| 1 ܘܗܝܕܝܢ ܐܝܠܠܘ ܥܡܐ ܘܢܫ̈ܝܗܘܢ ܝܠܠܬܐ ܪܒܬܐ ܥܠ ܐܚܝ̈ܗܘܢ ܝܗܘ̈ܕܝܐ | 1 There was a great outcry from the people, and from their wives, against their brother Jews. |
| 2 ܘܐܝܬ ܕܐܡܪܝܢ ܒܢܝ̈ܢ ܘܒܢ̈ܬܢ ܘܐܚܝ̈ܢ ܣܓܝܐܝܢ ܢܣܒ ܥܒܘܪܐ ܘܢܐܟܘܠ ܘܢܚܐ | 2 Some said, 'We are having to pledge our sons and daughters to get enough grain to eat and keep usalive.' |
| 3 ܘܐܝܬ ܕܐܡܪܝܢ ܚܩ̈ܠܬܢ ܘܒ̈ܬܝܢ ܘܟܪ̈ܡܝܢ ܡܙ̇ܒܢܝܢܢ ܘܢܣܒܝܢܢ ܥܒܘܪܐ ܒܟܦܢܐ ܘܚܝܝܢ ܚܢܢ | 3 Others said, 'We are having to mortgage our fields, our vineyards and our houses to get grain becauseof the shortage.' |
| 4 ܘܐܝܬ ܕܐܡܪܝܢ ܢܐܙܦ ܟܣܦܐ ܡܢ ܡܕܐܬܐ ܕܡ̇ܠܟܐ ܘܢܦܠܘܚ ܚܩ̈ܠܬܢ ܘܟܪ̈ܡܝܢ ܘܢܚܐ | 4 Stil others said, 'We have had to borrow money on our fields and our vineyards to pay the royal tax; |
| 5 ܘܐܝܬ ܕܐܡܪܝܢ ܡܟܝܠ ܐܝܟ ܒܣܪܐ ܕܐܚܝ̈ܢ ܗܟܢܐ ܐܦ ܒܣܪܢ ܘܐܝܟ ܒܢܝ̈ܗܘܢ ܗܟܢܐ ܐܦ ܒܢܝ̈ܢ ܗܐ ܡܟܝܠ ܟܒܫܝܢܢ ܒܢ̈ܝܢ ܘܒܢ̈ܬܢ ܠܥ̇ܒ̈ܕܝܢ ܘܐܝܬ ܡܢ ܒܢ̈ܬܢ ܕܡܬܟ̈ܒܫܢ ܠܐܡܗ̈ܬܐ ܘܠܐ ܡܪܝܡܝܢ ܩܕܡ ܐܠܗܐ ܐܝ̈ܕܝܗܘܢ ܘܚܩ̈ܠܬܢ ܘܟܪ̈ܡܝܢ ܘܢܟܣ̈ܝܢ ܡܬܝܗܒܝܢ ܠܐܚܪ̈ܢܐ | 5 and though we belong to the same race as our brothers, and our children are as good as theirs, weshall have to sel our sons and our daughters into slavery; some of our daughters have been sold into slaveryalready. We can do nothing about it, since our fields and our vineyards now belong to others.' |
| 6 ܘܟܪܝܬ ܠܝ ܛܒ ܟܕ ܫܡ̇ܥܬ ܐܝܠܠܬܗܘܢ ܘܡ̈ܠܐ ܗܠܝܢ | 6 When I heard their complaints and these words I was very angry. |
| 7 ܘܐܬܬܒܪ ܠܒܝ ܒܓܘܝ ܘܐܓܪܬ ܪܘܚܝ ܘܡ̇ܠܠܬ ܥܡ ܩܫܝ̈ܫܐ ܘܥܡ ܪ̈ܘܪܒܢܐ | 7 Having turned the matter over in my mind, I reprimanded the nobles and the officials as fol ows, 'Eachof you is imposing a burden on his brother.' Summoning a great assembly to deal with them, |
