| א וַתְּהִי צַעֲקַת הָעָם וּנְשֵׁיהֶם, גְּדוֹלָה, אֶל-אֲחֵיהֶם, הַיְּהוּדִים. | 1 Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. |
| ב וְיֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר אֹמְרִים, בָּנֵינוּ וּבְנֹתֵינוּ אֲנַחְנוּ רַבִּים; וְנִקְחָה דָגָן, וְנֹאכְלָה וְנִחְיֶה. | 2 For there were that said: 'We, our sons and our daughters, are many; let us get for them corn, that we may eat and live.' |
| ג וְיֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר אֹמְרִים, שְׂדֹתֵינוּ וּכְרָמֵינוּ וּבָתֵּינוּ אֲנַחְנוּ עֹרְבִים; וְנִקְחָה דָגָן, בָּרָעָב. | 3 Some also there were that said: 'We are mortgaging our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses; let us get corn, because of the dearth.' |
| ד וְיֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר אֹמְרִים, לָוִינוּ כֶסֶף לְמִדַּת הַמֶּלֶךְ, שְׂדֹתֵינוּ, וּכְרָמֵינוּ. | 4 There were also that said: 'We have borrowed money for the king's tribute upon our fields and our vineyards. |
| ה וְעַתָּה, כִּבְשַׂר אַחֵינוּ בְּשָׂרֵנוּ, כִּבְנֵיהֶם, בָּנֵינוּ; וְהִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ כֹבְשִׁים אֶת-בָּנֵינוּ וְאֶת-בְּנֹתֵינוּ לַעֲבָדִים, וְיֵשׁ מִבְּנֹתֵינוּ נִכְבָּשׁוֹת וְאֵין לְאֵל יָדֵנוּ, וּשְׂדֹתֵינוּ וּכְרָמֵינוּ, לַאֲחֵרִים. | 5 Yet 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 into bondage already; neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards.' |
| ו וַיִּחַר לִי, מְאֹד, כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת-זַעֲקָתָם, וְאֵת הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה. | 6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. |
| ז וַיִּמָּלֵךְ לִבִּי עָלַי, וָאָרִיבָה אֶת-הַחֹרִים וְאֶת-הַסְּגָנִים, וָאֹמְרָה לָהֶם, מַשָּׁא אִישׁ-בְּאָחִיו אַתֶּם נשאים נֹשִׁים; וָאֶתֵּן עֲלֵיהֶם, קְהִלָּה גְדוֹלָה. | 7 Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said unto them: 'Ye lend upon pledge, every one to his brother.' And I held a great assembly against them. |
| ח וָאֹמְרָה לָהֶם, אֲנַחְנוּ קָנִינוּ אֶת-אַחֵינוּ הַיְּהוּדִים הַנִּמְכָּרִים לַגּוֹיִם כְּדֵי בָנוּ, וְגַם-אַתֶּם תִּמְכְּרוּ אֶת-אֲחֵיכֶם, וְנִמְכְּרוּ-לָנוּ; וַיַּחֲרִישׁוּ, וְלֹא מָצְאוּ דָּבָר. {ס} | 8 And I said unto them: 'We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, that sold themselves unto the heathen; and would ye nevertheless sell your brethren, and should they sell themselves unto us?' Then held they their peace, and found never a word. {S} |
| ט ויאמר וָאֹמַר, לֹא-טוֹב הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר-אַתֶּם עֹשִׂים: הֲלוֹא בְּיִרְאַת אֱלֹהֵינוּ תֵּלֵכוּ, מֵחֶרְפַּת הַגּוֹיִם אוֹיְבֵינוּ. | 9 Also I said: 'The thing that ye do is not good; ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies? |
| י וְגַם-אֲנִי אַחַי וּנְעָרַי, נֹשִׁים בָּהֶם כֶּסֶף וְדָגָן; נַעַזְבָה-נָּא, אֶת-הַמַּשָּׁא הַזֶּה. | 10 And I likewise, my brethren and my servants, have lent them money and corn. I pray you, let us leave off this exaction. |
| יא הָשִׁיבוּ נָא לָהֶם כְּהַיּוֹם, שְׂדֹתֵיהֶם כַּרְמֵיהֶם זֵיתֵיהֶם--וּבָתֵּיהֶם; וּמְאַת הַכֶּסֶף וְהַדָּגָן הַתִּירוֹשׁ וְהַיִּצְהָר, אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם נֹשִׁים בָּהֶם. | 11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundred pieces of silver, and the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.' |
