Chapter 5

[] Hto de megalh kraugh tou laou kai twn gunaikwn autwn kata twn adelfwn autwn twn Ioudaiwn.

Dioti hsan tineV legonteV, HmeiV, oi uioi hmwn kai ai qugatereV hmwn, eimeqa polloi× oqen aV labwmen siton, dia na fagwmen kai na zhswmen.

Kai hsan tineV legonteV, HmeiV ballomen enecuron touV agrouV hmwn, touV ampelwnaV hmwn kai taV oikiaV hmwn, dia na labwmen siton ex aitiaV thV peinhV.

Hsan eti tineV legonteV, HmeiV edaneisqhmen arguria dia touV forouV tou basilewV epi touV agrouV kai epi touV ampelwnaV hmwn×

twra de h sarx hmwn einai wV h sarx twn adelfwn hmwn, ta tekna hmwn wV ta tekna autwn× kai idou, hmeiV kaqupoballomen eiV douleian touV uiouV hmwn kai taV qugateraV hmwn dia na hnai douloi, kai tineV ek twn qugaterwn hmwn eferqhsan hdh eiV douleian× kai den einai ouden eiV thn exousian hmwn, dioti alloi ecousi touV agrouV kai touV ampelwnaV hmwn.

[] Kai hganakthsa sfodra, akousaV thn kraughn autwn kai touV logouV toutouV.

Kai eskefqhn kat' emauton, kai epeplhxa touV prokritouV kai touV proestwtaV kai eipa proV autouV, SeiV forologeite ekastoV ton adelfon autou. Kai sunekalesa kat' autwn sunaxin megalhn.

Kai eipa proV autouV, HmeiV kata thn dunamin hmwn exhgorasamen touV adelfouV hmwn IoudaiouV, touV pwlhqentaV eiV ta eqnh× kai seiV autoi qelete pwlhsei touV adelfouV saV; h qelousi pwlhqh eiV hmaV; Ekeinoi de esiwpwn kai den eurhkan apokrisin.

Kai eipa, Den einai kalon to pragma to opoion seiV kamnete× den prepei na peripathte en tw fobw tou Qeou hmwn, dia na mh oneidizwsin hmaV ta eqnh, oi ecqroi hmwn;

kai egw eti kai oi adelfoi mou kai oi douloi mou edaneisamen eiV autouV crhmata kai siton× aV afhswmen, parakalw, thn apaithsin tauthn×

epistreyate loipon eiV autouV, tauthn thn hmeran, touV agrouV autwn, touV ampelwnaV autwn, touV elaiwnaV autwn kai touV oikouV autwn kai to ekatoston tou arguriou kai tou sitou, tou oinou kai tou elaiou, to opoion apaiteite par' autwn.

Tote eipon, Qelomen apodwsei tauta kai den qelomen zhthsei ouden par' autwn× outw qelomen kamei, kaqwV su legeiV. Tote ekalesa touV iereiV kai wrkisa autouV, oti qelousi kamei kata ton logon touton.

Exetinaxa eti ton kolpon mou, legwn, Outw na ektinaxh o QeoV panta anqrwpon apo tou oikou autou kai apo tou kopou autou, ostiV den ektelesh ton logon touton, kai outw na hnai ektetinagmenoV kai kenoV. Kai eipon pasa h sunaxiV, Amhn, kai edoxasan ton Kurion. Kai ekamen o laoV kata ton logon touton.

[] Af' hV de hmeraV prosetacqhn na hmai kubernhthV autwn en th gh Iouda, apo tou eikostou etouV ewV tou triakostou deuterou etouV Artaxerxou tou basilewV, dwdeka eth, egw kai oi adelfoi mou den efagomen ton arton tou kubernhtou.

Oi proteroi omwV kubernhtai, oi pro emou, katebarunon ton laon, kai elambanon par' autwn arton kai oinon, ektoV tessarakonta siklwn arguriou× eti kai oi douloi autwn exousiazon ton laon× all' egw den ekamnon outw, foboumenoV ton Qeon.

Kai malista eniscuqhn eiV to ergon toutou tou teicouV, kai agron den hgorasamen× kai panteV oi douloi mou hsan sunhgmenoi ekei eiV to ergon.

Hsan eti eiV thn trapezan mou ekaton penthkonta andreV ek twn Ioudaiwn kai twn proestwtwn, kai oi ercomenoi proV hmaV ek twn eqnwn twn perix hmwn.

To de kaq' hmeran etoimazomenon di' eme hto eiV bouV kai ex eklekta probata× kai pthna htoimazonto di' eme, kai apax eiV deka hmeraV afqonia apo pantoV eidouV oinou× kai omwV den ezhthsa ton arton tou kubernhtou× dioti h douleia hto bareia epi touton ton laon.

Mnhsqhti mou, Qee mou, ep' agaqw, kata panta osa egw ekamon uper tou laou toutou.