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| [1]And there arose a great complaynt of the people and their wyues against their brethre the Iewes |
[1]THEN there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. |
| [2]For there were some that saide, Our sonnes and daughters and we are very many: therefore wyll we take corne for them, that we may eate and liue |
[2]For there were those who said, Our sons and our daughters and our brothers are many; therefore let us purchase grain that we may eat and live. |
| [3]Some also there were that saide: Let vs set our landes, vineyardes, and houses to pledge, and take vp corne in the dearth |
[3]There were also those who said, We are going to sell our fields, our houses, and our vineyards that we may purchase grain during the famine, that we may live. |
| [4]But some there were that saide: We haue borowed money for the kinges tribute, and that vpon our landes & vineyardes |
[4]There were those who said, Let us borrow money from the king's tribute, and work our fields and our vineyards, that we may live. |
| [5]And now our fleshe is as the fleshe of our brethren, and our children as their children: and loe we bring into subiection our sonnes and our daughters as seruauntes, and some of our daughters are subdued vnto bondage alredie, and no strength is there in our handes to redeeme them, and other men haue our landes and vineyardes |
[5]And there were also those who said, Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children are as their children; and, 1o, we are compelling our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are already compelled to become maidservants; and yet they do not raise their hands in protest before God; and our fields, our vineyards, and our goods are given for other men |
| [6]And when I heard their complaynt and such wordes, it displeased me sore |
[6]And I was exceedingly sorrowful when I heard their cry and these words, and my heart was broken within me, |
| [7]And I aduised so in my minde, that I rebuked the counsellers and the rulers, and saide vnto them: Euery one of you layeth great burdens vpon his brother. And I brought a great congregation against them |
[7]But I was patient, and I consulted with the elders and with the rulers, and said to them, |
| [8]And saide vnto them: We after our habilitie haue redeemed our brethren the Iewes, which were solde vnto the heathen: And wyll you sell your brethre againe, and shall they be solde vnto vs? Then held they their peace, and coulde finde nothing to aunswere |
[8]We are redeeming our brethren the Jews, who were sold to the nations, both they and their children, and will you even take a man in pledge for his brother? Therefore I shouted at them, and said to them, Will you also sell your brethren? Then they were silent, and did not answer me. |
| [9]And [Nehemia] saide, It is not good that ye do: Ought ye not to walke in the feare of our God, because of the rebuke of the heathen that are our enemies |
[9]Also I said to them, The thing that you are doing is not good; for now you are not walking in the reverence of our God, because you are behaving like the nations which are round about us. |
| [10]I and my brethren, and my seruauntes, do lende them money and corne: I pray you let vs leaue of this burden |
[10]I, likewise, and my sons and my brothers will take money, and will buy grain and will remit the debts of the poor who are among us. |
| [11]Therefore this same day I pray you see that ye restore them their landes againe, their vineyardes, olyue gardens, and their houses, and remit the hundred parte of the money, of the corne, wine, and oyle that ye haue exacted of them |
[11]Restore to them, even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses; also pardon the debts of money and of grain, wine, and oil to the rest of the people. |
| [12]Then saide they: We wyll restore them againe, & wyll require nothing of them, and wyll do as thou hast spoken. And I called the priestes, and tooke an oth of them that they should do so |
[12]Then they said to me, We will do as you say. Then I called the priests, and said to them, This is the right thing to do, and I took an oath of them to do according to this promise. I did this also to the children of the common people. |
| [13]And I shooke my lappe and saide: God shake out euery man after the same maner from his house & laboure that maintaineth not this worde, euen thus be he shaken out, and voyde. And all the congregation saide, Amen, and praysed the Lorde: And the people did according to this promise |
[13]And we said, So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not perform this promise, even thus shall he be shaken out and emptied. And all the people said, Amen. Then all the people rose up and praised the LORD. And all the people did according to this promise |
| [14]And from the time foorth that the king committed vnto me to be captayne of them that were in the lande of Iuda, euen from the twentie yere, vnto the thirtie & two yere of king Artaxerxes, that is twelue yeres, I with my brethre liued not of such sustinaunce as was geuen to a captayne |
[14]Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Artakhshisht the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brothers were leaders over them, but I never took by force even a donkey of one of them nor did I bother any one of them. |
| [15]For the olde captaynes that were before me, had ben chargeable vnto the people, and had taken of them bread & wine, beside fouretie sicles of siluer, yea and their seruauntes had oppressed the people: But so did not I, and that because of the feare of God |
[15]But the former governors who had been before me had enslaved the people and taken from them wine and bread, besides forty shekels of silver; also their servants bore rule over the people, and they were subject to them and were tormented by them; but I did not do so, because of the fear of God. |
| [16]But I laboured also in the worke vpon the wall, and we bought no lande: and all my seruauntes came thither together vnto the worke |
[16]Also I was greatly occupied with the work of this wall, and I bought no fields; and all the Jewish servants were gathered there, supervising the work. |
| [17]Moreouer, there were at my table an hundred and fiftie of the Iewes and rulers, which came vnto me from among the heathen that are about vs |
[17]Moreover there were at my table a hundred and fifty nobles and rulers, besides those who came to us from among the nations that were about us. |
| [18]And there was prepared for me dayly an oxe and sixe chosen sheepe, and birdes were prepared for me: and euer once in ten dayes wine for all in aboundance: Yet required not I the liuing of a captayne, for the bondage was greeuous vnto the people |
[18]Now the man who prepared food brought to the servants who did the cooking, daily one ox and six fat sheep; also yearling goats were prepared for us, and once in ten days wine in abundance; yet for all this I did not ask for the provisions which were due the governorship, because the work was heavy upon this people. |
| [19]Thinke vpon me my God vnto the best, according to all that I haue done for this people |
[19]O my God, remember me for good, because of all that I have done for this people |