Nehemiah 5

¹ Some time later plenty of the people, both men and women, begin to dey complain against their fellow-Jews.

² Some talk say, “We get large families, we need corn to keep them alive.”

³ Other talk say, “We don dey exchange our fields and vineyards and houses to get enough corn to keep us from hunger.”

⁴ Others still talk say, “We don borrow money to pay royal tax on our fields and vineyards.

⁵ Na the same race we be with our fellow-Jews. Shey our children no good like their own? But we need to make our own children slave. Dem don sell some of our daughters as slaves. We dey helpless because dem don take our fields and vineyards away from us.”

⁶ When I con hear their complain, I con vex

⁷ And decide say I go do something. I condemn the leaders and officials of the people and I tell them say, “Una dey oppress una fellow-Jews!” I call a public assembly to take deal with the problem

⁸ And I talk say, “As we fit do, we don dey buy back our Jewish relatives wey don sell themselves to foreigners. Now una dey force una own relatives make dem sell themselves to una, their own people!” The leaders dey silent and dem no get anything to talk.

⁹ Then I talk say, “Na wrong thing una dey do! Una suppose obey God and do wetin dey right. Then una no go give our enemies, the Gentiles, any reason to ridicule us.

¹⁰ I don allow the people borrow money and corn from me, and my companions and the people wey work for me too. Now make we forget the payment.

¹¹ Make una cancel all the debt wey dem dey owe una - money or corn or wine or olive oil. And make una give back their fields, vineyards, olives groves, and house to them for once!”

¹² The leaders reply say, “We go do as you don talk. We go return the properties and we go try make we no collect the debts.” I call the Priest make dem come in and make the leaders swear for their front to keep the promise wey dem just make.

¹³ Then I commot the sash wey I dey wear round my waist and shake am out. I talk say, “Na like this God go shake any of una wey no keep him promise. God go take una house away, and everything wey una get, and he go leave una with nothing.” Everyone wey dey present say, “Amen!” And dem praise God. And the leaders keep their promise.

¹⁴ During all the twelve years wey I be governor of the land of Judah, from the twentieth year wey Artaxerxes be emperor until him 32nd years, me and my relative no chop the food wey I suppose dey chop as governor.

¹⁵ Every governor wey don dey office before me, na burden dem be, burden to the people and don demand for forty silver coins a day for food and wine. Even their servants don oppress the people. But me no do like that, because say I honor God.

¹⁶ Na to dey rebuild the wall I put all my energy and I no get any property. Everyone wey work for me join to dey rebuild.

¹⁷ I dey feed 150 of the Jewish people for my table and their leaders, apart from those people wey dey come to me from surrounding nations.

¹⁸ I dey serve one Ox, six of the best sheep, and plenty chickens, every day and every ten day I dey provide fresh supply of wine. But I know the kind heavy burdens wey the people dey bear, so I no claim the allowance wey governor suppose dey get.

¹⁹ I pray to you, O God, make you remember everything wey I don do for this people to my credit.