| OLD TESTAMENT | NEW TESTAMENT | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The 7 Books | Old Testament History | Wisdom Books | Major Prophets | Minor Prophets | NT History | Epistles of St. Paul | General Writings | |||
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| 1 |
1 And now there was a great outcry of the common sort, men and women, against their richer neighbours, that were Jews too. 2 Poor folk, who had sons and daughters in great number, had bethought themselves of bartering these for the corn they must have if they would live; 3 some, in the great scarcity, had been ready to pledge lands, vineyards and house in return for corn; 4 some had offered vineyard or lands for a pledge when they would borrow money to pay the royal tribute. 5 And now they complained, These men are our brothers; of one race, they and we, of one race, their sons and ours; and here are we, with some of our daughters bondwomen already, giving up sons and daughters to slavery still, and no hope of ransoming them; here are lands and vineyards of ours given over to the enjoyment of others! | 1 Et factus est clamor populi et uxorum ejus magnus adversus fratres suos Judæos. 2 Et erant qui dicerent: Filii nostri et filiæ nostræ multæ sunt nimis: accipiamus pro pretio eorum frumentum, et comedamus, et vivamus. 3 Et erant qui dicerent: Agros nostros, et vineas, et domus nostras opponamus, et accipiamus frumentum in fame. 4 Et alii dicebant: Mutuo sumamus pecunias in tributa regis, demusque agros nostros et vineas: 5 et nunc sicut carnes fratrum nostrorum, sic carnes nostræ sunt: et sicut filii eorum, ita et filii nostri: ecce nos subjugamus filios nostros et filias nostras in servitutem, et de filiabus nostris sunt famulæ, nec habemus unde possint redimi: et agros nostros et vineas nostras alii possident. |
| 6 |
6 Great was my anger when I heard such cause of complaint was theirs. 7 I took deep thought over it, and then taxed nobles and rulers with their fault; would they play the usurer with their own brethren? Summoning a great assembly of the citizens to confront them, 8 I reminded them that we in Babylon had been at pains to ransom our Jewish brethren who were enslaved to the heathen; must we now ransom them anew, from masters of their own flesh and blood? At this, there was silence; nothing could they find to say.[1] 9 Here are sorry doings, I told them. Have you no fear of God’s vengeance, of the reproach this will earn from our heathen neighbours? 10 You are not the only creditors; I myself, my kinsmen and my servants have been lending money and corn on all sides. Come, let us conspire to forgo our rights, let us all remit the debt due to us; 11 and do you restore, here and now, lands, vineyards, olive-yards and houses; restore, too, the interest charge you claim of a hundredth, for money and corn, wine and oil alike. 12 Restore it we will, they answered, and make no further claim; thy bidding shall be done. Thereupon I summoned the priests, and would have this undertaking secured by an oath. 13 I shook the dust, too, from the folds of my lap, and cried out: God give no gentler handling than this to the man who plays me false; sweep away house and lands, and leave him a beggar! Amen, answered the whole assembly, and gave praise to God. And loyally the agreement was kept. | 6 Et iratus sum nimis cum audissem clamorem eorum secundum verba hæc: 7 cogitavitque cor meum mecum, et increpavi optimates et magistratus, et dixi eis: Usurasne singuli a fratribus vestris exigitis? Et congregavi adversum eos concionem magnam, 8 et dixi eis: Nos, ut scitis, redemimus fratres nostros Judæos, qui venditi fuerant gentibus secundum possibilitatem nostram: et vos igitur vendetis fratres vestros, et redimemus eos? Et siluerunt, nec invenerunt quid responderent. 9 Dixique ad eos: Non est bona res quam facitis: quare non in timore Dei nostri ambulastis, ne exprobretur nobis a gentibus inimicis nostris? 10 Et ego, et fratres mei, et pueri mei commodavimus plurimis pecuniam et frumentum. Non repetamus in commune istud: æs alienum concedamus quod debetur nobis. 11 Reddite eis hodie agros suos, et vineas suas, et oliveta sua, et domos suas: quin potius et centesimum pecuniæ, frumenti, vini et olei, quam exigere soletis ab eis, date pro illis. 12 Et dixerunt: Reddemus, et ab eis nihil quæremus: sicque faciemus ut loqueris. Et vocavi sacerdotes, et adjuravi eos ut facerent juxta quod dixeram. 13 Insuper excussi sinum meum, et dixi: Sic excutiat Deus omnem virum qui non compleverit verbum istud, de domo sua, et de laboribus suis: sic excutiatur, et vacuus fiat. Et dixit universa multitudo: Amen: et laudaverunt Deum. Fecit ergo populus sicut erat dictum. |
| 14 ἀ |
14 For twelve years, ever since Artaxerxes gave me my commission in Juda (that is, from the twentieth to the thirty-second year of his reign) my kinsmen and I refused to take the allowance which was granted to the governors. 15 My predecessors, by accepting corn, wine, and money, at the rate of forty sicles a day, had been a burden to the people, who suffered also from the exactions of their servants. Not so I, God’s fear preventing me; 16 instead of buying lands, my care was to help build the wall, and there was no servant of mine but took his place among the workmen. 17 A hundred and fifty Jews, (the rulers,[2] and those) who came in to help us from the country round about, fed at my expense; 18 every day an ox and six fat rams, and fowls besides, were dressed for me, and every tenth day brought a fresh supply of various wines; yet for this and much else I would take no allowance as governor in return; to such straits had the men of Juda been brought. 19 Not unremembered, Lord, not unrewarded, be these services done to thy people. | 14 A die autem illa, qua præceperat rex mihi ut essem dux in terra Juda, ab anno vigesimo usque ad annum trigesimum secundum Artaxerxis regis per annos duodecim, ego et fratres mei annonas quæ ducibus debebantur non comedimus. 15 Duces autem primi, qui fuerant ante me, gravaverunt populum, et acceperunt ab eis in pane, et vino, et pecunia, quotidie siclos quadraginta: sed et ministri eorum depresserunt populum. Ego autem non feci ita propter timorem Dei: 16 quin potius in opere muri ædificavi, et agrum non emi, et omnes pueri mei congregati ad opus erant. 17 Judæi quoque et magistratus centum quinquaginta viri, et qui veniebant ad nos de gentibus quæ in circuitu nostro sunt, in mensa mea erant. 18 Parabatur autem mihi per dies singulos bos unus, arietes sex electi, exceptis volatilibus, et inter dies decem vina diversa, et alia multa tribuebam: insuper et annonas ducatus mei non quæsivi: valde enim attenuatus erat populus. 19 Memento mei, Deus meus, in bonum, secundum omnia quæ feci populo huic. |
[1] The interpretation of this verse in the Hebrew text is not certain; but the rendering above, which follows the Latin, seems to give the best sense.
[2] There is no mention of rulers in the Septuagint Greek; it seems possible that the word has crept into the Hebrew text through an error.
Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd
