Nehemiah 5

And there wasוַתְּהִיa greatגְּדוֹלָהoutcryצַעֲקַתof the peopleהָעָםand of their wivesוּנְשֵׁיהֶםagainstאֶלtheir brothers,אֲחֵיהֶםthe Jews.הַיְּהוּדִים

There wereוְיֵשׁthose whoאֲשֶׁרwere saying,אֹמְרִים“Our sonsבָּנֵינוּand our daughters,וּבְנֹתֵינוּwe,אֲנַחְנוּare many;רַבִּיםlet us getוְנִקְחָהgrain,דָגָןand eatוְנֹאכְלָהand live.”וְנִחְיֶה

And there wereוְיֵשׁthose whoאֲשֶׁרwere saying,אֹמְרִים“Our fields,שְׂדֹתֵינוּour vineyards,וּכְרָמֵינוּand our housesוּבָתֵּינוּweאֲנַחְנוּare pledging,עֹרְבִיםso that we may getוְנִקְחָהgrainדָגָןin the famine.”בָּרָעָב

And there wereוְיֵשׁthose whoאֲשֶׁרwere saying,אֹמְרִים“We have borrowedלָוִינוּsilverכֶסֶףforלְthe tributeמִדַּתof the kingהַמֶּלֶךְonour fieldsשְׂדֹתֵינוּand our vineyards.וּכְרָמֵינוּ

And now,וְעַתָּהasכִּthe fleshבְשַׂרof our brothersאַחֵינוּisour flesh,בְּשָׂרֵנוּasכִּtheir sonsבְנֵיהֶםareour sons;בָּנֵינוּand look,וְהִנֵּהweאֲנַחְנוּare subjectingכֹבְשִׁיםour sonsבָּנֵינוּand our daughtersוְ בְּנֹתֵינוּto be slaves,לַעֲבָדִיםand someוְיֵשׁ מִof our daughtersבְּנֹתֵינוּare subjected,נִכְבָּשׁוֹתand there is noוְאֵיןpowerלְאֵלin our hand,יָדֵנוּand our fieldsוּשְׂדֹתֵינוּand our vineyardsוּכְרָמֵינוּbelong to others.”לַאֲחֵרִים

I burned with angerוַיִּחַר לִיgreatlyמְאֹדwhenכַּאֲשֶׁרI heardשָׁמַעְתִּיtheir outcryזַעֲקָתָםandוְtheseהָאֵלֶּהwords.הַדְּבָרִים

My heartלִבִּיdeliberatedוַיִּמָּלֵךְwithin me,עָלַיand I contendedוָאָרִיבָהwith the noblesאֶת הַחֹרִיםand with the officialsוְאֶת הַסְּגָנִיםand saidוָאֹמְרָהto them,לָהֶם“Youאַתֶּםare lendingנֹשִׁיםat interest,מַשָּׁאeachאִישׁtoבְּhis brother.”אָחִיוAnd I convenedוָאֶתֵּןagainst themעֲלֵיהֶםa greatגְדוֹלָהassembly,קְהִלָּה

and saidוָאֹמְרָהto them,לָהֶם“Weאֲנַחְנוּhave boughtקָנִינוּour brothers,אַחֵינוּthe Jewsהַיְּהוּדִיםwho were soldהַנִּמְכָּרִיםto the nations,לַגּוֹיִםaccording to whatכְּדֵיwas in us;בָנוּandוְwill you alsoגַם אַתֶּםsellתִּמְכְּרוּyour brothers,אֲחֵיכֶםso that they may be soldוְנִמְכְּרוּto us?”לָנוּAnd they were silentוַיַּחֲרִישׁוּand did notוְלֹאfindמָצְאוּa word.דָּבָר

And I said,וָאוֹמַר“The thingהַדָּבָרthatאֲשֶׁרyouאַתֶּםare doingעֹשִׂיםisnotלֹאgood.טוֹבShould you notהֲלוֹאwalkתֵּלֵכוּin the fearבְּיִרְאַתof our Elohimאֱלֹהֵינוּbecause of the reproachמֵחֶרְפַּתof the nations,הַגּוֹיִםour enemies?אוֹיְבֵינוּ

I too,וְגַם אֲנִיmy brothers,אַחַיand my young menוּנְעָרַיare lendingנֹשִׁיםthemבָּהֶםsilverכֶּסֶףand grain.וְדָגָןLet us give up,נַעַזְבָהplease,נָּאthisהַזֶּהloan at interest.הַמַּשָּׁא

Return,הָשִׁיבוּplease,נָאto themלָהֶםthis very dayכְּהַיּוֹםtheir fields,שְׂדֹתֵיהֶםtheir vineyards,כַּרְמֵיהֶםtheir olive groves,זֵיתֵיהֶםand their houses,וּבָתֵּיהֶםand the hundredthוּמְאַתof the silver,הַכֶּסֶףthe grain,וְהַדָּגָןthe new wine,הַתִּירוֹשׁand the oilוְהַיִּצְהָרthatאֲשֶׁרyouאַתֶּםare lendingנֹשִׁיםthem.”בָּהֶם

Then they said,וַיֹּאמְרוּ“We will return them,נָשִׁיבandוּfrom themמֵהֶםwe will notלֹאseek anything;נְבַקֵּשׁsoכֵּןwe will do,נַעֲשֶׂהasכַּאֲשֶׁרyouאַתָּהsay.”אוֹמֵרAnd I calledוָאֶקְרָאthe priestsהַכֹּהֲנִיםand made them swearוָאַשְׁבִּיעֵםto doלַעֲשׂוֹתaccording to thisכַּ הַזֶּהword.דָּבָר

I alsoגַּםshook outנָעַרְתִּיmy lapחָצְנִיand said,וָאֹמְרָה“Soכָּכָהmay Elohimהָאֱלֹהִיםshake outיְנַעֵרeveryכָּלmanהָאִישׁwhoאֲשֶׁרdoes notלֹאfulfillיָקִיםthisהַזֶּהword,הַדָּבָרfrom his houseמִבֵּיתוֹand from his labor;וּמִיגִיעוֹand soוְכָכָהmay he beיִהְיֶהshaken outנָעוּרand empty.”וָרֵקAnd allוַ כָלthe assemblyהַקָּהָלsaid,יֹּאמְרוּ“Amen.”אָמֵןAnd they praisedוַיְהַלְלוּYHWH.יְהוָהAnd the peopleוַ הָעָםdidיַּעַשׂaccording to thisכַּ הַזֶּהword.דָּבָר

Also,גַּםfrom the dayמִיּוֹםthatאֲשֶׁרI was commandedצִוָּה אֹתִיto beלִהְיוֹתtheir governorפֶּחָםin the landבְּאֶרֶץof Judah,יְהוּדָהfrom the twentieth yearמִשְּׁנַת עֶשְׂרִיםuntilוְעַדthe thirty-second yearשְׁנַת שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִםof Artaxerxesלְאַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּאthe king,הַמֶּלֶךְtwelveשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵהyears,שָׁנִיםIאֲנִיand my brothersוְאַחַיdid notלֹאeatאָכַלְתִּיthe breadלֶחֶםof the governor.הַפֶּחָה

But the formerוְהַ הָרִאשֹׁנִיםgovernorsפַּחוֹתwhoאֲשֶׁרwerebefore meלְפָנַיburdenedהִכְבִּידוּthe peopleעַל הָעָםand tookוַיִּקְחוּfrom themמֵהֶםforבְּbreadלֶחֶםand wine,וָיַיִןbesides,אַחַרfortyאַרְבָּעִיםshekelsשְׁקָלִיםof silver;כֶּסֶףevenגַּםtheir young menנַעֲרֵיהֶםdominatedשָׁלְטוּ עַלthe people.הָעָםBut Iוַאֲנִיdid notלֹאdoעָשִׂיתִיso,כֵןbecause ofמִפְּנֵיthe fearיִרְאַתof Elohim.אֱלֹהִים

Alsoוְגַםin the workבִּמְלֶאכֶתof thisהַזֹּאתwallהַחוֹמָהI held firm,הֶחֱזַקְתִּיandוְa fieldשָׂדֶהwe did notלֹאbuy;קָנִינוּand allוְכָלmy young menנְעָרַיweregatheredקְבוּצִיםthereשָׁםforעַלthe work.הַמְּלָאכָה

And the Jewsוְהַיְּהוּדִיםand the officials,וְהַסְּגָנִיםa hundred and fiftyמֵאָה וַחֲמִשִּׁיםmen,אִישׁand those who cameוְהַבָּאִיםto usאֵלֵינוּfromמִןthe nationsהַגּוֹיִםthatאֲשֶׁרarearound us,סְבִיבֹתֵינוּwereatעַלmy table.שֻׁלְחָנִי

And whatוַאֲשֶׁרwasהָיָהpreparedנַעֲשֶׂהforלְoneאֶחָדdayיוֹםwasoneאֶחָדox,שׁוֹרsixשֵׁשׁchoiceבְּרֻרוֹתsheep,צֹאןand birdsוְצִפֳּרִיםwere preparedנַעֲשׂוּfor me;לִיand once everyוּבֵיןtenעֲשֶׂרֶתdaysיָמִיםall kindsבְּכָלof wineיַיִןin abundance.לְהַרְבֵּהYet withוְעִםthisזֶהI did notלֹאseekבִקַּשְׁתִּיthe breadלֶחֶםof the governor,הַפֶּחָהbecauseכִּיthe servitudeהָעֲבֹדָהwas heavyכָבְדָהonעַלthisהַזֶּהpeople.הָעָם

Rememberזָכְרָהme,לִּיmy Elohim,אֱלֹהַיfor good,לְטוֹבָהforallכֹּלthatאֲשֶׁרI have doneעָשִׂיתִיforעַלthisהַזֶּהpeople.הָעָם