorts of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I demanded not the bread of the governor; for the service was heavy upon this people.19 Remember for me, my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.

1 En daar het 'n groot geroep van die volk en van hulle vroue ontstaan teen hulle broers, die Jode;2 en sommige het gesê: Ons seuns en ons dogters, ons is baie; ons wil koring hê, dat ons kan eet en lewe!3 En ander het gesê: Ons lande en ons wingerde en ons huise moes ons verpand, sodat ons koring kon koop in die hongersnood!4 En ander weer het gesê: Ons het op ons lande en ons wingerde geld geleen vir die belasting aan die koning.5 En nou, ons vlees is soos die vlees van ons broers en ons kinders soos hulle kinders, en tog moet ons nou ons seuns en ons dogters tot slawe verneder, en van ons dogters is al verneder sonder dat ons daar iets aan kan doen, en ons lande en ons wingerde behoort aan ander.6 En ek was baie verontwaardig toe ek hulle geroep en hierdie woorde hoor.7 En ek het by myself beraadslaag en met die edeles en die leiers getwis en aan hulle gesê: Julle leen uit op woeker, elkeen aan sy broer! En ek het 'n groot vergadering teen hulle belê8 en aan hulle gesê: Ons het ons Joodse broers wat aan die heidene verkoop was, na ons vermoë losgekoop; en tog verkoop julle jul broers, sodat hulle hul aan ons moet verkoop. En hulle het geswyg en geen antwoord gevind nie.9 Verder het ek gesê: Dit is nie goed wat julle doen nie. Moet julle nie in die vrees van onse God wandel ter wille van die smaad van die heidene, ons vyande, nie?10 Ek self, my broers en my mense het ook aan hulle geld en koring geleen; laat ons tog hierdie lening kwytskeld.11 Gee dan vandag nog hulle lande, hulle wingerde, hulle olyfbome en hulle huise aan hulle terug, en die honderdste deel van die geld en die koring, die mos en die olie wat julle aan hulle geleen het.12 Daarop sê hulle: Ons sal dit teruggee en niks van hulle vorder nie; ons sal net so handel soos u gesê het. En ek het die priesters geroep en hulle laat sweer om volgens hierdie woord te handel.13 Ook het ek my boesem uitgeskud en gesê: Mag God so elke man uitskud wat hierdie woord nie bevestig nie, uit sy huis en uit sy besitting; en mag hy so uitgeskud en leeg wees! Toe sê die hele vergadering: Amen! en hulle het die HERE geprys. En die volk het volgens hierdie woord gehandel.14 Ook van die dag af dat ek aangestel is om hulle goewerneur te wees in die land Juda, van die twintigste jaar af tot die twee en dertigste jaar van koning Artas sta, twaalf jaar lank, het ek en my broers die brood van goewerneurs nie geëet nie;15 terwyl die vorige goewerneurs wat voor my was, die volk swaar belas het en van hulle brood en wyn geneem het, daarna veertig sikkels silwer. Hulle mense het ook heerskappy gevoer oor die volk; maar so het ek uit vrees vir God nie gedoen nie.16 En ook by die werk aan hierdie muur het ek volhard sonder dat ons grond aangeskaf het, terwyl tog al my mense daar by die werk versamel was.17 En die Jode, die leiers, honderd en vyftig man, sowel as die wat uit die heidene rondom ons na ons toe gekom het, was aan my tafel.18 En wat vir elke dag berei is -- een bees, ses uitgesoekte stuks kleinvee en voëls -- is berei op my koste, en elke tien dae allerhande soorte wyn in oorvloed; en daarby het ek tog die brood van goewerneurs nie begeer nie, omdat die diens swaar was op hierdie volk.19 Dink, my God, my ten goede, aan alles wat ek aan hierdie volk gedoen het!