Nehemiah 5

1 And there is a great cry of the people and their wives, concerning their brothers the Jews,

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

2 indeed, there are [those] who are saying, “Our sons, and our daughters, we—are many, and we receive grain, 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 there are [those] who are saying, “Our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, we are pledging, and we receive grain for the famine.”

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 there are [those] who are saying, “We have borrowed money for the tribute of the king, [on] our fields, and our vineyards;

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

5 and now, as the flesh of our brothers [is] our flesh, as their sons [are] our sons, and behold, we are subduing our sons and our daughters for servants, and there are [those] of our daughters subdued, and our hand has no might, and our fields and our vineyards [are] to others.”

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 it is very displeasing to me when I have heard their cry and these words,

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

7 and my heart reigns over me, and I strive with the nobles, and with the prefects, and say to them, “You are exacting usury on one another”; and I set 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 say to them, “We have acquired our brothers the Jews, those sold to the nations, according to the ability that [is] in us, and you also sell your brothers, and they have been sold to us!” And they are silent, and have not found a word.

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 say, “The thing that you are doing [is] not good; do you not walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the nations 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 And also, I, my brothers, and my servants, are exacting silver and grain on them; please let us leave off this usury.

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 Please give back to them, as today, their fields, their vineyards, their olive-yards, and their houses, and the hundredth [part] of the money, and of the grain, of the new wine, and of the oil, that you are exacting of them.”

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 say, “We give back, and we seek nothing from them; so we do as you are saying.” And I call the priests, and cause them to swear to do according to this thing;

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 also, I have shaken my lap, and I say, “Thus God shakes out every man from his house and from his labor who does not perform this thing; indeed, thus is he shaken out and empty”; and all the assembly says, “Amen,” and praises YHWH; and the people do according to 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 Also, from the day that he appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king—twelve years—I, and my brothers, have not eaten the bread of the governor:

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 the former governors who [are] before me have made themselves heavy on the people, and take of them in bread and wine, besides forty shekels in silver; also, their servants have ruled over the people—and I have not done 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 And also, in the work of this wall I have done mightily, even a field we have not bought, and all my servants are gathered there for 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 of the Jews, and of the prefects, one hundred and fifty men, and those coming to us of the nations that [are] around us, [are] 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 that which has been prepared for one day [is] one ox, six fat sheep, also birds have been prepared for me, and once in ten days of all wines abundantly, and with this, the bread of the governor I have not sought, for heavy is the service on 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 for me, O my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.

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