1 Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews. 2 For there were some who said, "We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live." 3 There were also some who said, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine." 4 There were also some who said, "We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral. 5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring our sons and our daughters into bondage to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. It is also not in our power to help it, because other men have our fields and our vineyards."

6 I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. 7 Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, "You exact usury, everyone of his brother." I held a great assembly against them. 8 I said to them, "We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?" Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say. 9 Also I said, "The thing that you do is not good. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? 10 I likewise, my brothers and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury. 11 Please restore to them, even today, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, that you are charging them."

12 Then they said, "We will restore them, and will require nothing of them. We will do so, even as you say."

Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise. 13 Also I shook out my lap, and said, "So may God shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that doesn’t perform this promise; even may he be shaken out and emptied like this."

All the assembly said, "Amen," and praised Yahweh. 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, that is, twelve years, I and my brothers have not eaten the bread of the governor. 15 But the former governors who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and wine from them, plus forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants ruled over the people, but I didn’t do so, because of the fear of God. 16 Yes, I also continued in the work of this wall. We didn’t buy any land. All my servants were gathered there to the work. 17 Moreover there were at my table, of the Jews and the rulers, one hundred fifty men, in addition to those who came to us from among the nations that were around us. 18 Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days a store of all sorts of wine. Yet for all this, I didn’t demand the governor’s pay, because the bondage was heavy on this people. 19 Remember me, my God, for all the good 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 belê

8 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!