| יב וַיֹּאמְרוּ נָשִׁיב, וּמֵהֶם לֹא נְבַקֵּשׁ--כֵּן נַעֲשֶׂה, כַּאֲשֶׁר אַתָּה אוֹמֵר; וָאֶקְרָא, אֶת-הַכֹּהֲנִים, וָאַשְׁבִּיעֵם, לַעֲשׂוֹת כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה. | 12 Then said they: 'We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do, even as thou sayest.' Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise. |
| יג גַּם-חָצְנִי נָעַרְתִּי, וָאֹמְרָה כָּכָה יְנַעֵר הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת-כָּל-הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יָקִים אֶת-הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה מִבֵּיתוֹ וּמִיגִיעוֹ, וְכָכָה יִהְיֶה נָעוּר, וָרֵק; וַיֹּאמְרוּ כָל-הַקָּהָל אָמֵן, וַיְהַלְלוּ אֶת-יְהוָה, וַיַּעַשׂ הָעָם, כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה. | 13 Also I shook out 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. |
| יד גַּם מִיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר-צִוָּה אוֹתִי, לִהְיוֹת פֶּחָם בְּאֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה, מִשְּׁנַת עֶשְׂרִים וְעַד שְׁנַת שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּא הַמֶּלֶךְ, שָׁנִים שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה--אֲנִי וְאַחַי, לֶחֶם הַפֶּחָה לֹא אָכַלְתִּי. | 14 Moreover 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. |
| טו וְהַפַּחוֹת הָרִאשֹׁנִים אֲשֶׁר-לְפָנַי הִכְבִּידוּ עַל-הָעָם, וַיִּקְחוּ מֵהֶם בְּלֶחֶם וָיַיִן אַחַר כֶּסֶף-שְׁקָלִים אַרְבָּעִים--גַּם נַעֲרֵיהֶם, שָׁלְטוּ עַל-הָעָם; וַאֲנִי לֹא-עָשִׂיתִי כֵן, מִפְּנֵי יִרְאַת אֱלֹהִים. | 15 But the former governors that were before me laid burdens upon the people, and took of them for bread and wine above forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants lorded over the people; but so did not I, because of the fear of God. |
| טז וְגַם בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַחוֹמָה הַזֹּאת, הֶחֱזַקְתִּי, וְשָׂדֶה, לֹא קָנִינוּ; וְכָל-נְעָרַי--קְבוּצִים שָׁם, עַל-הַמְּלָאכָה. | 16 Yea, also I set hand to the work of this wall, neither bought we any land; and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work. |
| יז וְהַיְּהוּדִים וְהַסְּגָנִים מֵאָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים אִישׁ, וְהַבָּאִים אֵלֵינוּ מִן-הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר-סְבִיבֹתֵינוּ--עַל-שֻׁלְחָנִי. | 17 Moreover there were at my table of the Jews and the rulers a hundred and fifty men, beside those that came unto us from among the nations that were round about us. |
| יח וַאֲשֶׁר הָיָה נַעֲשֶׂה לְיוֹם אֶחָד, שׁוֹר אֶחָד צֹאן שֵׁשׁ-בְּרֻרוֹת וְצִפֳּרִים נַעֲשׂוּ-לִי, וּבֵין עֲשֶׂרֶת יָמִים בְּכָל-יַיִן, לְהַרְבֵּה; וְעִם-זֶה, לֶחֶם הַפֶּחָה לֹא בִקַּשְׁתִּי--כִּי-כָבְדָה הָעֲבֹדָה, עַל-הָעָם הַזֶּה. | 18 Now 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 demanded not the bread of the governor, because the service was heavy upon this people. |
| יט זָכְרָה-לִּי אֱלֹהַי, לְטוֹבָה--כֹּל אֲשֶׁר-עָשִׂיתִי, עַל-הָעָם הַזֶּה. {פ} | 19 Remember unto me, O my God, for good, all that I have done for this people. {P} |