¹И стаде велика вика људи и жена на браћу њихову Јудејце.

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

²Јер неки говораху: Нас и синова наших и кћери наших има много; да добавимо жита да једемо и останемо живи.

²For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live.

³Други опет говораху: Да заложимо поља своја и винограде и куће да добијемо жита у овој глади.

³Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.

⁴Још други говораху, да узајмимо новаца на поља своја и винограде за данак царски.

⁴There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.

⁵А тело је наше као тело браће наше, синови наши као њихови синови и ето треба да дамо синове своје и кћери своје у робље, и неке кћери наше већ су робиње, а ми не можемо ништа, јер поља наша и винограде наше држе други.

⁵Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.

⁶Зато се расрдих врло кад чух вику њихову и те речи.

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

⁷И смислих у срцу свом и укорих кнезове и поглаваре, и рекох им: Ви мећете бремена сваки на брата свог. И сазвах велики збор њих ради.

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.

⁸И рекох им: Ми откуписмо колико могасмо браћу своју Јудејце што беху продани народима; а ви ли ћете продавати браћу своју или ћете се продавати нама? А они умукоше и не нађоше шта би одговорили.

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.

⁹И рекох: Није добро шта радите. Не треба ли вам ходити у страху Бога нашег да нам се не ругају народи, непријатељи наши?

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?

¹⁰И ја и браћа моја и момци моји давали смо им новаца и жита; али опростимо им тај дуг.

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

¹¹Хајде вратите им данас поља њихова и винограде и маслинике и куће и што им на стотину узимасте од новца и жита и вина и уља.

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.

¹²А они одговорише: Вратићемо и нећемо искати од њих; учинићемо како велиш. Тада сазвах свештенике, и заклех их да ће тако учинити.

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.

¹³И истресох недра своја и рекох: Овако да истресе Бог сваког из куће његове и из труда његовог ко год не испуни ове речи, и овако да се истресе и буде празан. И сав збор рече: Амин. И хвалише Господа, и учини народ по тој речи.

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.

¹⁴И откад ми цар заповеди да им будем управитељ у земљи Јудиној, од године двадесете до тридесет друге године цара Артаксеркса, дванаест година, ја и браћа моја не једосмо хране управитељске.

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.

¹⁵А пређашњи управитељи који беху пре мене беху тешки народу узимајући од њега хлеб и вино осим четрдесет сикала сребра, и слуге њихове заповедаху по народу. Али ја тако не чиних бојећи се Бога.

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

¹⁶Него и око грађења зида радих, и не куписмо њиве; и сви момци моји беху скупа онде на послу.

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.

¹⁷И Јудејаца и поглавара сто и педесет људи и који долажаху к нама из околних народа беху за мојим столом.

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.

¹⁸И готовљаше се сваки дан по једно говече, шест оваца, избраних, и птице готовљаху ми се, и сваких десет дана даваше се свакојаког вина изобила. И опет не исках хране управитељске; јер служба беше тешка народу.

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.

¹⁹Помени ме Боже мој на добро за све што сам чинио овом народу.

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