Wycliffe WYC
Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
1 And great cry of the people and of their wives was made against their brethren Jews. (And later there came a time when a great cry of the people, both men and women, was made against their fellow Jews.)
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Now there was a great cry of the people, and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.
2 And there were (those) that said, Our sons and our daughters be full many; take we wheat for the price of them, and eat we, and live. (And there were those who said, We have sold our sons and our daughters for corn, or for grain, so that we could eat, and stay alive.)
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And there were some that said: Our sons and our daughters are very many: let us take up corn for the price of them, and let us eat and live.
3 Also there were (others) that said, Set we forth to sale our fields, and vineries, and our houses, and take we wheat to eat in this hunger. (And there were others who said, We have sold our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, so we could get corn, or grain, to eat during this famine.)
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And there were some that said: Let us mortgage our lands, and our vineyards, and our houses, and let us take corn because of the famine.
4 And other men said, Take we money by borrowing, for usury, into the tributes of the king, and give our fields and vineries. (And still others said, We have borrowed money with interest, against our fields and our vineyards, so we could pay the tributes, or the taxes, to the king.)
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And others said: Let us borrow money for the king’s tribute, and let us give up our fields and vineyards:
5 And now as the fleshes of our brethren be, so and our fleshes be; and as be the sons of them, so and our sons be; lo! we have made subject our sons and our daughters into servage, and servantesses be (made) of our daughters, and we have not whereof they may be again-bought; and other men have in possession our fields, and our vineries. (And now though our flesh be like the flesh of our kinsmen, and our sons be like their sons; lo! we have subjected our sons and our daughters to servitude, or slavery, and some of our daughters be made slave-girls; and we have not whereof to buy them back, for now others possess our fields, and our vineyards.)
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And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren: and our children as their children. Behold we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters, and some of our daughters are bondwomen already, neither have we wherewith to redeem them, and our fields and our vineyards other men possess.
6 And I was full wroth, when I had heard the cry of them by these words. (And I was very angry, when I had heard their outcry over these matters.)
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And I was exceedingly angry when I heard their cry according to these words.
7 And mine heart thought with(in) me, and I blamed the principal men, and magistrates; and I said to them, Ask ye not usuries, or increase, each man of your brethren (And I thought in my heart within me, and I rebuked the leaders, and the magistrates; and I said to them, Ye should not ask for usury, or unfair interest, from your kinsmen). And I gathered together a great company against them,
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And my heart thought with myself: and I rebuked the nobles and magistrates, and said to them: Do you every one exact usury of your brethren? And I gathered together a great assembly against them,
8 and I said to them, As ye know, we have by our power again-bought our brethren Jews, that were sold to heathen men; and ye now sell your brethren, and shall we again-buy them of you? And they held silence, and found not what they should answer. (and I said to them, As ye know, by our power we have bought back our fellow Jews, who were sold to the heathen; but now your own kinsmen must sell themselves to you, and so now do we have to buy them back from you? And they held their peace, and found not what they should answer.)
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And I said to them: We, as you know, have redeemed according to our ability our brethren the Jews, that were sold to the Gentiles: and will you then sell your brethren, for us to redeem them? And they held their peace, and found not what to answer.
9 And I said to them, It is not (a) good thing, that ye do; why go ye not in the dread of our God, and reproof be not said to us of heathen men, our enemies? (And I said to them, It is not good what ye have done; why do ye not go in the fear of our God? and then rebuke would not be said to us by our enemies, the heathen.)
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And I said to them: The thing you do is not good: why walk you not in the fear of our God, that we be not exposed to the reproaches of the Gentiles our enemies?
10 Both I, and my brethren, and my servants, have lent to full many men money and wheat; in common, ask we not (for) this again; but forgive we alien money, or usury, which is due to us. (I, and my kinsmen, and my servants, have lent money and corn to a great many people; let us agree together that we shall not ask for any of this back; and let us forget about the interest, which is due to us.)
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Both I and my brethren, and my servants, have lent money and corn to many: let us all agree not to call for it again; let us forgive the debt that is owing to us.
