¹And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

¹[] Ητο δε μεγαλη κραυγη του λαου και των γυναικων αυτων κατα των αδελφων αυτων των Ιουδαιων.

²And there were that said, We, our sons and our daughters, are many, and we must procure corn that we may eat and live.

²Διοτι ησαν τινες λεγοντες, Ημεις, οι υιοι ημων και αι θυγατερες ημων, ειμεθα πολλοι· οθεν ας λαβωμεν σιτον, δια να φαγωμεν και να ζησωμεν.

³And there were that said, We have had to pledge our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, that we might procure corn in the dearth.

³Και ησαν τινες λεγοντες, Ημεις βαλλομεν ενεχυρον τους αγρους ημων, τους αμπελωνας ημων και τας οικιας ημων, δια να λαβωμεν σιτον εξ αιτιας της πεινης.

⁴And there were that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute upon our fields and vineyards;

⁴Ησαν ετι τινες λεγοντες, Ημεις εδανεισθημεν αργυρια δια τους φορους του βασιλεως επι τους αγρους και επι τους αμπελωνας ημων·

⁵yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and behold, we must bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage [already]; neither is it in the power of our hand [to redeem them], for other men have our fields and our vineyards.

⁵τωρα δε η σαρξ ημων ειναι ως η σαρξ των αδελφων ημων, τα τεκνα ημων ως τα τεκνα αυτων· και ιδου, ημεις καθυποβαλλομεν εις δουλειαν τους υιους ημων και τας θυγατερας ημων δια να ηναι δουλοι, και τινες εκ των θυγατερων ημων εφερθησαν ηδη εις δουλειαν· και δεν ειναι ουδεν εις την εξουσιαν ημων, διοτι αλλοι εχουσι τους αγρους και τους αμπελωνας ημων.

⁶And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

⁶[] Και ηγανακτησα σφοδρα, ακουσας την κραυγην αυτων και τους λογους τουτους.

⁷And I consulted with myself; and I remonstrated with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother! And I set a great assembly against them.

⁷Και εσκεφθην κατ' εμαυτον, και επεπληξα τους προκριτους και τους προεστωτας και ειπα προς αυτους, Σεις φορολογειτε εκαστος τον αδελφον αυτου. Και συνεκαλεσα κατ' αυτων συναξιν μεγαλην.

⁸And I said to them, We, according to our ability, have redeemed our brethren the Jews, who were sold to the nations; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? And they were silent and found no answer.

⁸Και ειπα προς αυτους, Ημεις κατα την δυναμιν ημων εξηγορασαμεν τους αδελφους ημων Ιουδαιους, τους πωληθεντας εις τα εθνη· και σεις αυτοι θελετε πωλησει τους αδελφους σας; η θελουσι πωληθη εις ημας; Εκεινοι δε εσιωπων και δεν ευρηκαν αποκρισιν.

⁹And I said, The thing that ye do is not good. Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, so as not to be the reproach of the nations our enemies?

⁹Και ειπα, Δεν ειναι καλον το πραγμα το οποιον σεις καμνετε· δεν πρεπει να περιπατητε εν τω φοβω του Θεου ημων, δια να μη ονειδιζωσιν ημας τα εθνη, οι εχθροι ημων;

¹⁰I also, my brethren and my servants, we might exact usury of them, money and corn. I pray you, let us leave off this usury.

¹⁰και εγω ετι και οι αδελφοι μου και οι δουλοι μου εδανεισαμεν εις αυτους χρηματα και σιτον· ας αφησωμεν, παρακαλω, την απαιτησιν ταυτην·

¹¹Restore, I pray you, to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive-gardens, and their houses, also the hundredth [part] of the money, and of the corn, the wine and the oil, that ye have exacted of them.

¹¹επιστρεψατε λοιπον εις αυτους, ταυτην την ημεραν, τους αγρους αυτων, τους αμπελωνας αυτων, τους ελαιωνας αυτων και τους οικους αυτων και το εκατοστον του αργυριου και του σιτου, του οινου και του ελαιου, το οποιον απαιτειτε παρ' αυτων.

¹²And they said, We will restore [them], and will require nothing of them; so will we do, as thou hast said. And I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.

¹²Τοτε ειπον, Θελομεν αποδωσει ταυτα και δεν θελομεν ζητησει ουδεν παρ' αυτων· ουτω θελομεν καμει, καθως συ λεγεις. Τοτε εκαλεσα τους ιερεις και ωρκισα αυτους, οτι θελουσι καμει κατα τον λογον τουτον.

¹³Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house and from his earnings, that performeth not this promise: even thus be he shaken out and emptied! And all the congregation said, Amen! And they praised Jehovah. And the people did according to this promise.

¹³Εξετιναξα ετι τον κολπον μου, λεγων, Ουτω να εκτιναξη ο Θεος παντα ανθρωπον απο του οικου αυτου και απο του κοπου αυτου, οστις δεν εκτελεση τον λογον τουτον, και ουτω να ηναι εκτετιναγμενος και κενος. Και ειπον πασα η συναξις, Αμην, και εδοξασαν τον Κυριον. Και εκαμεν ο λαος κατα τον λογον τουτον.

¹⁴Moreover 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, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.

¹⁴[] Αφ' ης δε ημερας προσεταχθην να ημαι κυβερνητης αυτων εν τη γη Ιουδα, απο του εικοστου ετους εως του τριακοστου δευτερου ετους Αρταξερξου του βασιλεως, δωδεκα ετη, εγω και οι αδελφοι μου δεν εφαγομεν τον αρτον του κυβερνητου.

¹⁵But the former governors that were before me had been chargeable to the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver: even their servants bore rule over the people. But I did not so, because of the fear of God.

¹⁵Οι προτεροι ομως κυβερνηται, οι προ εμου, κατεβαρυνον τον λαον, και ελαμβανον παρ' αυτων αρτον και οινον, εκτος τεσσαρακοντα σικλων αργυριου· ετι και οι δουλοι αυτων εξουσιαζον τον λαον· αλλ' εγω δεν εκαμνον ουτω, φοβουμενος τον Θεον.

¹⁶Yea, also I applied myself to this work of the wall, and we bought no fields; and all my servants were gathered thither for the work.

¹⁶Και μαλιστα ενισχυθην εις το εργον τουτου του τειχους, και αγρον δεν ηγορασαμεν· και παντες οι δουλοι μου ησαν συνηγμενοι εκει εις το εργον.

¹⁷And there were at my table a hundred and fifty of the Jews and the rulers, besides those that came to us from among the nations that were about us.

¹⁷Ησαν ετι εις την τραπεζαν μου εκατον πεντηκοντα ανδρες εκ των Ιουδαιων και των προεστωτων, και οι ερχομενοι προς ημας εκ των εθνων των περιξ ημων.

¹⁸And that which was prepared daily was one ox [and] six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days all sorts of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I demanded not the bread of the governor; for the service was heavy upon this people.

¹⁸Το δε καθ' ημεραν ετοιμαζομενον δι' εμε ητο εις βους και εξ εκλεκτα προβατα· και πτηνα ητοιμαζοντο δι' εμε, και απαξ εις δεκα ημερας αφθονια απο παντος ειδους οινου· και ομως δεν εζητησα τον αρτον του κυβερνητου· διοτι η δουλεια ητο βαρεια επι τουτον τον λαον.

¹⁹Remember for me, my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.

¹⁹Μνησθητι μου, Θεε μου, επ' αγαθω, κατα παντα οσα εγω εκαμον υπερ του λαου τουτου.