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

¹穷人的呼喊

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

²有些人说：“我们和儿女人口众多，给我们五谷糊口，可以存活。”

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.”

³有些人说：“我们抵押了自己的田地、葡萄园和房屋，为要在饥荒中买到五谷。”

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

⁴有些人说：“我们为了要借钱向王纳税，只好抵押了我们的田地和葡萄园。

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.”

⁵虽然我们的身体与我们同胞的身体一样，我们的儿女与他们的儿女也相同，可是我们却要强迫自己的儿女去作仆婢，而且我们的女儿有些已经作了奴婢，我们却无能为力，因为我们的田地和葡萄园已经属于别人了。”

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

⁶尼希米怒斥官长与领袖我听见他们的哀叫和所讲的这些事，就十分忿怒。

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.

⁷我心中筹算一番以后，就谴责贵族和官长，对他们说：“你们各人向自己的同胞贷款，竟然索取高利！”于是我召开大会攻击他们。

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.

⁸我对他们说：“我们已尽了我们的能力，把那些卖了给外族人的同胞犹大人买赎回来，而你们还想要出卖你们的同胞，好让我们再把他们买回来吗？”他们都默不作声，无话可说。

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?

⁹我又说：“你们这事作得不对。你们岂不应怀着敬畏我们　神的心行事为人，免遭我们的仇敌外族人的毁谤吗？

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

¹⁰现在我和我的兄弟，以及我的仆人要把银钱和五谷借给他们。让我们大家都放弃放债取利吧！

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.”

¹¹请你们今天就把他们的田地、葡萄园、橄榄园、房屋，以及你们向他们索取的利息：百分之一的利钱、五谷、新酒和新油，都归还给他们。”

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.

¹²他们就说：“我们必定归还，不再向他们要求利息了，你怎么说，我们愿意照着你说的去行。”我就把祭司们召了来，叫众人起誓必照着这话去行。

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.

¹³我抖着胸前的衣襟说：“不履行这话的，愿　神也是这样抖他离开他的家和产业，直到抖空。”全体会众都说：“阿们！”又赞美耶和华。众人都照着这话去行。

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.

¹⁴尼希米清廉朴实自从我奉命在犹大地作他们省长的日子以来，就是从亚达薛西王二十年，直到三十二年，共十二年，我和我的兄弟都没有吃过省长的俸禄。

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.

¹⁵在我们以先的前任省长，重压人民，每日都向他们索取粮食和酒，以及四百五十六克银子。连他们的仆人也辖制人民，但我因为敬畏　神，就不这样行。

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.

¹⁶我坚持只重修城墙的工程；所以我们不购置田产，我所有的仆人也都聚集在那里工作。

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.

¹⁷在我桌上吃饭的，有一百五十个犹大人和官长，还有那些从我们四围外族来到我们这里的人；

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.

¹⁸每天预备牛一头、肥羊六只，又为我预备一些飞禽；每十天供应大量各类的酒。虽然这样，我仍然没有索取省长的俸禄，因为这些人服役已经负担沉重。

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

¹⁹“我的　神啊，求你记念我，记念我为这人民所作的一切事，施恩给我。”