¹Aga rahva ja nende naiste kisa oli suur oma vendade juutide vastu.

¹Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews.

²Oli neid, kes ütlesid: 'Meid, meie poegi ja tütreid on palju. Antagu meile vilja, et saaksime süüa ja jääksime ellu!'

²For there were that said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live.”

³Ja oli neid, kes ütlesid: 'Me peame oma põllud, viinamäed ja kojad nälja pärast pandiks andma, et vilja saada.'

³Some also there were that said, “We are mortgaging our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine.”

⁴Ja oli neid, kes ütlesid: 'Me oleme pidanud kuninga maksuks raha laenama oma põldude ja viinamägede vastu.

⁴There were also some who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral.

⁵On ju küll meiegi ihu nagu meie vendade ihu, meiegi lapsed nagu nende lapsed, aga vaata, meie peame siiski oma pojad ja tütred orjadeks andma, ja mõned meie tütreist ongi juba orjastatud; kuid me oleme selle vastu võimetud, sest meie põllud ja viinamäed on teiste käes.'

⁵Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. Neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards.”

⁶Kui ma nende kisa ja neid sõnu kuulsin, siis ma vihastusin väga.

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

⁷Ma pidasin oma südames nõu ja riidlesin siis suurnikega ja ülematega ning ütlesin neile: 'Te võtate üksteiselt liigkasu!' Siis ma seadsin neile vastu suure koguduse

⁷Then 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.

⁸ja ütlesin neile: 'Meie oleme, nõnda palju kui suutsime, lunastanud oma vennad juudid, kes ennast paganaile olid müünud. Teie seevastu müüte oma vendi, et neid siis jälle meile peaks müüdama!' Siis nad vaikisid ega leidnud vastust.

⁸I 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 never a word.

⁹Ja ma ütlesin: 'See pole hea, mis te teete! Kas te ei peaks mitte elama meie Jumala kartuses, paganate, meie vaenlaste teotuse vältimiseks?

⁹Also I said, “The thing that you do is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies?

¹⁰Ka mina, mu vennad ja mu sulased oleme neile laenanud raha ja vilja. Loobugem nüüd selle nõudmisest!

¹⁰I likewise, my brothers and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury.

¹¹Andke neile juba täna tagasi nende põllud, viinamäed, õlipuud ja kojad ja sajas osa rahast, viljast, veinist ja õlist, mida te neile olete laenanud!'

¹¹Please restore to them, even this day, 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.”

¹²Ja nad vastasid: 'Me anname tagasi ega nõua neilt midagi; me teeme nõnda, nagu sa oled öelnud.' Siis, kutsudes preestrid, ma vannutasin neid, et nad teeksid nõnda.

¹²Then they said, “We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do, even as you say.” Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise.

¹³Minagi puistasin oma põue ja ütlesin: 'Nõnda puistaku Jumal tema kojast ja tööst igaühte, kes seda sõna ei pea! Jäägu ta seesuguseks puistatuks ja tühjaks!' Ja terve kogudus ütles: 'Aamen!' ning kiitis Issandat. Ja rahvas tegi selle sõna järgi.

¹³Also 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 thus be he shaken out, and emptied.” All the assembly said, “Amen,” and praised Yahweh. The people did according to this promise.

¹⁴Ja edasi - alates sellest päevast, mil mind kästi olla Juudamaa maavalitsejaks, kuningas Artahsasta kahekümnendast valitsemisaastast kolmekümne teise valitsemisaastani, kaksteist aastat, ei ole mina ega mu vennad söönud maavalitseja leiba.

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

¹⁵Endised maavalitsejad, kes olid enne mind, olid rahvast raskesti koormanud ja neilt võtnud leiba ja veini, peale selle veel nelikümmend hõbeseeklit; ka oli nende sulastel meelevald rahva üle. Aga mina ei teinud nõnda Jumala kartuse pärast.

¹⁵But the former governors who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and wine from them, besides forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants ruled over the people: but I didn’t do so, because of the fear of God.

¹⁶Ka võtsin ma ise osa sellest müüritööst, kuigi me enestele põldu ei olnud ostnud; ja kõik mu sulased olid sinna tööle kogutud.

¹⁶Yes, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered there to the work.

¹⁷Juudid ja ülemad, sada viiskümmend meest, ja need, kes ümberkaudseist paganaist meie juurde tulid, olid mu lauas.

¹⁷Moreover there were at my table, of the Jews and the rulers, one hundred fifty men, besides those who came to us from among the nations that were around us.

¹⁸Seda, mis üheks päevaks valmistati, oli üks härg, kuus valitud lammast ja linnud - neidki valmistati mulle - ja iga kümne päeva järel oli rohkesti kõiksugust veini, aga ma siiski ei nõudnud maavalitseja leiba, sest selle rahva peal oli raske orjus.

¹⁸Now 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 store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this I didn’t demand the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy on this people.

¹⁹Meenuta minu heaks, mu Jumal, kõike, mis ma sellele rahvale olen teinud!

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