Nehemiah 5

¹ Now there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish brothers.

² Some were saying, "With our sons and daughters, we are many. We need grain so that we can eat and survive."

³ Others were saying, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain during the famine."

⁴ Still others were saying, "We have had to borrow money for the king's tax on our fields and vineyards.

⁵ Now our flesh is the same as our brothers' flesh, and our children are the same as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and daughters into slavery, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved—and we are powerless, because our fields and vineyards belong to others."

⁶ I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.

⁷ I thought it over, then I confronted the nobles and the officials. I said to them, "You are charging your own people interest!" So I called a great assembly against them

⁸ and said to them, "We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations. But now you are selling your own brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!" They were silent and could find nothing to say.

⁹ I also said, "What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations, our enemies?

¹⁰ I, my brothers, and my servants are also lending them money and grain. Let us stop this charging of interest!

¹¹ Give back to them, this very day, their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, and also the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and olive oil that you have been charging them."

¹² They said, "We will give it back and will require nothing more from them. We will do as you say." Then I summoned the priests and made them take an oath to do as they had promised.

¹³ I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, "So may God shake out every man from his house and from his property who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied!" The whole assembly said, "Amen!" and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.

¹⁴ Moreover, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah—from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year, twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor.

¹⁵ The former governors who preceded me had laid heavy burdens on the people, taking from them food and wine, plus forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do this, because of the fear of God.

¹⁶ Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. We did not acquire any land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.

¹⁷ Moreover, 150 Jews and officials ate at my table, besides those who came to us from the surrounding nations.

¹⁸ Now what was prepared daily at my expense was one ox, six choice sheep, and birds, and every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine. Yet for all this, I did not demand the food allotted to the governor, because the service was heavy on this people.

¹⁹ Remember me with favor, my God, for all that I have done for this people.