| 8 ܘܐܡ̇ܪܬ ܠܗܘܢ ܕܚܢܢ ܩܢܝܢ ܚܢܢ ܠܐܚܝ̈ܢ ܝܗܘ̈ܕܝܐ ܕܡܙܕܒܢܝܢ ܠܥܡܡ̈ܐ ܗܢܘܢ ܘܒܢܝ̈ܗܘܢ ܓܒܪܐ ܠܐܚܘܗܝ ܫܩܠܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܡܛܠ ܗܢܐ ܝܗ̇ܒܬ ܥܠܝܗܘܢ ܩܠܐ ܘܐܡ̇ܪܬ ܠܗܘܢ ܐܦ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܬܙܒܢܘܢ ܠܐܚܝ̈ܟܘܢ ܘܫܬܩܘ ܘܠܐ ܝܗܒܘ ܠܝ ܦܬܓܡ | 8 I said to them, 'To the best of our power, we have redeemed our brother Jews who were forced to selthemselves to foreigners, and now you in turn are sel ing your brothers, for them to be bought back by us!' Theywere silent and could find nothing to say. |
| 9 ܘܐܡ̇ܪܬ ܠܗܘܢ ܠܐ ܫܦܝܪ ܦܬܓܡܐ ܕܐܢܬܘܢ ܥܒܕܝܢ ܡܟܝܠ ܒܕܚܠܬܐ ܕܐܠܗܢ ܠܐ ܡܗܠܟܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܡܛܠ ܕܥܒܕܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܐܝܟ ܥ̇ܒ̈ܕܐ ܕܥܡ̈ܡܐ ܕܒܚܕܪܝܢ | 9 'What you are doing', I went on, 'is wrong. Do you not want to walk in the fear of our God and escapethe sneers of the nations, our enemies? |
| 10 ܘܐܦ ܐܢܐ ܘܒܢܝ̈ ܘܐܚܝ̈ ܢܣܒ ܟܣܦܐ ܢܙܒܢ ܥܒܘܪܐ ܘܢܫܒܘܩ ܠܡܣ̈ܟܢܐ ܕܐܝܬ ܒܥܡܢ | 10 I too, with my brothers and retainers, have lent them money and grain. Let us cancel these pledges. |
| 11 ܘܢܦܢܐ ܠܗܘܢ ܚܩ̈ܠܬܗܘܢ ܘܟܪ̈ܡܝܗܘܢ ܘܙܝ̈ܬܝܗܘܢ ܘܒ̈ܬܝܗܘܢ ܘܟܣܦܐ ܘܥܒܘܪܐ ܘܚܡܪܐ ܘܡܫܚܐ ܢܫܒܘܩ ܠܫܪܟܐ ܕܥܡܐ | 11 This very day return them their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves and their houses, and cancelthe claim on the money, grain, new wine and olive oil, which you have lent them.' |
| 12 ܘܐܡܪܝܢ ܠܝ ܗܟܢܐ ܢܥܒܕ ܐܝܟ ܕܐܢܬ ܐܡ̇ܪ ܘܩ̇ܪܝܬ ܠܟܘܡܪ̈ܐ ܘܐܡ̇ܪܬ ܠܗܘܢ ܕܗܟܢܐ ܘ̇ܠܐ ܠܡܥܒܕ ܘܐܘܡ̇ܝܬ ܐܢܘܢ ܠܡܥܒܕ ܐܝܟ ܦܬܓܡܐ ܗܢܐ | 12 'We shall make restitution,' they replied, 'we shal claim nothing more from them; we shal do as yousay.' Summoning the priests, I then made them swear to do as they had promised. |
| 13 ܘܐܦ ܠܛܠܝ̈ܐ ܕܩܕܩ̈ܐ ܘܐܡܪܝܢ ܕܗܟܢܐ ܢܙܝܥ ܐܠܗܐ ܠܟܠ ܓܒܪ ܕܠܐ ܢܩܝܡ ܥܠ ܡܠܬܐ ܗܕܐ ܡܢ ܒܝܬܗ ܘܡܢ ܠܐܘܬܗ ܗܟܢܐ ܢܗܘܐ ܡܙܝܥ ܘܪܝܩܢ ܘܐܡܪܝܢ ܥܡܐ ܟܠܗ ܐܡܝܢ ܘܩܡܘ ܥܡܐ ܟܘܠܗ ܘܫܒܚܘ ܠܡܪܝܐ ܘܥܒܕܘ ܟܘܠܗ ܥܡܐ ܐܝܟ ܦܬܓܡܐ ܗܢܐ | 13 Then, shaking out the fold of my garment, I said, 'May God thus shake out of house and possessionsanyone who does not make good this promise; may he be shaken out thus and left empty!' And the wholeassembly answered, 'Amen' and praised Yahweh. And the people kept this promise. |
