1Some men and their wives cried out against their Jewish brothers and sisters.2Some of them were saying, ‘There are now many of us. We have many sons and daughters. We have to get some corn so we can eat and stay alive.’3Others were saying, ‘We’re being forced to sell our fields, vineyards and homes. We have to do it to buy corn. There isn’t enough food for everyone.’4Still others were saying, ‘We’ve had to borrow money. We needed it to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.5We belong to the same family lines as the rest of our people. Our children are as good as theirs. But we’ve had to sell them off as slaves. Some of our daughters have already been made slaves. But we can’t do anything about it. That’s because our fields and vineyards now belong to others.’6I heard them when they cried out. And I was very angry when I heard what they were saying.7I thought it over for a while. Then I accused the nobles and officials of breaking the law. I told them, ‘You are charging your own people interest!’ So I called together a large group of people to handle the matter.8I said, ‘Our Jewish brothers and sisters were sold to other nations. We’ve done everything we could to buy them back and bring them home. But look at what you are doing! You are actually selling your own people! Now we’ll have to buy them back too!’ The people kept quiet. They couldn’t think of anything to say.9So I continued, ‘What you are doing isn’t right. Shouldn’t you show respect for our God? Shouldn’t you live in a way that will keep our enemies from saying bad things about us?10I’m lending the people money and corn. So are my relatives and my men. But we must stop charging interest!11Give the people’s fields back to them. Give them back their vineyards, olive groves and houses. Do it right away. Give everything back to them. Also give them back the one percent on the money, corn, fresh wine and olive oil you have charged them.’12‘We’ll give it back,’ they said. ‘And we won’t require anything more from them. We’ll do exactly as you say.’ Then I sent for the priests. I made the nobles and officials promise to do what they had said.13I also shook out my pockets and emptied them. I said, ‘Someone might decide not to keep this promise they have made. If that happens, may God shake them out of their house! May he empty them of everything they own!’ The whole community said, ‘Amen’. They praised the LORD. And the leaders did what they had promised to do.14And that’s not all. I was appointed as governor of Judah in the 20th year that Artaxerxes was king of Persia. I remained in that position until his 32nd year. During those 12 years, I and my relatives didn’t eat the food that was provided for my table.15But there had been governors before me. They had put a heavy load on the people. They had taken 500 grams of silver from each of them. They had also taken food and wine from them. Their officials had acted like high and mighty rulers over them. But because of my great respect for God, I didn’t act like that.16Instead, I spent all my time working on this wall. All my men were gathered there to work on it too. We didn’t receive any land for ourselves.17Many people ate at my table. They included 150 Jews and officials. They also included leaders who came to us from the nations that were around us.18Each day one ox, six of the best sheep and some birds were prepared for me. Every ten days plenty of wine of all kinds was brought in as well. In spite of all that, I never asked for the food that was provided for my table. That’s because the people were already paying too many taxes.19You are my God. Please remember me and help me. Keep in mind everything I’ve done for these people.
Nehemiah 5
English Standard Version
Nehemiah Stops Oppression of the Poor
1Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. (Ex 3:9; Le 25:35; Le 25:37; De 15:7; Isa 5:7)2For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.”3There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.”4And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. (Ezr 4:13; Ezr 4:20; Ezr 7:24)5Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.” (Ge 29:14; Ex 21:7; Le 25:39; 2Ki 4:1; Isa 58:7)6I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. (Ne 5:1)7I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them (Ex 22:25; Le 25:36; Ps 15:5; Eze 22:12)8and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. (Le 25:48)9So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? (Le 25:36; 2Sa 12:14; Ne 4:4)10Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest.11Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.”12Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised. (Ezr 10:5; Ne 10:31; Jer 34:8)13I also shook out the fold[1] of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised. (De 27:15; 1Ch 16:36; Ne 8:6; Ps 106:48; Ac 18:6)
Nehemiah’s Generosity
14Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. (Ne 2:1; Ne 13:6; 2Th 3:8)15The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration[2] forty shekels[3] of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. (Ne 5:9)16I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.17Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. (2Sa 9:7; 2Sa 9:10; 1Ki 18:19)18Now what was prepared at my expense[4] for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. (1Ki 4:22; Ne 5:14)19Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people. (Ne 13:14; Ne 13:22; Ne 13:31)