The Book of Nehemiah, Chapter 5נחמיה 5

וַתְּהִ֨י צַעֲקַ֥ת הָעָ֛ם וּנְשֵׁיהֶ֖ם גְּדוֹלָ֑ה אֶל אֲחֵיהֶ֖ם הַיְּהוּדִֽים

And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

וְיֵשׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֹמְרִ֔ים בָּנֵ֥ינוּ וּבְנֹתֵ֖ינוּ אֲנַ֣חְנוּ רַבִּ֑ים וְנִקְחָ֥ה דָגָ֖ן וְנֹאכְלָ֥ה וְנִחְיֶֽה

For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, many: therefore we take up corn , that we may eat, and live.

וְיֵשׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֹמְרִ֔ים שְׂדֹתֵ֛ינוּ וּכְרָמֵ֥ינוּ וּבָתֵּ֖ינוּ אֲנַ֣חְנוּ עֹרְבִ֑ים וְנִקְחָ֥ה דָגָ֖ן בָּרָעָֽב

also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.

וְיֵשׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֹמְרִ֔ים לָוִ֥ינוּ כֶ֖סֶף לְמִדַּ֣ת הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ שְׂדֹתֵ֖ינוּ וּכְרָמֵֽינוּ

There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, our lands and vineyards.

וְעַתָּ֗ה כִּבְשַׂ֤ר אַחֵ֨ינוּ֙ בְּשָׂרֵ֔נוּ כִּבְנֵיהֶ֖ם בָּנֵ֑ינוּ וְהִנֵּ֣ה אֲנַ֣חְנוּ כֹ֠בְשִׁים אֶת בָּנֵ֨ינוּ וְאֶת בְּנֹתֵ֜ינוּ לַעֲבָדִ֗ים וְיֵ֨שׁ מִבְּנֹתֵ֤ינוּ נִכְבָּשׁוֹת֙ וְאֵ֣ין לְאֵ֣ל יָדֵ֔נוּ וּשְׂדֹתֵ֥ינוּ וּכְרָמֵ֖ינוּ לַאֲחֵרִֽים

Yet now our flesh as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and of our daughters are brought to bondage : neither in our power ; for other men have our lands and vineyards.

וַיִּ֥חַר לִ֖י מְאֹ֑ד כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר שָׁמַ֨עְתִּי֙ אֶת זַֽעֲקָתָ֔ם וְאֵ֖ת הַדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵֽלֶּה

And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

וַיִּמָּלֵ֨ךְ לִבִּ֜י עָלַ֗י וָאָרִ֨יבָה֙ אֶת הַחֹרִ֣ים וְאֶת הַסְּגָנִ֔ים וָאֹמְרָ֣ה לָהֶ֔ם מַשָּׁ֥א אִישׁ בְּאָחִ֖יו אַתֶּ֣ם נשאים נֹשִׁ֑ים וָאֶתֵּ֥ן עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם קְהִלָּ֥ה גְדוֹלָֽה

Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said to them, You exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.

וָאֹמְרָ֣ה לָהֶ֗ם אֲנַ֣חְנוּ קָ֠נִינוּ אֶת אַחֵ֨ינוּ הַיְּהוּדִ֜ים הַנִּמְכָּרִ֤ים לַגּוֹיִם֙ כְּדֵ֣י בָ֔נוּ וְגַם אַתֶּ֛ם תִּמְכְּר֥וּ אֶת אֲחֵיכֶ֖ם וְנִמְכְּרוּ לָ֑נוּ וַֽיַּחֲרִ֔ישׁוּ וְלֹ֥א מָצְא֖וּ דָּבָֽר

And I said to them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold to the heathen; and will you even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold to us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing .

ויאמר וָאוֹמַ֕ר לֹא ט֥וֹב הַדָּבָ֖ר אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּ֣ם עֹשִׂ֑ים הֲל֞וֹא בְּיִרְאַ֤ת אֱלֹהֵ֨ינוּ֙ תֵּלֵ֔כוּ מֵחֶרְפַּ֖ת הַגּוֹיִ֥ם אוֹיְבֵֽינוּ

Also I said, It not good that you do: ought you not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?

וְגַם אֲנִי֙ אַחַ֣י וּנְעָרַ֔י נֹשִׁ֥ים בָּהֶ֖ם כֶּ֣סֶף וְדָגָ֑ן נַֽעַזְבָה נָּ֖א אֶת הַמַּשָּׁ֥א הַזֶּֽה

I likewise, my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.

