'Dimäyuro Eza
1 Tu aza si amba lidri ro mànoago ndi 'ditoko ogyeogye ànyaro be, etoyi driovite amba ädrupii ànyaro Yudai ro be. 2 Tana rukä ànyaro atate ekye: “Ama orivoya ŋgwaàgoro be ndi ndiriŋwa be amba, màle inya ämäri onyane ama ätiza lidriidriro.”
3 Azakana ata kpate ekye: “Màte ugu parata uru tiko ro inya ogyezana ämäri ni mä'bu ri, ondro ka'do mòlogo parata 'do kote mìjena ämvu amaro, ämvu konoro amaro, ndi zoi amaro be ndi.”
4 Azakana atate ekye: “Mä̀ru yuŋgu te parata driutwero ozoza 'bädri'ba ri ta ämvu amaro ndi ämvukonoro amaro be rota. 5 Ama orivoya beti alo yi oso Yudai azi amaro ronye ŋgwai amaro kpa oso ŋgwai ànyaro ronye. Caoko mà te ugu ŋgwàagoro ndi ndiriŋwa amaro be o'bana a'done iyeäṛi ro, ago màgye rukä ndiriŋwa amaro ro ṛote nja iyeäṛi ro. Ama te teinye mbara aza ako opane, tana 'diazaka ruyi ämvu amaro ndi ämvu konoro amaro be te.”
6 Ma'dote kyilaro ondro meri ta ata driovi ànyaro rote owo. 7 Ondro musu tate tana ro oko mikicu 'desii ndi dri'bai lidri ro bete, ago matate ànyari makye: “Nyàte ugu ŋgalitiro uruna ni ädrupii amiro rigyesi.”
Mambikala lidri amba rote ago muluku dri'bai te rriti, 8 ago matate ànyari makye: “Mojote ruutrine mbara cini si, magye ädrupii amaro Yudai ro te kovole se agye ànya te tesi tu'dei azaka ri; oko yauono nyàte ugu ädrupii amiro ogyena tesi ogo ogyene kovole Yudai azi ànyaro ri!” Dri'bai cini lidri ro a'doyite titiro ago niyi kote ta aza atane.
9 'Dooko matate makye: “Tase nyàbe ugu loyena ono ko kado. Beṛo ko ämiri Lu amaro turine, ukyi kyila'baazii amaro se atrai ro ono ugu ama 'da. 10 Ndrani 'dori, ma, ädrupii maro ndi dri'bai losi ro maro be mòzo parata ndi inya be te lidri ri yuŋgu ro. Mì'de me'be ta ŋgavologo ŋgaliti be ono. 11 Nyòlogo ŋga ànyaro ndi kitu ondro ono si ànyari, ämvui, ämvui kono ro, ice ido royi ndi zoi ànyaro be ago alo kama parata ro, inya, vino ndi ido ice ido ro robe se mìrube ŋgaliti dri ni ànya rigyesi iyi.” 12 'Dooko dri'bai zayitadrite ekye: “Be ämäri ŋga kwoi logone ago ämäri ŋga aza olene ni ànya rigyesi te i'do. Màyena ndi oso nyatabe 'do ronye.”
Ndi mäzi kohanii te, ago matate dri'bai se koyeyi ta ono be ri ruäṛune taoyene oso ànya ko'bayi ta be ronye. 13 'Dooko mokovo Boŋgo uvuuvu maro kpate ago matate makye: “Mi'ba Lu kokovo 'dicini se käti tao'ba ono kote ni zo ndaro ndi ŋga modo ndaro robe yasi. Mi'ba okovo ndana ago nda ka'do ŋgaaza ako.”
