1 Then there arose a gadawal (very great/important/mighty) tzaiqah (cry) of the im (nation / people) and of their wives against their ach (brother/kinsman) the Yahawaday (Jews).
2 For there were that amar (said), “We, our ban (son) and our banath (daughter), are many. Let us laqach (take / seize) grain, that we may akal (eat) and chayah (live).”
3 Some also there were that amar (said), “We are irab (evening) our shadah (fields), and our karam (vineyards), and our bayath (house). Let us laqach (take / seize) grain, because of the raib (famine).”
4 There were also some who amar (said), “We have lawah (borrowed) kasap (money) for the malak (king) madah (tribute) using our shadah (fields) and our karam (vineyards) as collateral.
5 Yet now our bashar (flesh) is as the bashar (flesh) of our ach (brother/kinsman), our ban (son) as their ban (son). Behold, we kabash (bring) into bondage our ban (son) and our banath (daughter) to be ibadayam (servants), and some of our banath (daughter) yash (have) been kabash (brought) into bondage. Neither is it in our al (toward) to help it; for other acharayam (men) have our shadah (fields) and our karam (vineyards).”
6 I was very charah (hot with anger) when I shamai (hearken / hear) their zaiq (cry) and these dabarayam (words).
7 Then I malak (king) with myself, and rayab (contended) with the charayam (nobles) and the saganayam (rulers), and amar (said) to them, “You nashah (exact) mashaa (usury), everyone of his ach (brother/kinsman).” I held a gadawal (very great/important/mighty) qahalah (assembly) against them.
8 I amar (said) to them, “We, day (after) our ability, have qanah (redeemed) our ach (brother/kinsman) the Yahawaday (Jews) that were makar (sold) to the gawayam (heathen); and would you even makar (sell) your ach (brother/kinsman), and should they be makar (sold) to us?” Then they held their charash (peace), and matzaa (found) never a dabar (word / matter).
9 Also I amar (spoke), “The thing that you ishah (make) is not tawab (good / proper function). Ought you not to yalak (walk) in the yaraah (fear) of our Alahayam (), because of the charapah (reproach) of the gawayam (nations) our ayab (enemy)?
10 I likewise, my ach (brother/kinsman) and my nair (servants), nashah (lend) them kasap (money) and grain. Please let us stop this mashaa (usury).
11 Please shawab (turn) to them, even this yawam (day), their shadah (fields), their karam (vineyards), their zayath (olive) groves, and their bayath (house), also the hundredth part of the kasap (money), and of the grain, the new thayarawash (wine), and the yatzahar (fresh oil), that you are charging them.”
12 Then they amar (said), “We will shawab (turn) them, and will baqash (require) nothing of them; so will we ishah (make), even as you amar (said).” Then I qaraa (called) the kahanayam (priests), and took an shabai (swear / take oath) of them, that they would ishah (make) according to this dabar (word / matter).
13 Also I nair (shook) out my chatzan (lap), and amar (spoke), “So may Alahayam () nair (shake) out every ayash (man / husband) from his bayath (house), and from his yagayai (labor), that doesn't qawam (rise up) this dabar (word / matter); even thus be he nair (shaken) out, and rayaq (emptied).” All the qahal (assembly) amar (spoke), “aman (believe / have faith),” and halal (praise) Yahawah (). The im (nation / people) ishah (make) according to this dabar (word / matter).
14 Moreover from the yawam (day) that I was tzawah (appointed) to be their pachah (governor) in the aratz (Earth/land) of Yahawadah (Yahawadah / Judah), from the isharayam (twenty) shanah (year) even to the shanayam (two) and shalawashayam (thirty) shanah (year) of Arathachashashathaa (Artaxerxes) the malak (king), that is, shanayam (two) shanayam (two), I and my ach (brother/kinsman) have not akal (eat) the lacham (bread) of the pachah (governor).
15 But the raashawan (former) pachawath (governors) who were panayam (face) me were supported by the im (nation / people), and laqach (take / seize) lacham (bread) and yayan (wine) from them, achar (other) arabaiyam (forty) shaqalayam (shekels) of kasap (silver); yes, even their nair (servants) shalat (ruled) over the im (nation / people): but I didn't do so, panayam (face) of the yaraah (fear) of Alahayam ().
16 Yes, also I chazaq (continued) in the malaakah (work) of this chawamah (wall), neither bought we any shadah (land): and all my nair (servants) were qabatz (gathered) there to the malaakah (work).
17 Moreover there were at my shalachan (table), of the Yahawaday (Jews) and the saganayam (rulers), one maah (hundred) chamashayam (fifty) men, besides those who bawaa (bring) to us from among the gawayam (heathen) that were around us.
18 Now that which was ishah (make) for one yawam (day) was achad (one) shawar (ox) and shash (six) barar (choice) tzaan (sheep); also tzaparayam (fowls) were ishah (make) for me, and once in ishar (ten) yamayam (days) rabah (store) of all sorts of yayan (wine): yet for im (nation / people) this I didn't demand the lacham (bread) of the pachah (governor), because the ibadah (bondage) was kabad (heavy) on this im (nation / people).
19 Zakar (remember) to me, my Alahayam (), for tawab (good / proper function), all that I ishah (make) done for this im (nation / people).