Tshambilidzo ye basheti
1 Ngono ngwenu kwakabe nge tjililo tjikulu mu bathu bose, balume ne bakadzi belidziwa nge bakanyikwabo be Bajuta. 2 Kwakabe kuna bamwe bakabe beti “Iswi ne bakololo ne bakololokadzi bedu tatjibe banjisa, ngatishakeni mathunde atingaja kuti ndizo titjile.”
3 Kukabe ne bamwe bakabe beti “Takadusa minda yedu ne minda ye zhambi ne ng'umba dzedu mbigilidzo kuti ndizo titenge mathunde mu nsi we bhamba.”
4 Kakale kwakabe kuna ibabo bakabe beti “Takaadzima mari kuti tilipe lukhetho gwe minda yedu ne minda ye zhambi kuna mambo. 5 Tofanana koga ne Bajuta bamwe. Bana bedu banofanana koga ne bana babo, nenguba iswi tikombeledza bakololo ne bakololokadzi bedu kuti babe balanda, bamwe be bakololokadzi bedu batjitengeswa babe balanda kale, atina simba, shango yedu ne minda yedu ye zhambi ya tjibe ye bapoga.”
6 Ndakatindihwa tjililo tjabo ne ng'ong'olo dzabo azhala bushongola kwazo. 7 Shule kwe ndakumbula kukulu, ndakatjemela makulukota ne makombgwa abadwa nditi “Mungakombeledza bakanyi kwenyu kudusa mimwiso tjini wali?” Ngono ndakabadanila gubungano gulu kwazo kuti libatjemele kwazo. 8 Ngono abadwa ndikati “Ngotubula kwedu takadzutunula bakanyi kwedu be Bajuta bakabe batengesegwa be zwitjaba zwipoga, koga ngwenu imwi motengesa bakanyi kwenyu kuti ndizo tibatengesegwe!” Bakanyalala koga bakasheta dama labangadusa.
9 Ngono ati ku bali “Tjithu tjamunothama atjizonaka. Apa amuzofanila tja Ndzimu wedu kuti ndizo tisibe madado ku zwita zwedu zwe zwitjaba kene? 10 Pezhugwi kwa ipapo imi ne hama dzangu ne balanda bangu tobaadzima mari ne mathunde. Ngono ngatimiseni kutola mimwiso ikoku. 11 Bgwilizani ngwenu minda yabo ne minda yabo ye zhambi ne minda ye mitoba ne ng'umba dzabo ne mimwiso ye mari, ne ye mathunde, ne ye nkumbi we zhambi ne mafuta izo zwamakabatolela.”
12 Ngono bakandidwa beti, “Towobabgwilizila tjimwe ne tjimwe kakale akuna tjatinowoshaka mu bali. Towothama sekwa munoleba.” Ngono ndakadana bapirisiti ndikabatunisa kuti banowoshingikadza tjabaleba. 13 Ndakashashamula hwomwana dze tjiambalo tjangu ngono ati “Ndzimu ngaushashamule nthu mmwe ne mmwe mu ng'umba iye nenge thundu imwe ne imwe usingowothama tjalebgwa. Ngaashashamugwe asale asina tjaanatjo” Ngono gubungano lose likadabila liti “Ngakujalo” ndizo bakakudza Yahwe. Ndizo bathu bakathama sekwa bakabebeleba.
14 Kudwa mu tjibaka itjetjo ndakabe ndashalugwa kube nlauli mu shango ye Juda, kudwa mu gole le bumakumi mabili kunoti le bumakumi matatu ana mabili. Mu makole ali gumi lina mabili e mbuso wa Atazezasi mambo, akuna wedu, imi kene wa kanyi kwedu wakaja zojiwa zwakabe zwili zwe gobe le nlauli. 15 Balauli bekutanga bakazha bakabe belemesela bathu nge kubatolela zojiwa ne nkumbi we zhambi kusingabaligwe shekele dze siliva dzili makumi manna (40) dzabakabe betolegwabo. Balanda babo bakabe betshambidzila bathu bo. Imi andizothama saibo ngotja Ndzimu. 16 Koga imi ndakabe ndakazwimisila kushinga nshingo we kumusa guma, atizotongo tenga shango, bathu bose bakabe beshinga nami takabe takabhatana mu nshingo. 17 Kakale ndakabe ndijisa balume bali zana ling'ompela lina makumi ali mashanu (150), Bajuta ne mamwe makombgwa kuzhe kwa ibabo be tjaba dzakapoteleka bakabe banaswi. 18 Nge zhuba kwakabe kubulawa ng'ombe ili ing'ompela ne pkhwizi dzili tathatu ne hwuku mazhuba mamwe ne mamwe ali gumi ndakabe ndidusa nkumbi we zhambi wakasiya siyana uli njinji kwazo. Ngono nenguba ndakadusa zwithu zose izwezwi andizotongo shaka kupiwa gobe le zojiwa linopiwa balauli, ngobe ndakabe ndiziba kuti ikoku kungabe ntolo ungapani mu bathu.
19 Mundikumbule Ndzimu wangu muna zose zwandakathamila bathu ibaba.
Nehemiah's Concern for the Poor
1 Some of the men and their wives complained about the Jews in power 2 and said, “We have large families, and it takes a lot of grain merely to keep us alive.”
3 Others said, “During the famine we even had to mortgage our fields, vineyards, and homes to them in order to buy grain.”
4 Then others said, “We had to borrow money from those in power to pay the government tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 We are Jews just as they are, and our children are as good as theirs. But we still have to sell our children as slaves, and some of our daughters have already been raped. We are completely helpless; our fields and vineyards have even been taken from us.”
6 When I heard their complaints and their charges, I became very angry. 7 So I thought it over and said to the leaders and officials, “How can you charge your own people interest?”
Then I called a public meeting and accused the leaders 8 by saying, “We have tried to buy back all of our people who were sold into exile. But here you are, selling more of them for us to buy back!” The officials and leaders did not say a word, because they knew this was true.
9 I continued, “What you have done is wrong! We must honor our God by the way we live, so the Gentiles can't find fault with us. 10 My relatives, my friends, and I are also lending money and grain, but we must no longer demand payment in return. 11 Now give back the fields, vineyards, olive orchards, and houses you have taken and also the interest you have been paid.”
12 The leaders answered, “We will do whatever you say and return their property, without asking to be repaid.”
So I made the leaders promise in front of the priests to give back the property. 13 Then I emptied my pockets and said, “If you don't keep your promise, that's what God will do to you. He will empty out everything you own, even taking away your houses.”
The people answered, “We will keep our promise.” Then they praised the Lord and did as they had promised.
Nehemiah Is Generous
14 I was governor of Judah from the twentieth year that Artaxerxes was king until the thirty-second year. And during these entire twelve years, my relatives and I refused to accept the food that I was allowed. 15 Each governor before me had been a burden to the people by making them pay for his food and wine and by demanding forty silver coins a day. Even their officials had been a burden to the people. But I respected God, and I didn't think it was right to be so hard on them. 16 I spent all my time getting the wall rebuilt and did not buy any property. Everyone working for me did the same thing. 17 I usually fed 150 of our own Jewish people and their leaders, as well as foreign visitors from surrounding lands. 18 Each day one ox, six of the best sheep, and lots of chickens were prepared. Then every ten days, a large supply of wine was brought in. I knew what a heavy burden this would have been for the people, and so I did not ask for my food allowance as governor.
19 I pray that God will bless me for everything I have done for my people.