11 And again yield ye to them to day their fields, and their vineries, their olive places, and their houses; and rather, give ye for them the hundred part of money, and of wheat, of wine, and of oil, which ye were wont to take of them. (And today, give ye back to them their fields, and their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses; and give ye back to them the money, and the corn, the wine, and the oil, which ye were wont to take from them.)
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Restore ye to them this day their fields, and their vineyards, and their oliveyards, and their houses: and the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, which you were wont to exact of them, give it rather for them.
12 And they said, We shall yield their goods to them, and we shall ask nothing of them; and we shall do so as thou speakest. And I called the priests, and I made them to swear, that they should do after this, that I had said. (And they said, We shall give back their goods to them, and we shall ask nothing from them; and we shall do as thou sayest. And I called for the priests, and I made them swear before the priests, that they would do as they had promised.)
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And they said: We will restore, and we will require nothing of them: and we will do as thou sayest. And I called the priests and took an oath of them, to do according to what I had said.
13 And furthermore I shook my bosom, and I said, So (may) God shake away each man from his house, and from his travails, that fulfilleth not this word; and be he shaken away, and be he made void. And all the multitude said, Amen; and they praised God. And the people did, as it was said (And all the people/And all the leaders did, as they had promised).
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Moreover I shook my lap, and said: So may God shake every man that shall not accomplish this word, out of his house, and out of his labours, thus may he be shaken out, and become empty. And all the multitude said: Amen. And they praised God. And the people did according to what was said.
14 Forsooth from that day in which the king had commanded to me, that I should be duke in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes (the) king, that is, by twelve years, I and my brethren ate not the sustenances which were due to dukes. (And from the day in which the king had commanded me, that I should be the governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year unto the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, that is, for twelve years, I and my kinsmen did not take the sustenances, that is, the food allowances, which were due to the governor.)
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And from the day, in which the king commanded me to be governor in the land of Juda, from the twentieth year even to the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, for twelve years, I and my brethren did not eat the yearly allowance that was due to the governors.
15 But the first dukes, that were before me, grieved the people, and took of them in bread, and wine, and money, each day forty shekels; and also their ministers oppressed the people. But I did not so, for the dread of God; (But the former governors, who were there before me, grieved the people, and took from them bread, and wine, and money, forty shekels worth, each day; and their servants, and their officers, also oppressed the people. But I did not do so, for the fear of God/because of my reverence for God;)
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But the former governors that had been before me, were chargeable to the people, and took of them in bread, and wine, and in money every day forty sicles: and their officers also oppressed the people. But I did not so for the fear of God.
16 but rather I subjected myself, and I builded in the work of the wall (and I helped rebuild the wall), and I bought no field, and all my servants were gathered together with me to (do) the work.
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Moreover I built in the work of the wall, and I bought no land, and all my servants were gathered together to the work.
17 Also [the] Jews and the magistrates of them, an hundred and fifty men, and they that came to me from heathen men, that be in our compass, were eating in my table. (And some of the Jews and their magistrates, a hundred and fifty men, and also some of the heathen, who came to me from all around us, ate at my table.)
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The Jews also and the magistrates to the number of one hundred and fifty men, were at my table, besides them that came to us from among the nations that were round about us.
18 Forsooth by each day one ox was made ready to me, six chosen wethers, besides volatiles, and within ten days diverse wines; and I gave many other things; furthermore and I asked not (for) the sustenances of my duchy; for the people was made full poor. (And each day an ox, and six chosen sheep, and fowls, were provided by me, and every ten days, a new supply of wine; and I gave many other things as well; and furthermore I did not ask for the governor's allowance, to which I was entitled, because the people were already so poor.)
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And there was prepared for me day be day one ox, and six choice rams, besides fowls, and once in ten days I gave store of divers wines, and many other things: yet I did not require my yearly allowance as governor: for the people were very much impoverished.
19 My God, have thou mind on me into good, by all things which I have done to this people. (My God, remember me, for all the good things which I have done for these people.)
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Remember me, O my God, for good according to all that I have done for this people.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.
The Douay-Rheims Bible is in the public domain.