1Dan ada suatu rintihan besar oleh rakyat dan isteri mereka terhadap saudara-saudara mereka, orang Yahudi.
2Sebab ada yang berkata bahawa, Kami, anak-anak lelaki kami, dan anak-anak perempuan kami, adalah banyak: maka kami menuai jagung bagi mereka, supaya kami dapat makan, dan hidup.
3Ada sesetengah pula yang berkata, Kami telah menggadai janji tanah kami, kebun anggur kami, dan rumah kami, supaya kami dapat membeli jagung, disebabkan kemarau ini.
4Ada sesetengah lagi yang berkata, Kami telah mendapat pinjaman wang untuk membayar ufti raja, dan itu pun atas tanah dan kebun anggur kami.
5Namun sekarang daging kami seakan seperti daging saudara kami, anak-anak kami seperti anak-anak mereka: dan lihatlah, kami membawa ke dalam belenggu anak-anak lelaki kami dan anak-anak perempuan kami, dan sesetengah daripada anak perempuan kami sudah dibelenggukan: dan kami tiada kuasa untuk menebus mereka; sebab orang lain sudah memiliki tanah dan kebun anggur kami.
6And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
7Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.I consulted�: Heb. my heart consulted in me
8And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.
9Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?
10I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.
11Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.
12Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.
13Also 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 the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.emptied: Heb. empty, or, void
14Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.
15Tetapi para gabenor yang sebelum aku membebankan rakyat, dan telah mengambil daripada mereka roti dan wain, selain daripada empat puluh syikal perak; ya, hamba-hamba mereka pun memerintah atas rakyat: tetapi aku tidak berbuat demikian, kerana takut akan Allah.
16Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work.
17Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us.
18Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and 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.
19Fikir tentangku, ya Allahku, bagi kebaikan, menurut segalanya yang telah aku buat bagi umat ini.