Scrutatio

Lunedi, 29 aprile 2024 - Santa Caterina da Siena ( Letture di oggi)

Neemia 5


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NOVA VULGATADOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Et factus est clamor populi et uxorum eius magnus adversus fratres suosIudaeos.1 Now there was a great cry of the people, and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.
2 Et erant qui dicerent: “ Filios nostros et filias nostraspignoravimus, ut acciperemus frumentum et comederemus et viveremus! ”.2 And there were some that said: Our sons and our daughters are very many: Yet us take up corn for the price of them, and let us eat and live.
3 Eterant qui dicerent: “ Agros nostros et vineas et domos nostras opposuimus, utacciperemus frumentum in fame! ”.3 And there were some that said: Let us mortgage our lands, and our vineyards, and our houses, and let us take corn because of the famine.
4 Et alii dicebant: “ Mutuo sumpsimuspecunias in tributa regis pro agris nostris et vineis nostris.4 And others said: Let us borrow money for the king's tribute, and let us give up our fields and vineyards:
5 Et nunc sicutcaro fratrum nostrorum sic caro nostra est, et sicut filii eorum ita et filiinostri; ecce nos subiugamus filios nostros et filias nostras in servitutem, etde filiabus nostris quaedam iam in servitute subiugatae sunt, nec habemus undepossint redimi, quia agros nostros et vineas nostras alii possident ”.
5 And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren: and our children as their children. Behold we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters, and some of our daughters are bondwomen already, neither have we wherewith to redeem them, and our fields and our vineyards other men possess.
6 Et iratus sum nimis, cum audissem clamorem eorum secundum verba haec.6 And I was exceedingly angry when I heard their cry according to these words.
7 Cogitavique in corde meo et increpavi optimates et magistratus et dixi eis: “Usuras singuli a fratribus vestris exigitis! ”. Et congregavi adversum eoscontionem magnam7 And my heart thought with myself: and I rebuked the nobles and magistrates, and said to them: Do you every one exact usury of your brethren ? And I gathered together a great assembly against them,
8 et dixi eis: “ Nos, ut scitis, redemimus fratres nostrosIudaeos, qui venditi fuerant gentibus, secundum possibilitatem nostram; quinpotius et vos vendetis fratres vestros, ut vendentur nobis? ”. Et silueruntnec invenerunt quid responderent.8 And I said to them: We, as you know, have redeemed according to our ability our brethren the Jews, that were sold to the Gentiles: and will you then sell your brethren, for us to redeem them ? And they held their peace, and found not what to answer.
9 Dixique ad eos: “ Non est bona res, quamfacitis. Quare non in timore Dei nostri ambulatis, ne exprobretur nobis agentibus inimicis nostris?9 And I said to them: The thing you do is not good: why walk you not in the fear of our God, that we be not exposed to the reproaches of the Gentiles our enemies?
10 Et ego et fratres mei et pueri mei commodavimusplurimis pecuniam et frumentum; non repetamus usuras istas.10 Both I and my brethren, and my servants, have lent money and corn to many: let us all agree not to call for it again; let us forgive the debt that is owing to us.
11 Reddite eis hodieagros suos et vineas suas et oliveta sua et domos suas et centesimam pecuniaefrumenti vini et olei, quam exigere soletis ab eis ”.
11 Restore ye to them this day their fields, and their vineyards, and their oliveyards, and their houses: and the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, which you mere wont to exact of them, give it rather for them.
12 Et dixerunt: “ Reddemus et ab eis nihil quaeremus; sicque faciemus, utloqueris ”. Et vocavi sacerdotes et feci eos iurare, ut facerent, sicut dictumerat.12 And they said: We will restore, and we will require nothing of them: and we will do as thou sayest. And I called the priests and took an oath of them, to do according to what I had said.
13 Insuper excussi sinum meum et dixi: “ Sic excutiat Deus omnem virum,qui non compleverit verbum istud, de domo sua et de laboribus suis; sicexcutiatur et vacuus fiat! ”. Et dixit universa multitudo: “ Amen! ”. Etlaudaverunt Deum. Fecit ergo populus, sicut erat dictum.
13 Moreover I shook my lap, and said: So may God shake every man that shall not accomplish this word, out of his house, and out of his labours, thus may he be shaken out, and become empty. And all the multitude said: Amen. And they praised God. And the people did according to what was said.
14 A die autem illa, qua praeceperat rex mihi, ut essem dux in terra Iudae, abanno vicesimo usque ad annum tricesimum secundum Artaxerxis regis, per annosduodecim ego et fratres mei annonas, quae ducibus debebantur, non comedimus.14 And from the day, in which the king commanded me to be governor in the land of Juda, from the twentieth year even to the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, for twelve years, I and my brethren did not eat the yearly allowance that was due to the governors.
15 Duces autem priores, qui fuerant ante me, gravaverunt populum et acceperunt abeis cotidie pro pane siclos argenti quadraginta; sed et ministri eorumdepresserunt populum. Ego autem non feci ita propter timorem Dei,15 But the former governors that had been before me, were chargeable to the people, and took of them in bread, and wine, and in money every day forty sides: and their officers also oppressed the people. But I did not so for the fear of God.
16 quin potiusin opere muri restauravi et agrum non emi; et omnes pueri mei congregati ad opuserant.
16 Moreover I built in the work of the wall, and I bought no land, and all my servants were gathered together to the work.
17 Iudaei quoque et magistratus, centum quinquaginta viri, et qui veniebant adnos de gentibus, quae in circuitu nostro sunt, in mensa mea erant.17 The Jews also and the magistrates to the number of one hundred and fifty men, were at my table, besides them that came to us from among the nations that were round about us.
18 Parabaturautem mihi per dies singulos bos unus, arietes sex electi, exceptis volatilibus;et inter dies decem vina diversa multa. Insuper et annonas ducatus mei nonquaesivi; gravis enim erat servitus populi huius.
18 And there was prepared for me day by day one ox, and six choice rams, besides fowls, and once in ten days I gave store of divers wines, and many other things: yet I did not require my yearly allowance as governor: for the people were very much impoverished.
19 Memento mei, Deus meus, in bonum, secundum omnia, quae feci populo huic.
19 Remember me, O my God, for good according to all that I have done for this people.