הָשִׁיבוּ֩ נָ֨א לָהֶ֜ם כְּהַיּ֗וֹם שְׂדֹתֵיהֶ֛ם כַּרְמֵיהֶ֥ם זֵיתֵיהֶ֖ם וּבָתֵּיהֶ֑ם וּמְאַ֨ת הַכֶּ֤סֶף וְהַדָּגָן֙ הַתִּיר֣וֹשׁ וְהַיִּצְהָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֖ם נֹשִׁ֥ים בָּהֶֽם

Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that you exact of them.

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ נָשִׁ֗יב וּמֵהֶם֙ לֹ֣א נְבַקֵּ֔שׁ כֵּ֣ן נַעֲשֶׂ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר אַתָּ֣ה אוֹמֵ֑ר וָאֶקְרָא֙ אֶת הַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים וָֽאַשְׁבִּיעֵ֔ם לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת כַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה

Then said they, We will restore , and will require nothing of them; so will we do as you sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.

גַּם חָצְנִ֣י נָעַ֗רְתִּי וָֽאֹמְרָ֡ה כָּ֣כָה יְנַעֵ֪ר הָֽאֱלֹהִ֟ים אֶת כָּל הָאִישׁ֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא יָקִ֜ים אֶת הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה מִבֵּיתוֹ֙ וּמִ֣יגִיע֔וֹ וְכָ֛כָה יִהְיֶ֥ה נָע֖וּר וָרֵ֑ק וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ כָֽל הַקָּהָ֜ל אָמֵ֗ן וַֽיְהַלְלוּ֙ אֶת יְהוָ֔ה וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָעָ֖ם כַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה

Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised YHWH. And the people did according to this promise.

גַּ֞ם מִיּ֣וֹם אֲשֶׁר צִוָּ֣ה אֹתִ֗י לִהְי֣וֹת פֶּחָם֮ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ יְהוּדָה֒ מִשְּׁנַ֣ת עֶשְׂרִ֗ים וְ֠עַד שְׁנַ֨ת שְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים וּשְׁתַּ֨יִם֙ לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֣סְתְּא הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ שָׁנִ֖ים שְׁתֵּ֣ים עֶשְׂרֵ֑ה אֲנִ֣י וְאַחַ֔י לֶ֥חֶם הַפֶּ֖חָה לֹ֥א אָכַֽלְתִּי

Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, , twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.

וְהַפַּחוֹת֩ הָרִאשֹׁנִ֨ים אֲשֶׁר לְפָנַ֜י הִכְבִּ֣ידוּ עַל הָעָ֗ם וַיִּקְח֨וּ מֵהֶ֜ם בְּלֶ֤חֶם וָיַ֨יִן֙ אַחַר֙ כֶּֽסֶף שְׁקָלִ֣ים אַרְבָּעִ֔ים גַּ֥ם נַעֲרֵיהֶ֖ם שָׁלְט֣וּ עַל הָעָ֑ם וַאֲנִי֙ לֹא עָשִׂ֣יתִי כֵ֔ן מִפְּנֵ֖י יִרְאַ֥ת אֱלֹהִֽים

But the former governors that before me were chargeable to the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.

וְ֠גַם בִּמְלֶ֜אכֶת הַחוֹמָ֤ה הַזֹּאת֙ הֶחֱזַ֔קְתִּי וְשָׂדֶ֖ה לֹ֣א קָנִ֑ינוּ וְכָל נְעָרַ֔י קְבוּצִ֥ים שָׁ֖ם עַל הַמְּלָאכָֽה

Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants gathered thither to the work.

וְהַיְּהוּדִ֨ים וְהַסְּגָנִ֜ים מֵאָ֧ה וַחֲמִשִּׁ֣ים אִ֗ישׁ וְהַבָּאִ֥ים אֵלֵ֛ינוּ מִן הַגּוֹיִ֥ם אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתֵ֖ינוּ עַל שֻׁלְחָנִֽי

Moreover at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came to us from among the heathen that about us.

וַאֲשֶׁר֩ הָיָ֨ה נַעֲשֶׂ֜ה לְי֣וֹם אֶחָ֗ד שׁ֣וֹר אֶחָ֞ד צֹ֠אן שֵׁשׁ בְּרֻר֤וֹת וְצִפֳּרִים֙ נַֽעֲשׂוּ לִ֔י וּבֵ֨ין עֲשֶׂ֧רֶת יָמִ֛ים בְּכָל יַ֖יִן לְהַרְבֵּ֑ה וְעִם זֶ֗ה לֶ֤חֶם הַפֶּחָה֙ לֹ֣א בִקַּ֔שְׁתִּי כִּֽי כָֽבְדָ֥ה הָעֲבֹדָ֖ה עַל הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּֽה

Now which was prepared daily one ox six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.

זָכְרָה לִּ֥י אֱלֹהַ֖י לְטוֹבָ֑ה כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂ֖יתִי עַל הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּֽה

Think upon me, my God, for good, to all that I have done for this people.