1
Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.
~,hyex]at0251 -l,a h'lw{d.Gt01419 ~,hyev.n.W ~'['ht05971 t;q][;ct06818 yih.T;w ? ~yid.Wh.Y;ht03064
2
For there were those who said, "We, our sons and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain that we may eat and live."
.Wn.x;n]a .Wnyet{n.b.W .Wnyen'B ~yir.m{at0559 r,v]a vey.wt03426 ? h,y.xin.wt02421 h'l.ka{n.wt0398 !'g'd h'x.qin.w ~yiB;rt07227
3
There were others who said, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our houses that we might get grain because of the famine."
.WnyeT'b.W .Wnyem'r.k.W .Wnyet{d.f ~yir.m{at0559 r,v]a vey.wt03426 ? b'['r'Bt07458 !'g'd h'x.qin.w ~yib.r{[t06148 .Wn.x;n]a
4
Also there were those who said, "We have borrowed money for the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards.
.$,l,M;ht04428 t;Dim.l @,s,kt03701 .Wnyiw'l ~yir.m{at0559 r,v]a vey.wt03426 ? .Wnyem'r.k.W .Wnyet{d.f
5
"Now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and we are helpless * * because our fields and vineyards belong to others."
.Wnyen'B ~,hyen.biK .Wner'f.Bt01320 .Wnyex;at0251 r;f.biKt01320 h'T;[.w ? .Wnyet{n.B -t,a.w .Wnyen'B -t,a ~yiv.b{kt03533 .Wn.x;n]a heNih.w ? !yea.w tw{v'B.kint03533 .Wnyet{n.Bim vey.wt03426 ~yid'b][;lt05650 ? ~yirex]a;lt0312 .Wnyem'r.k.W .Wnyet{d.f.W .Wned'yt03027 lea.lt0410
6
Then I was very angry when I had heard their outcry and these words.
~'t'q][;zt02201 -t,a yiT.[;m'vt08085 r,v]a;K d{a.mt03966 yil r;xiY;w ? h,Lea'h ~yir'b.D;ht01697 tea.w
7
I consulted with myself and contended with the nobles and the rulers and said to them, "You are exacting usury, each from his brother!" Therefore, I held a great assembly against them.
~yir{x;ht02715 -t,a h'byir'a'wt07378 y;l'[ yiBilt03820 .$el'MiY;wt04427 ? wyix'a.Bt0251 -vyiat0376 ]a'V;mt04855 ~,h'l h'r.m{a'wt0559 ~yin'g.S;h -t,a.w ? h'lw{d.g h'Lih.qt06952 ~,hyel][ !eT,a'w ]myaiv{nt05378 ~,T;a
8
I said to them, "We according to our ability have redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?" Then they were silent and could not find a word to say.
.Wnyex;at0251 -t,a .Wnyin'q .Wn.x;n]a ~,h'l h'r.m{a'wt0559 ? ~,T;a -m;g.w .Wn'b yed.K ~Iyw{G;lt01471 ~yir'K.miN;ht04376 ~yid.Wh.Y;ht03064 ? .Wvyir]x;Y;w .Wn'l -.Wr.K.min.wt04376 ~,kyex]at0251 -t,a .Wr.K.miTt04376 ? r'b'Dt01697 .Wa.c'mt04672 a{l.w
9
Again I said, "The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?
~yif{[ ~,T;a -r,v]a r'b'D;ht01697 bw{j -a{l r,ma{Y;wt0559 ? ~Iyw{G;ht01471 t;P.r,xemt02781 .WkeleT .Wnyeh{l/a t;a.rIy.Bt03374 aw{l]h ? .Wnyeb.yw{a
10
"And likewise I, my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Please, let us leave off this usury.
@,s,Kt03701 ~,h'B ~yiv{n y;r'[.n.Wt05288 y;x;at0251 yin]a -m;g.w ? h,Z;h a'V;M;ht04855 -t,a a'N -h'b.z;[;nt05800 !'g'd.wt01715
11
"Please, give back to them this very day 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 exacting from them."