Yai'dwe Nemaya ro
14 Ndroa 'butealo foritu se maribe wari'ba ro wari Yuda roya ana si, eto ṛoni ndroa 'buteritu oriro 'Bädri'ba Aretakerekesa ro rosi sagwo le ndroa 'butenätu foritu ndaro roya, ca ma modo kode 'didiri maro, nya ŋga kote parata ŋgaonya ro wari'ba ri si. 15 Wari'bai se käti ni märi kai 'bayi ŋgaläŋgyi diŋgyiṛiro te lidri dri, ago ruyi ŋgaonya ndi vino be te ndi mo'di 'butesu be ondoro ni lidri rigyesi. Ca ruindu'bai ànyaro ezayi lidri te. Oko maye kote inye tana muturi Lu tawi. 16 Ma'ba ma te tiṛi obene mbara cini si, ago märu gyini aza kote märi. Losioye'bai cini maro dro'beruyite tiṛi obene. 17 Ndrani 'do drisi ma ŋgaonya lidri kama alo 'butenji (150) be, Yudai ndi dri'bai be, ndi tro ànya se kikyiyibe amare ni tu'dei se gbikyi ama lomvosi kai yasi yibe. 18 Ŋgaonya se abe la'dina tu alo si 'daŋgo alo, timele kadokado njidrialo; ndi täu amba be, ago ondoalo u'du 'bute si vino beti toto cini orivoya. Caoko meji ta kote ta parata ŋgaonya ro se aba be ozone wari'ba ri 'do ta tana mänite ŋgaläŋgyi orivoya amba lidri ono dri.
19 Miyi ta a'done yauni be mari Äye Lu maro ta takado se mayebe lidri ono ri ono ta.
Oppression of the Poor
1 Some time later many of the people, both men and women, began to complain against the other Jews. 2 Some said, “We have large families, we need grain to keep us alive.”
3 Others said, “We have had to mortgage our fields and vineyards and houses to get enough grain to keep us from starving.”
4 Still others said, “We had to borrow money to pay the royal tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 We are of the same race as the other Jews. Aren't our children just as good as theirs? But we have to make slaves of our children. Some of our daughters have already been sold as slaves. We are helpless because our fields and vineyards have been taken away from us.”
6 When I heard their complaints, I grew angry 7 and decided to act. I denounced the leaders and officials of the people and told them, “You are oppressing your own relatives!”
I called a public assembly to deal with the problem 8 and said, “As far as we have been able, we have been buying back our Jewish relatives who had to sell themselves to foreigners. Now you are forcing your own relatives to sell themselves to you, their own people!” The leaders were silent and could find nothing to say.
9 Then I said, “What you are doing is wrong! You ought to obey God and do what's right. Then you would not give our enemies, the Gentiles, any reason to ridicule us. 10 I have let the people borrow money and grain from me, and so have my companions and those who work for me. Now let's give up all our claims to repayment. 11 Cancel all the debts they owe you—money or grain or wine or olive oil. And give them back their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses right now!”
12 The leaders replied, “We'll do as you say. We'll give the property back and not try to collect the debts.”
I called in the priests and made the leaders swear in front of them to keep the promise they had just made. 13 Then I took off the sash I was wearing around my waist and shook it out. “This is how God will shake any of you who don't keep your promise,” I said. “God will take away your houses and everything you own, and will leave you with nothing.”
Everyone who was present said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord. And the leaders kept their promise.
Nehemiah's Unselfishness
14 During all the twelve years that I was governor of the land of Judah, from the twentieth year that Artaxerxes was emperor until his thirty-second year, neither my relatives nor I ate the food I was entitled to have as governor. 15 Every governor who had been in office before me had been a burden to the people and had demanded forty silver coins a day for food and wine. Even their servants had oppressed the people. But I acted differently, because I honored God. 16 I put all my energy into rebuilding the wall and did not acquire any property. Everyone who worked for me joined in the rebuilding. 17 I regularly fed at my table a hundred and fifty of the Jewish people and their leaders, besides all the people who came to me from the surrounding nations. 18 Every day I served one beef, six of the best sheep, and many chickens, and every ten days I provided a fresh supply of wine. But I knew what heavy burdens the people had to bear, and so I did not claim the allowance that the governor is entitled to.
19 I pray you, O God, remember to my credit everything that I have done for this people.