15.1 to 15.12

Καὶ ἦν κραυγὴ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ γυναικῶν αὐτῶν μεγάλη πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῶν τοὺς Ἰουδαίους. καὶ ἦσάν τινες λέγοντες Ἐν υἱοῖς ἡμῶν καὶ ἐν θυγατράσιν ἡμῶν ἡμεῖς πολλοί· καὶ λημψόμεθα σῖτον, καὶ φαγόμεθα καὶ ζησόμεθα. καὶ εἰσίν τινες λέγοντες Ἀγροὶ ἡμῶν καὶ ἀμπελῶνες ἡμῶν καὶ οἰκίαι ἡμῶν, ἡμεῖς διεγγυῶμεν· καὶ λημψόμεθα σῖτον καὶ φαγόμεθα. καὶ εἰσίν τινες λέγοντες Ἐδανισάμεθα ἀργύριον εἰς φόρους τοῦ βασιλέως, ἀγροὶ ἡμῶν καὶ ἀμπελῶνες ἡμῶν καὶ οἰκίαι ἡμῶν. νῦν ὡς σὰρξ ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν σὰρξ ἡμῶν, ὡς υἱοὶ ἡμῶν υἱοὶ αὐτῶν· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς καταδυναστεύομεν τοὺς υἱοὺς ἡμῶν καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας ἡμῶν εἰς δούλας, καὶ εἰσὶν ἀπὸ θυγατέρων ἡμῶν καταδυναστευόμεναι· καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν δύναμις χειρὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ ἀγροὶ ἡμῶν καὶ ἀμπελῶνες ἡμῶν τοῖς ἐντίμοις. καὶ ἐλυπήθην σφόδρα καθὼς ἤκουσα τὴν κραυγὴν αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς λόγους τούτους. καὶ ἐβουλεύσατο καρδία μου ἐπʼ ἐμέ, καὶ ἐμαχεσάμην πρὸς τοὺς ἐντίμους καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας καὶ εἶπα αὐτοῖς Ἀπαιτήσει ὁ ἀνὴρ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ὑμεῖς ἀπαιτεῖτε· καὶ ἔδωκα ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἐκκλησίαν μεγάλην, καὶ εἶπα αὐτοῖς Ἡμεῖς κεκτήμεθα τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τοὺς πωλουμένους τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐν ἑκουσίῳ ἡμῶν· καὶ ὑμεῖς πωλεῖτε τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν ; καὶ ἡσύχασαν καὶ οὐχ εὔροσαν λόγον. καὶ εἶπα Οὐκ ἀγαθὸς λόγος ὃν ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε· οὐχ οὕτως ἐν φόβῳ θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἀπελεύσεσθε ἀπὸ ὀνειδισμοῦ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν. καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί μου καὶ οἱ γνωστοί μου καὶ ἐγὼ ἐθήκαμεν αὐτοῖς ἀργύριον καὶ σῖτον, ἐνκατελίπομεν δὲ τὴν ἀπαίτησιν ταύτην. ἐπιστρέψατε δὴ αὐτοὶ ὡς σήμερον ἀγροὺς αὐτῶν, ἀμπελῶνας αὐτῶν, ἐλαίας αὐτῶν καὶ οἰκίας αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀργυρίου τὸν σῖτον καὶ τὸν οἶνον καὶ ἐξενέγκατε ἑαυτοῖς. καὶ εἶπαν Ἀποδώσομεν καὶ παρʼ αὐτῶν οὐ ζητήσομεν· οὕτως ποιήσομεν καθὼς σὺ λέγεις. καὶ ἐκάλεσα τοὺς ἱερεῖς καὶ ὥρκισα αὐτοὺς ποιῆσαι ὡς τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο.