Nehemiah 5

1 And the cry of the people and their wives [was] great against their brethren the Jews.

Now there was a great cry of the people, and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

2 And some said, We [are] numerous with our sons and our daughters; so we will take corn, and eat, and live.

And there were some that said: Our sons and our daughters are very many: Yet us take up corn for the price of them, and let us eat and live.

3 And some said, [As to] our fields and vineyards and houses, let us pledge [them], and we will take corn, and eat.

And there were some that said: Let us mortgage our lands, and our vineyards, and our houses, and let us take corn because of the famine.

4 And some said, We have borrowed money for the king's tributes: —our fields, and our vineyards, and houses [are pledged].

And others said: Let us borrow money for the king’s tribute, and let us give up our fields and vineyards:

5 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.

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.

6 And I was much grieved as I heard their cry and these words.

And I was exceedingly angry when I heard their cry according to these words.

7 And my heart took counsel within me, and I contended against the nobles, and the princes, and I said to them, Should every man demand of his brother what you demand? And I appointed against them a great assembly,

And my heart thought with myself: and I rebuked the nobles and magistrates, and said to them: Do you every one exact usury of your brethren? And I gathered together a great assembly against them,

8 and I said to them, We of our free-will have redeemed our brethren the Jews that were sold to the Gentiles; and do you sell your brethren? and shall they be delivered to us? And they were silent, and found no answer.

And I said to them: We, as you know, have redeemed according to our ability our brethren the Jews, that were sold to the Gentiles: and will you then sell your brethren, for us to redeem them? And they held their peace, and found not what to answer.

9 And I said, The thing which you do [is] not good; you will not so walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the Gentiles our enemies.

And I said to them: The thing you do is not good: why walk you not in the fear of our God, that we be not exposed to the reproaches of the Gentiles our enemies?

10 Both my brethren, and my acquaintances, and I, have lent them money and corn: let us now leave off this exaction.

Both I and my brethren, and my servants, have lent money and corn to many: let us all agree not to call for it again; let us forgive the debt that is owing to us.

11 Restore to them, I pray, as at this day, their fields, and their vineyards, and their olive yards, and their houses, and bring forth to them corn and wine and oil of the money.

Restore ye to them this day their fields, and their vineyards, and their oliveyards, and their houses: and the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, which you mere wont to exact of them, give it rather for them.

12 And they said, We will restore, and we will not exact of them; we will do thus as you say. Then I called the priests, and bound them by oath to do according to this word.

And they said: We will restore, and we will require nothing of them: and we will do as thou sayest. And I called the priests and took an oath of them, to do according to what I had said.

13 And I shook out my garment, and said, So may God shake out every man who shall not keep to this word, from his house, and from his labours, he shall be even thus shaken out, as an outcast and empty. And all the congregation said, Amen, and they praised the Lord: and the people did this thing.

Moreover I shook my lap, and said: So may God shake every man that shall not accomplish this word, out of his house, and out of his labours, thus may he be shaken out, and become empty. And all the multitude said: Amen. And they praised God. And the people did according to what was said.

14 From the day that he charged me to be their ruler in the land of Juda, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Arthasastha, twelve years, I and my brethren ate not [provision] extorted from them.

And from the day, in which the king commanded me to be governor in the land of Juda, from the twentieth year even to the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, for twelve years, I and my brethren did not eat the yearly allowance that was due to the governors.

15 But as for the former acts of extortion wherein [those who were] before me oppressed them, they even took of them their last money, forty didrachmas for bread and wine; and the [very] outcasts of them exercised authority over the people: but I did not so, because of the fear of God.

But the former governors that had been before me, were chargeable to the people, and took of them in bread, and wine, and in money every day forty sides: and their officers also oppressed the people. But I did not so for the fear of God.

16 Also in the work of the wall I treated them not with rigor, I bought not land: and all that were gathered together [came] there to the work.

Moreover I built in the work of the wall, and I bought no land, and all my servants were gathered together to the work.

17 And the Jews, to [the number of] a hundred and fifty men, besides those coming to us from the nations round about, [were] at my table.

The Jews also and the magistrates to the number of one hundred and fifty men, were at my table, besides them that came to us from among the nations that were round about us.

18 And there came [to me] for one day one calf, and I had six choice sheep and a goat; and every ten days wine in abundance of all sorts: yet with these I required not the bread of extortion, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.

And there was prepared for me day by day one ox, and six choice rams, besides fowls, and once in ten days I gave store of divers wines, and many other things: yet I did not require my yearly allowance as governor: for the people were very much impoverished.

19 Remember me, O God, for good, [in] all that I have done to this people.

Remember me, O my God, for good according to all that I have done for this people.