5:1 那时，在人民和他们的妇女中，发生了喊冤的大声音，控告自己的犹太同胞。
Then there rose a great outcry of the common people and their wives against certain of their fellow Jews. 5:2 有人喊说：「我们应以我们的儿女作质，换取食粮，吃饭生活。」
Some said: "We are forced to pawn our sons and daughters in order to get grain to eat that we may live." 5:3 另有人喊说：「我们必须典当我们的田地、葡萄园和房屋，为在饥荒之中获得食粮。」
Others said: "We are forced to pawn our fields, our vineyards, and our houses, that we may have grain during the famine." 5:4 还有人喊说：「我们应抵押我们的田地和葡萄园，去借钱给王纳税。
Still others said: "To pay the king’s tax we have borrowed money on our fields and our vineyards. 5:5 然而我们的肉体与我们同胞的肉体一样，我们的孩子与他们的孩子也相同，但我们必须叫我们的儿女去作奴婢，且有些女儿已做了奴婢；我们现下一无所能，因为我们的田地和葡萄园，已属于别人。」
And though these are our own kinsmen and our children are as good as theirs, we have had to reduce our sons and daughters to slavery, and violence has been done to some of our daughters! Yet we can do nothing about it, for our fields and our vineyards belong to others." 5:6 我一听了他们的哀诉和这样的话，很是悲愤。
I was extremely angry when I heard the reasons they had for complaint. 5:7 我考虑之后，遂谴责那些权贵和长官，向他们说：「你们每人竟向告自己的同胞索取重利。」为谴责他们，我召集了大会，
After some deliberation, I called the nobles and magistrates to account, saying to them, "You are exacting interest from your own kinsmen!" I then rebuked them severely, 5:8 向他们说：「我们已费尽力量，赎回来了那些被卖给异民作奴隶的犹太同胞，难道你们又要卖你们的同胞，叫我们赎回来吗﹖」他们不出声，也不知如何回答。
saying to them: "As far as we were able, we bought back our fellow Jews who had been sold to Gentiles; you, however, are selling your own brothers, to have them bought back by us." They remained silent, for they could find no answer. 5:9 我接着说：「你们作的这事实在不对！为避免异民-我们仇敌的辱骂，你们岂不应怀着敬畏我们天主的心行事吗﹖
I continued: "What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God, and put an end to the derision of our Gentile enemies? 5:10 我和我的兄弟以及我的仆人，也都借给了他们银钱和食粮。好罢！我们都免除他们这债务罢！
I myself, my kinsmen, and my attendants have lent the people money and grain without charge. Let us put an end to this usury! 5:11 今天就应当归还他们的田地、葡萄园、橄榄园和房屋，并归还由借给他们的银钱、食粮、酒、油所获得的重利。」
I ask that you return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, together with the interest on the money, the grain, the wine, and the oil that you have lent them." 5:12 他们答说：「我们都归还给他们，不向他们索求什么；你怎么说；我们就怎么行。」接着我叫了司祭来，令那些人起誓，按这话去行。
They answered: "We will return everything and exact nothing further from them. We will do just what you ask." Then I called for the priests and had them administer an oath to these men that they would do as they had promised. 5:13 我又拂拭衣襟说道：「愿天主把一切不守这诺言的人，由他的房舍和他的财产中如此拂拭下去，直到将他拂拭净尽。」全会众都答说：「阿们。」同时又称颂了上主。人民都履行了诺言。
I also shook out the folds of my garment, saying, "Thus may God shake from his home and his fortune every man who fails to keep this promise, and may he thus be shaken out and emptied!" And the whole assembly answered, "Amen," and praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised. 5:14 此外，自从我被任命为犹大省长之日起，即自阿塔薛西斯王二十年至三十二年，十二年之久，我和我的兄弟从未食过省长的俸禄。
Moreover, from the time that King Artaxerxes appointed me governor in the land of Judah, from his twentieth to his thirty-second year ?during these twelve years neither I nor my brethren lived from the governor’s allowance. 5:15 但是，在我以先的前任省长，苛待民众，每天由民众取四十「协刻耳」银子，作为俸禄，并且他们的臣仆还压迫民众；而我因敬畏天主，并未如此行事。
The earlier governors, my predecessors, had laid a heavy burden on the people, taking from them each day forty silver shekels for their food; then too, their men oppressed the people. But I, because I feared God, did not act thus. 5:16 虽然我也从事修建城垣的工程，但并未购置过田产；我的仆人也都聚集在那里工作。
Moreover, though I had acquired no land of my own, I did my part in this work on the wall, and all my men were gathered there for the work. 5:17 有一百五十个犹太人和官员，在我那里吃饭，还有从我们四周异民中，来到我们这里的人。
Though I set my table for a hundred and fifty persons, Jews and magistrates, as well as those who came to us from the nations round about, 5:18 每一天应备办一头牛，六只肥羊和各种飞禽，这些都由我负担；每天又要备置大量的酒；虽然如此，我仍未索求省长的俸禄，服役的事已为这民众够重的了。
and though the daily preparations were made at my expense ?one beef, six choice muttons, poultry ?besides all kinds of wine in abundance every ten days, despite this I did not claim the governor’s allowance, for the labor lay heavy upon this people. 5:19 我的天主！请记念我！记念我为这民众所行的一切，使我蒙福。
Keep in mind, O my God, in my favor all that I did for this people.