~,hyem.r;K ~,hyet{d.f ~w{Y;h.Kt03117 ~,h'l a'n .Wbyiv'h ? vw{ryiT;h !'g'D;h.w @,s,K;ht03701 t;a.m.W ~,hyeT'b.W ~,hyetyezt02132 ? ~,h'B ~yiv{n ~,T;a r,v]a r'h.ciY;h.wt03323
12
Then they said, "We will give it back and will require nothing from them; we will do exactly as you say." So I called the priests and took an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.
h,f][;nt06213 !eK veQ;b.nt01245 a{l ~,hem.W byiv'n .Wr.ma{Y;wt0559 ? ~yin]h{K;h -t,a a'r.q,a'wt07121 remw{a h'T;a r,v]a;K ? h,Z;h r'b'D;Kt01697 tw{f][;l ~e[yiB.v;a'w
13
I also shook out the front of my garment and said, "Thus may God shake out every man from his house and from his possessions who does not fulfill this promise; even thus may he be shaken out and emptied." And all the assembly said, "Amen!" And they praised the LORD. Then the people did according to this promise.
~yih{l/a'ht0430 re[;n.yt05287 h'k'K h'r.m{a'wt0559 yiT.r;['nt05287 yin.c'x -m;G ? r'b'D;ht01697 -t,a ~yiq'yt07386 -a{l r,v]a vyia'ht0376 -l'K -t,a ? r.W['n h,y.hIy h'k'k.w w{[yigyim.Wt03018 w{tyeBimt01004 h,Z;h ? .Wl.l;h.y;wt01984 !em'a l'h'Q;ht06951 -l'k .Wr.ma{Y;wt0559 qer'w ? h,Z;h r'b'D;Kt01697 ~'['ht05971 f;[;Y;w h'wh.y -t,a
14
Moreover, from the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second * year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve * years, neither I nor my kinsmen have eaten the governor's food allowance.
~'x,P tw{y.hilt03063 yit{a h\Wict06680 -r,v]a ~w{Yimt03117 ~;G ? ~yiv{l.vt07970 t;n.v d;[.w ~yir.f,[ t;n.Vim h'd.Wh.y #,r,a.Bt0776 ? ~yeT.v ~yin'vt08147 .$,l,M;ht04428 a.T.s;v.x;T.r;a.l ~Iy;T.v.W ? yiT.l;k'at0398 a{l h'x,P;ht06346 ~,x,lt03899 y;x;a.wt0251 yin]a her.f,[
15
But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so because * of the fear of God.
.WdyiB.kih y;n'p.lt06440 -r,v]at07223 ~yin{vair'h tw{x;P;h.w ? r;x;at0310 !Iy;y'wt03196 ~,x,l.Bt03899 ~,hem .Wx.qiY;wt03947 ~'['ht05971 -l;[ ? .Wj.l'vt07980 ~,hyer][;nt05288 ~;Gt01571 ~yi['B.r;at0705 ~yil'q.vt08255 -p,s,K ? yen.Pim !ek yityif'[ -a{l yin]a;w ~'['ht05971 -l;[ ? ~yih{l/at0430 t;a.rIyt03374
16
I also applied myself to the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.
yiT.q;z/x,ht07704 ta{Z;ht02388 h'mw{x;h t,ka,l.miBt02346 ~;g.wt04399 ? h'ka'l.M;h -l;[t04399 ~'v ~yic.Wb.q y;r'[.n -l'k.wt05288 .Wnyin'q a{l h,d'f.w
17
Moreover, there were at my table one hundred and fifty Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.
vyiat0376 ~yiVim]x;wt02572 h'aemt03967 ~yin'g.S;h.w ~yid.Wh.Y;h.wt03064 ? .Wnyet{byib.s -r,v]a ~Iyw{G;ht01471 -nim .Wnyelea ~yia'B;h.w ? yin'x.lUvt07979 -l;[
18
Now that which was prepared for each day was one ox and six choice sheep, also birds were prepared for me; and once in ten days all sorts of wine were furnished in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the governor's food allowance, because the servitude was heavy on this people.
d'x,at0259 rw{vt07794 d'x,a ~w{y.lt03117 h,f][;nt06213 h'y'h r,v]a;w ? !yeb.W yil -.Wf][;n ~yir\Pic.wt06833 tw{rUr.Bt01305 -vevt08337 !a{c ? h,z -mi[.w heB.r;h.lt07235 !Iy;y -l'k.B ~yim'y t,r,f][ ? h'd{b]['ht05656 h'd.b'kt03513 -yiK yiT.v;Qibt01245 a{l h'x,P;ht06346 ~,x,lt03899 ? h,Z;h ~'['ht05973 -l;[
19
Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
yityif'[ -r,v]a l{K h'bw{j.l y;h{l/a yiL -h'r.k'zt02142 ? h,Z;h ~'['ht05971 -l;[