| 14 ܐܦ ܡܢ ܝܘܡܐ ܕܦܩܕܢܝ ܠܡܗܘܐ ܫܠܝܛܐ ܒܐܪܥܐ ܕܝܗܘܕ ܡܢ ܫܢܬ ܥܣܪ̈ܝܢ ܘܥܕܡܐ ܠܫܢܬ ܬܠܬܝܢ ܘܬܪ̈ܬܝܢ ܠܐܪܛܚܫܫܬ ܡܠܟܐ ܫܢ̈ܝܢ ܬܪܬܥܣܪܐ ܐܢܐ ܘܐܚܝ̈ ܗ̇ܘܝܬ ܠܗܘܢ ܪܫܐ ܘܠܐ ܚܡ̇ܪܐ ܕܚܕ ܡܢܗܘܢ ܕܒ̇ܪܬ ܘܐܦܠܐ ܐܗ̇ܪܬ ܠܐܢܫ ܡܢܗܘܢ | 14 What is more, from the time when the king appointed me to be their governor in Judah, from thetwentieth to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ever levied thegovernor's subsistence al owance, |
| 15 ܘܫ̈ܠܝܛܐ ܕܩܕܡܝ ܫܥܒܕܘܗܝ ܠܥܡܐ ܘܢܣܒܘ ܡܢܗܘܢ ܚܡ̣ܪܐ ܘܠܚܡܐ ܘܟܣܦܐ ܣܓܝܐܐ ܠܡܕܐܬܐ ܥܕܡܐ ܠܣ̈ܠܥܝܢ ܐܪܒܥܝܢ ܐܦ ܥܒ̣̈ܕܝܗܘܢ ܐܫܠܛܘ ܥܠ ܥܡܐ ܘܐܫܬܠܛܘ ܥܠܝܗܘܢ ܘܐܫܬܢܕܘ ܒܗܘܢ ܘܐܢܐ ܠܐ ܥܒ̇ܕܬ ܗܟܢܐ ܡܢ ܩܕܡ ܕܚܠܬܗ ܕܐܠܗܐ | 15 whereas the former governors, my predecessors, had been a burden on the people, from whom theytook forty silver shekels a day for food and wine, while their attendants oppressed the people too. But I, fearingGod, never did this. |
| 16 ܐܦ ܒܥ̇ܒܕܐ ܕܫܘܪܐ ܗܢܐ ܛܒ ܐܬܥܫܢ̇ܬ ܘܚܩ̈ܠܬܐ ܠܐ ܙܒ̇ܢܬ ܘܟܠܗܘܢ ܛܠܝ̈ܐ ܒܢ̈ܝ ܝܗܘ̈ܕܝܐ ܐܬܟܢܫܘ ܘܩܡܘ ܬܡܢ ܥܠ ܥ̇ܒ̈ܕܐ | 16 Also, not acquiring any land, I concentrated on the work of this wal and all my attendants joined in thework together, too. |
| 17 ܘܪ̈ܘܪܒܢܐ ܘܫ̈ܠܝܛܢܐ ܡܐܐ ܘܚܡܫܝܢ ܓܒܪ̈ܝܢ ܘܕܐܬܝܢ ܠܘܬܢ ܡܢ ܥܡ̈ܡܐ ܕܚܕܪܝܢ ܐܬܝܢ ܠܘܬܢ ܐܢܫ ܒܦܬܘܪܗ | 17 Furthermore, magistrates and officials to the number of a hundred and fifty ate at my table, not tomention those who came to us from the surrounding nations. |
| 18 ܘܓܒܪܐ ܕܥ̇ܒܕ ܗܘܐ ܠܚܡܐ ܡܝܬܐ ܗܘܐ ܠܥܒ̣̈ܕܐ ܕܥܒܕܝܢ ܬܘܪܐ ܚܕ ܘܥ̈ܢܐ ܫܬ ܫܡܝ̈ܢܬܐ ܘܨܦܪ̈ܝܐ ܐܬܥܒܕܘ ܠܢ ܘܚܕܐ ܠܥܣܪܐ ܝܘܡ̈ܝܢ ܚܡ̣ܪܐ ܣܓܝ ܘܥܡ ܗܕܐ ܠܚܡܐ ܘܫܠܝܛܘܬܐ ܠܐ ܒ̇ܥܝܬ ܡܛܠ ܕܥ̣ܫܢ ܥܒ̇ܕܐ ܥܠ ܥܡܐ ܗܢܐ | 18 Every day, one ox, six fine sheep, as wel as poultry, were prepared for me; every ten days, skins ofwine were brought in bulk. But even so, I never claimed the governor's subsistence al owance, since the peoplealready had burden enough to bear. |
| 19 ܐܬܕܟܪ ܠܝ ܐܠܗܝ ܠܛܒ ܟܠܡܕܡ ܕܥ̇ܒܕܬ ܚܠܦ ܥܡܐ ܗܢܐ | 19 To my credit, my God, remember all I have done for this people. |
