Bilingual reading

Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews.

For there were some who said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live.”

There were also some who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine.”

There were also some who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral.

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.”

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

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.

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.

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?

I likewise, my brothers and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury.

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.”

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.

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 the LORD. The people did according to this promise.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Remember me, my God, for all the good that I have done for this people.

وكانَت شَكْوى عَظيمةٌ مِنَ الشَّعبِ ونِسائِهم على إِخْوانِهمِ اليَهود

فمِن قائِل: «نَحنُ وبنونا وبَناتُنا كَثيرون، فهَلُمُّوا نَشتَري حِنطَةً لِنأكُلَ ونَعيش»

ومِن قائِل: «إِنَّنا رَهَنَّا حُقولَنا وكُرومَنا وبُيوتَنا لِنَشتَرِيَ حِنطَةً في المَجاعة»

ومِن قائِل: «إِنَّنا ٱقتَرَضنا فِضَّةً لِتَأدِيَةِ خَراجِ المَلِكِ على حُقولِنا وكُرومِنا

والآن، فإِنَّ لَحمَنا كلَحمِ إِخْوانِنا وبَنينا كَبنيهم، وها نَحنُ نُسلِمُ بَنينا وبَناتِنا إِلى العُبودِيَّة، وقدِ ٱستُعبِدَ بَعضُ بَناتِنا، ولا طاقَةَ في أَيدينا، وحُقولُنا وكُرومُنا أَصبَحَت لِغَيرِنا»

فلَمَّا سَمِعتُ شَكْواهم وهٰذه الكَلِمات، غَضِبتُ غَضَبًا شَديدًا

فشاوَرتُ نَفْسي وعَنَّفتُ الأَشْرافَ والحُكَّامَ وقُلتُ لَهم: «تُثَقِّلونَ كُلُّ واحِدٍ على أَخيه»، وٱستَدعَيتُ علَيهم جَماعَةً كَبيرَة

وقُلتُ لَهم: «نَحنُ ٱفتَدَينا على قَدرِ طاقَتِنا إِخْوانَنا اليَهودَ الَّذينَ بيعوا لِلأُمَم، فإِذا أَنتُم أَيضًا تَبيعونَ إِخْوانَكُم ولَنا يُباعون». فسَكَتوا ولم يَستَطيعوا جَوابًا

وقُلتُ: «لَيسَ ما تَعمَلون بِحَسَن، فهَلَّا تَسيرونَ بِمَخافَةِ إِلٰهِنا تَجَنُّبًا لِعارِ الأُمَمِ أَعْدائِنا

وأَنا أَيضًا وإِخوَتي ورِجالي قد أَقرَضناهم فِضَّةً وحِنطَةً، فَلْنَتْرُكْ هٰذا الدَّيْن

ورُدُّوا إِلَيهم في هٰذا اليَومِ حُقولَهم وكُرومَهم وزَيتونَهم وبُيوتَهم، فَضلًا عنِ الواحِدِ في المِئَةِ مِنَ الفِضَّةِ والحِنطَةِ والخَمرِ والزَّيتِ الَّذي تُطالِبونَهم بِه»

فقالوا: «نَرُدُّ، ولا نُطالِبُهم بِه، وكما تَقولُ فنَحنُ نَفعَل». فدَعَوتُ الكَهَنَةَ وحَلَّفتُهم على أَن يَفْعَلوا بمُقْتَضى هٰذا الكَلام

ثُمَّ نَفَضتُ حِضْني وقُلتُ: «هٰكذا يَنفُضُ اللهُ كُلَّ إِنْسانٍ لا يَفي بِهٰذا الكَلامِ مِن بَيتِه ومِن مِلكِه، وهٰكذا يَكونُ مَنْفوضًا وفارِغًا». فقالَتِ الجَماعَةُ كُلُّها: «آمين»، وسَبَّحَتِ الرَّبّ، وعَمِلَ الشَّعبُ وَفقًا لِهٰذا الكَلام

ثُمَّ إِنِّي مُنذُ يَومَ أُمِرتُ أَن أَكونَ والِيًا في أَرضِ يَهوذا، مِنَ السَّنَةِ العِشْرينَ إِلى السَّنَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ والثَّلاثينَ لِأَرتَحْشَشْتا المَلِك، أَيِ ٱثنَتَي عَشَرَةَ سَنَة، لم آكُلْ أَنا ولا إِخوَتي خُبزَ الوالي

وأَمَّا الوُلاةُ الأَوَّلونَ الَّذينَ كانوا قَبْلي، فثَقَّلوا على الشَّعْب، وكانوا يأخُذونَ مِنهُ مِنَ الخُبزِ والخَمرِ، فَضلًا عن الفِضَّة، ما يَزيدُ على أَربَعينَ مِثْقالًا مِنَ الفِضَّة، بل رِجالُهم أَيضًا كانوا يَتَسَلَّطونَ على الشَّعْب. أَمَّا أَنا فلَم أفعَلْ مِثلَ ذٰلك خَشيَةً لله

وإِنَّما تَمَسَّكتُ بِعَمَلِ هٰذا السُّور، ولم نَشتَرِ حَقلًا، وكانَ جَميعُ رِجالي مُجتَمِعينَ هُناكَ لِلعَمَل

وكانَ على مائِدَتي مِنَ اليَهودِ والحُكَّامِ مِئَةٌ وخَمْسونَ رَجُلًا، فَضلًا عمَّن قَدِمَ إِلَينا مِنَ الأُمَمِ الَّتي حَولَنا

وكانَ يُهَيَّأُ لي في كُلِّ يَومٍ ثَورٌ وسِتَّةٌ مِن خِيارِ الغَنَم، ما عَدا الطُّيور، وفي كُلِّ عَشرَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِن جَميعِ أَنْواعِ الخَمرِ شَيءٌ كثير. ومع هٰذا لم أَطلُبْ خُبزَ الوالي، لِأَنَّ العَمَلَ قد ثَقُلَ على هٰذا الشَّعْب

فٱذكُرْني أَللَّهُمَّ بِالخَيرِ على كُلِّ ما صَنَعتُه إِلى هٰذا الشَّعْب