NEH 5:5 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, red:negative, blue:Elohim.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrTr And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children are as their children: yet, behold, we are reducing our sons and our daughters to slavery, and some of our daughters are enslaved: and there is no power of our hands, for our fields and our vineyards belong to the nobles.

ULT And now, our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our sons are as their sons. And behold, we are putting our sons and our daughters into bondage as slaves. There are those even of our daughters who have been put into bondage, and there is nothing to God in our hand, for our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”

UST This is how bad things have gotten. We are selling our children into slavery. In fact, we have even sold some of our daughters. Our creditors took the fields and vineyards we pledged as security for loans, so there was nothing else we could do. But we are Jews, just like the people who are doing these things to us!”

BSB We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”

OEB Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children; but now, we must bring our sons and our daughters into slavery, and some of our daughters have already thus been brought into bondage, neither is it in our power to help it, for our fields and our vineyards belong to the nobles.’

WEBBE Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold,[fn] we bring our sons and our daughters into bondage to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. It is also not in our power to help it, because other men have our fields and our vineyards.”

5:5 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.

WMBB (Same as above including footnotes)

NET And now, though we share the same flesh and blood as our fellow countrymen, and our children are just like their children, still we have found it necessary to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have been subjected to slavery, while we are powerless to help, since our fields and vineyards now belong to other people.”

LSV and now, as the flesh of our brothers [is] our flesh, as their sons [are] our sons, and behold, we are subduing our sons and our daughters for servants, and there are [those] of our daughters subdued, and our hand has no might, and our fields and our vineyards [are] to others.”

FBV Even though we are the same people as our creditors and though our children are the same as their children, yet we going to have to turn our sons and daughters into slaves. In fact some of our daughters have already been enslaved,[fn] but we can't do anything about it, because our fields and our vineyards are now owned by others.”

5:5 Girls that were sold could be taken as a wife by the buyer or for one of his sons.

T4T We are Jews just like [IDM] they are. Our children are ◄just as good as/equal with► their children. But we have needed to sell some of our children to become slaves in order to pay what we owe. We have already sold some of our daughters to become slaves. Our fields and vineyards have been taken away from us, so now we do not have the money to pay what we owe, and we are forced to sell our children to get money to pay those debts.”

LEB Now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our sons are like their sons. Look, we are subduing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and there are some from our daughters being molested. We are powerless,[fn] and our fields and vineyards belong to others.”

5:5 Literally “There is no power in our hand”

BBE But our flesh is the same as the flesh of our countrymen, and our children as their children: and now we are giving our sons and daughters into the hands of others, to be their servants, and some of our daughters are servants even now: and we have no power to put a stop to it; for other men have our fields and our vine-gardens.

Moff No Moff NEH book available

JPS Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage already; neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards.'

ASV Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage already: neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards.

DRA And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren: and our children as their children. Behold we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters, and some of our daughters are bondwomen already, neither have we wherewith to redeem them, and our fields and our vineyards other men possess.

YLT and now, as the flesh of our brethren [is] our flesh, as their sons [are] our sons, and lo, we are subduing our sons and our daughters for servants, and there are of our daughters subdued, and our hand hath no might, and our fields and our vineyards [are] to others.'

Drby yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and behold, we must bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage [already]; neither is it in the power of our hand [to redeem them], for other men have our fields and our vineyards.

RV Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage already: neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards.

Wbstr Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought to bondage already : neither is it in our power to redeem them ; for other men have our lands and vineyards.

KJB-1769 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.
(Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren/brothers, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards. )

KJB-1611 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and loe, wee bring into bondage our sonnes and our daughters, to bee seruants, and some of our daughters are brought vnto bondage already, neither is it in our power to redeeme them: for other men haue our lands and vineyards.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from marking of added words (and possibly capitalisation and punctuation))

Bshps And now our fleshe is as the fleshe of our brethren, and our children as their children: and loe we bring into subiection our sonnes and our daughters as seruauntes, and some of our daughters are subdued vnto bondage alredie, and no strength is there in our handes to redeeme them, and other men haue our landes and vineyardes.
(And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren/brothers, and our children as their children: and lo we bring into subjection our sons and our daughters as servants, and some of our daughters are subdued unto bondage alredie, and no strength is there in our hands to redeem them, and other men have our lands and vineyards.)

Gnva And nowe our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, and our sonnes as their sonnes: and lo, we bring into subiection our sonnes and our daughters, as seruants, and there be of our daughters nowe in subiection, and there is no power in our handes: for other men haue our landes and our vineyardes.
(And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren/brothers, and our sons as their sons: and lo, we bring into subjection our sons and our daughters, as servants, and there be of our daughters now in subjection, and there is no power in our hands: for other men have our lands and our vineyards. )

Cvdl Now are oure brethrens bodies as oure awne bodies, and their children as oure children: els shulde we subdue oure sonnes and doughters vnto bondage, and some of oure doughters are subdued allready, and no strength is there in oure handes, and other men shal haue oure londes and vynyardes.
(Now are our brethren/brotherss bodies as our own bodies, and their children as our children: else should we subdue our sons and daughters unto bondage, and some of our daughters are subdued allready, and no strength is there in our hands, and other men shall have our londes and vineyards.)

Wycl And now as the fleischis of oure britheren ben, so and oure fleischis ben; and as ben the sones of hem, so and oure sones ben; lo! we han maad suget oure sones and oure douytris in to seruage, and seruauntissis ben of oure douytris, and we han not wherof thei moun be ayenbouyt; and othere men han in possessioun oure feeldis, and oure vyneris.
(And now as the fleshis of our brethren/brothers ben, so and our fleshis ben; and as been the sons of them, so and our sons ben; lo! we have made subject our sons and our daughters in to seruage, and servantssis been of our daughters, and we have not wherof they moun be ayenbouyt; and other men have in possession our fields, and our vineyardis.)

