1Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Yehudim. 2For there were those that said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many; let us get for them grain, that we may eat and live.” 3Some also there were that said, “We are mortgaging our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses; let us get grain, because of the hunger.” 4There were also those that said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute upon our fields and our vineyards. 5Yet 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.” 6And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. 7Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said unto them, “You lend upon pledge, every one to his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them. 8And I said unto them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brethren the Yehudim, that sold themselves unto the heathen; and would you nevertheless sell your brethren, and should they sell themselves unto us?” Then they held their peace, and found never a word. 9Also I said, “The thing that you do is not good; ought you not to walk in the fear of our Elohim, because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies? 10And I likewise, my brethren and my servants, have lent them money and grain. I pray, let us leave off this exaction. 11Restore, I pray, to them, even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundred pieces of silver, and the grain, the wine, and the oil, that you exacted of them.” 12Then they said, “We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do, even as you say.” Then I called the Kohanim, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise. 13Also I shook out my lap, and said, “So Elohim shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that performs not this promise; even thus may he be shaken out, and emptied.” And all the congregation said, “Amein,” and praised יהוה . And the people did according to this promise. 14Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Yehudah, from the twentieth year even unto the thirty-second year of Artakhshastah the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor. 15But 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; yes, even their servants lorded over the people; but I did not do so, because of the fear of Elohim. 16Yes, also I set hand to the work of this wall, neither did we buy any land; and all my servants were gathered there unto the work. 17Moreover there were at my table of the Yehudim and the rulers a hundred and fifty men, beside those that came unto us from among the nations that were round about us. 18Now 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. 19Remember unto me, O my Elohim, for good, all that I have done for this people.
אוַתְּהִי צַעֲקַת הָעָם וּנְשֵׁיהֶם גְּדוֹלָה אֶל אֲחֵיהֶם הַיְּהוּדִים. בוְיֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר אֹמְרִים בָּנֵינוּ וּבְנֹתֵינוּ אֲנַחְנוּ רַבִּים; וְנִקְחָה דָגָן וְנֹאכְלָה וְנִחְיֶה. גוְיֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר אֹמְרִים שְׂדֹתֵינוּ וּכְרָמֵינוּ וּבָתֵּינוּ אֲנַחְנוּ עֹרְבִים; וְנִקְחָה דָגָן בָּרָעָב. דוְיֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר אֹמְרִים לָוִינוּ כֶסֶף לְמִדַּת הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׂדֹתֵינוּ וּכְרָמֵינוּ. הוְעַתָּה כִּבְשַׂר אַחֵינוּ בְּשָׂרֵנוּ כִּבְנֵיהֶם בָּנֵינוּ; וְהִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ כֹבְשִׁים אֶת בָּנֵינוּ וְאֶת בְּנֹתֵינוּ לַעֲבָדִים וְיֵשׁ מִבְּנֹתֵינוּ נִכְבָּשׁוֹת וְאֵין לְאֵל יָדֵנוּ וּשְׂדֹתֵינוּ וּכְרָמֵינוּ לַאֲחֵרִים. ווַיִּחַר לִי מְאֹד כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת זַעֲקָתָם וְאֵת הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה. זוַיִּמָּלֵךְ לִבִּי עָלַי וָאָרִיבָה אֶת הַחֹרִים וְאֶת הַסְּגָנִים וָאֹמְרָה לָהֶם מַשָּׁא אִישׁ בְּאָחִיו אַתֶּם נשאים (נֹשִׁים); וָאֶתֵּן עֲלֵיהֶם קְהִלָּה גְדוֹלָה. חוָאֹמְרָה לָהֶם אֲנַחְנוּ קָנִינוּ אֶת אַחֵינוּ הַיְּהוּדִים הַנִּמְכָּרִים לַגּוֹיִם כְּדֵי בָנוּ וְגַם אַתֶּם תִּמְכְּרוּ אֶת אֲחֵיכֶם וְנִמְכְּרוּ לָנוּ; וַיַּחֲרִישׁוּ וְלֹא מָצְאוּ דָּבָר. טויאמר (וָאֹמַר) לֹא טוֹב הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם עֹשִׂים: הֲלוֹא בְּיִרְאַת אֱלֹהֵינוּ תֵּלֵכוּ מֵחֶרְפַּת הַגּוֹיִם אוֹיְבֵינוּ. יוְגַם אֲנִי אַחַי וּנְעָרַי נֹשִׁים בָּהֶם כֶּסֶף וְדָגָן; נַעַזְבָה נָּא אֶת הַמַּשָּׁא הַזֶּה. יאהָשִׁיבוּ נָא לָהֶם כְּהַיּוֹם שְׂדֹתֵיהֶם כַּרְמֵיהֶם זֵיתֵיהֶם וּבָתֵּיהֶם; וּמְאַת הַכֶּסֶף וְהַדָּגָן הַתִּירוֹשׁ וְהַיִּצְהָר אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם נֹשִׁים בָּהֶם. יבוַיֹּאמְרוּ נָשִׁיב וּמֵהֶם לֹא נְבַקֵּשׁ כֵּן נַעֲשֶׂה כַּאֲשֶׁר אַתָּה אוֹמֵר; וָאֶקְרָא אֶת הַכֹּהֲנִים וָאַשְׁבִּיעֵם לַעֲשׂוֹת כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה. יגגַּם 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 יהוה וַיַּעַשׂ הָעָם כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה. ידגַּם 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. טווְהַפַּחוֹת 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. טזוְגַם בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַחוֹמָה הַזֹּאת הֶחֱזַקְתִּי וְשָׂדֶה לֹא קָנִינוּ; וְכָל נְעָרַי קְבוּצִים שָׁם עַל הַמְּלָאכָה. יזוְהַיְּהוּדִים וְהַסְּגָנִים מֵאָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים אִישׁ וְהַבָּאִים אֵלֵינוּ מִן הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתֵינוּ עַל שֻׁלְחָנִי. יחוַאֲשֶׁר 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. יטזָכְרָה לִּי אֱלֹהַי לְטוֹבָה כֹּל אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי עַל הָעָם הַזֶּה.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 