Nehemiah 5

1 Around this time some people and their wives started a tremendous argument with the other Jews.

And it was cry of distress of the people and wives their great against countrymen their the Jews.

2 They were complaining, “Our families are so large we need more food so we can eat and live.”

And there [were those] who [were] saying sons our and daughters our we [are] many and let us get grain so we may eat and we may live.

3 Others added, “We've had to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to buy food during the famine.”

And there [were those] who [were] saying fields our and vineyards our and houses our we [are] mortgaging and we will get grain in the famine.

4 Still more said, “We've had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king's tax.

And there [were those] who [were] saying we have borrowed money for [the] tribute of the king fields our and vineyards our.

5 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, but we can't do anything about it, because our fields and our vineyards are now owned by others.”

And now [is] like [the] flesh of countrymen our flesh our [are] like children their children our and there! we [are] bringing into bondage sons our and daughters our to slaves and there [are] some of daughters our being brought into bondage and there not [is] to [the] power of hand our and fields our and vineyards our [belong] to others.

6 I became very angry when I heard them protesting their grievances.

And it burned to me exceedingly when I heard outcry their and the words these.

7 I thought it over and then I went to argue with the nobles and officials, telling them, “You are charging your own brothers interest!” So I called a large meeting to deal with them.

And it considered heart my with me and I contended! with the nobles and with the officials and I said! to them usury each on brother his you ([are] lending *Q(K)*) and I made on them an assembly great.

8 There I told them, “We have done as much as we can to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers as slaves! Are you expecting to sell them back to us?” They kept quiet because they couldn't think of anything to say.

And I said! to them we we have bought countrymen our the Jews who sold themselves to the nations according to [the] sufficiency in us and also you you sold countrymen your and they were sold to us and they were silent and not they found a word.

9 “What you're doing isn't right,” I told them. “Don't you think you should respect our God so that enemy nations don't criticize us?

(And I said *Q(K)*) not [is] good the thing which you [are] doing ¿ not in [the] fear of God our are you walking from [the] reproach of the nations enemies our.

10 I, as well as my brothers and my men have been have been lending the people money and food. Please, let's stop this business of charging interest!

And also I brothers my and servants my [are] lending to them money and grain let us abandon please the usury this.

11 Give them back right now their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the one percent interest on the money, grain, new wine, and olive oil that you have been charging them.”

Return please to them as this day fields their vineyards their olive trees their and houses their and [the] hundred of the money and the grain the new wine and the fresh oil which you [are] lending to them.

12 “We will give it back,” they replied, “and we won't demand anything more from them. We'll do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials swear an oath that they'd do what they had promised.

And they said we will return [it] and from them not we will require [it] so we will do just as you [are] saying and I summoned the priests and I made swear an oath them to do according to the manner this.

13 I shook out the folds of my robe and said, “This is how my God will shake you out of your homes and out of your possessions if you don't keep your promise! If you don't, you'll be shaken out and end up with nothing!” Everyone there said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. The people did what they'd promised.

Also bosom my I shook out and I said! thus may he shake out God every person who not he will carry out the word this from house his and from property his and thus may he be shaken out and empty and they said all the assembly amen and they praised Yahweh and it did the people according to the manner this.

14 In addition to this, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me as governor in the land of Judah, which was from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year, a total of twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food which was allocated to the governor.

Also from [the] day - when someone appointed me to be governor their in [the] land of Judah from year twenty and until year thirty and two of Artaxerxes the king years two [plus] ten I and brothers my [the] food of the governor not I ate.

15 But the governors before me had placed a heavy burden on the people, taking forty shekels of silver from them as well as food and wine. Their assistants also extorted the people. But because of my respect for God I didn't act like that.

And the governors former who [were] before me they made heavy on the people and they took from them food and wine after silver shekels forty also servants their they domineered over the people and I not I did thus because of [the] fear of God.

16 I also made rebuilding the wall my top priority, and I assigned all my workers to help with that. We didn't acquire any land for ourselves.

And also on [the] work of the wall this I kept hold and a field not we acquired and all servants my [were] assembled there on the work.

17 I had 150 Jews and officials eating at my table, as well as visitors from nearby countries.

And the Jews and the officials one hundred and fifty person[s] and the [ones who] came to us from the nations which [were] around us [were] at table my.

18 Every day I paid for one ox, six good sheep, and poultry. Every ten days I paid for a large supply of all kinds of wine. But I never demanded the governor's food allowance, because the people were already carrying a heavy burden.

And [that] which it was made for a day one [was] an ox one sheep six chosen and poultry they were made for me and between ten days in all wine to abundance and beside this [the] food of the governor not I sought for it was heavy the service on the people this.

19 Please remember me positively, my God, for all that I've done for this people.

Remember! to me O God my for good all that I have done on the people this.