Luth Denn unserer Brüder Leib ist wie unser Leib und ihre Kinder wie unsere Kinder; sonst würden wir unsere Söhne und Töchter unterwerfen dem Dienst, und sind schon unserer Töchter etliche unterworfen, und ist kein Vermögen in unsern Händen; auch würden unsere Äcker und Weinberge der andern.
(Because unserer brothers body is like unser body and their/her children like unsere Kinder; sonst würden we/us unsere sons and Töchter unterwerfen to_him service, and are schon unserer Töchter several unterworfen, and is kein Vermögen in unsern hands; also würden unsere Äcker and Weinberge the/of_the andern.)

ClVg 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.
(and now like carnes brothers of_ours, so carnes nostræ are: and like children their, ita and children nostri: behold we subyugamus filios ours and daughters nostras in servitutem, and about daughterbus nostris are famulæ, but_not habemus whence possint redimi: and agros ours and vineas nostras alii possident. )

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

וְ⁠עַתָּ֗ה

and=now

This term indicates that the sentence that follows is a further development of the thought from the previous sentence.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

כִּ⁠בְשַׂ֤ר אַחֵ֨י⁠נוּ֙ בְּשָׂרֵ֔⁠נוּ כִּ⁠בְנֵי⁠הֶ֖ם בָּנֵ֑י⁠נוּ

like,flesh brothers,our flesh,our as,children,their children,our

Here the Jews are insisting that they are of the same Jewish descent as the other Jews and that they of the same importance as the others. If it would be helpful in your language, you could say this explicitly. Alternate translation: “Yet our families are Jews just like the other Jews’ families, and our children are just as important to us as their children are to them”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

כִּ⁠בְשַׂ֤ר אַחֵ֨י⁠נוּ֙ בְּשָׂרֵ֔⁠נוּ כִּ⁠בְנֵי⁠הֶ֖ם בָּנֵ֑י⁠נוּ

like,flesh brothers,our flesh,our as,children,their children,our

These two phrases mean similar things. The people complaining to Nehemiah are using the repetition to emphasize how shameful it is for the wealthy and powerful to sell their own fellow Jews into slavery. If it would be helpful in your language, you could combine these phrases. Alternate translation: “And we are Jews, just like the people who are doing these things to us!”

כִּ⁠בְשַׂ֤ר אַחֵ֨י⁠נוּ֙ בְּשָׂרֵ֔⁠נוּ כִּ⁠בְנֵי⁠הֶ֖ם בָּנֵ֑י⁠נוּ

like,flesh brothers,our flesh,our as,children,their children,our

You could move this sentence to the end of the verse, since it is the culmination of the argument.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

אַחֵ֨י⁠נוּ֙

brothers,our

Here, brother describes the Jews who are exploiting their poor and vulnerable fellow Jews. Alternate translation: “And we are Jews, just like the people who are doing these things to us!”

וְ⁠הִנֵּ֣ה

and=see/lo/see!

Behold is a term meant to focus the attention of the listener on what the speaker is about to say. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could use some emphatic term or expression in your language that would have this same effect.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

אֲנַ֣חְנוּ כֹ֠בְשִׁים אֶת־בָּנֵ֨י⁠נוּ וְ⁠אֶת־בְּנֹתֵ֜י⁠נוּ לַ⁠עֲבָדִ֗ים וְ⁠יֵ֨שׁ מִ⁠בְּנֹתֵ֤י⁠נוּ נִכְבָּשׁוֹת֙

we forcing DOM sons,our and=DOM daughters,our to,slaves and,there_are some_of,daughters,our enslaved

In this context, the construction are putting likely indicates that the poor are on the verge of selling their children into slavery. The next sentence shows that they have already done this in some instances. It appears that in this culture, in dire situations, girls were sold before boys, perhaps because they could become either domestic servants or concubines. A concubine was a woman who was both a slave and a secondary wife to her master. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this statement that way. Alternate translation: “We are on the verge of selling our children into slavery. In fact, we have already sold some of our daughters as servants and concubines.”

Note 6 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

וְ⁠אֵ֣ין לְ⁠אֵ֣ל יָדֵ֔⁠נוּ וּ⁠שְׂדֹתֵ֥י⁠נוּ וּ⁠כְרָמֵ֖י⁠נוּ לַ⁠אֲחֵרִֽים

and,not in,power help,we and,fields,our and,vineyards,our belong_to,others

If it would be helpful in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases because the second phrase gives the reason why the first phrase is true. Alternate translation: “because our creditors took the fields and vineyards we pledged as security for loans, there is nothing else we can do in this situation.”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וְ⁠אֵ֣ין לְ⁠אֵ֣ל יָדֵ֔⁠נוּ

and,not in,power help,we

There is nothing to God in our hand is an idiom that means that the speaker does not have the power to do what they are describing. Alternate translation: “there is nothing else we can do in this situation”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וּ⁠שְׂדֹתֵ֥י⁠נוּ וּ⁠כְרָמֵ֖י⁠נוּ לַ⁠אֲחֵרִֽים

and,fields,our and,vineyards,our belong_to,others

The implication is that when the poor could not pay back their loans, their creditors took the fields and vineyards they had pledged as collateral. If it would be helpful in your language, you could say this explicitly. Alternate translation: “because our creditors took the fields and vineyards we pledged as security for loans.”

Parallel NEH 5:5