5:1 Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers.
5:2 Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.”
5:3 Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.”
5:4 Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.
5:5 Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”
5:6 When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry.
5:7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them
5:8 and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.
5:9 So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?
5:10 I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop!
5:11 Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them–the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil.”
5:12 “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.” Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised.
5:13 I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!” At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
5:14 Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year–twelve years–neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor.
5:15 But the earlier governors–those preceding me–placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that.
5:16 Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.
5:17 Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations.
5:18 Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.
5:19 Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people.
5:1 And there was a great cry of the people and their wives against their brothers the Jews,
5:2 For there were some who said, With our sons and our daughters we are many; therefore we must get grain that we may eat and live.
5:3 And there were some who said, We have pledged our fields and our vineyards and our houses that we might get grain in this famine.
5:4 And there were some who said, We have borrowed money against our fields and our vineyards for the king s tribute.
5:5 Yet now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children; and now we are bringing our sons and daughters into bondage as slaves. And some of our daughters have already been brought into bondage; and it is not in our power to deliver them, for our fields and vineyards belong to others.
5:6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
5:7 And when I had considered this matter in my heart, I rebuked the nobles and the rulers and said to them, You men are charging interest, each man against his brother! And I set a great assembly against them.
5:8 And I said to them, We have bought back our brothers the Jews who have been sold to the nations according to the best of our ability. So would you even sell your brothers that they would have to be sold back to us? And they held their peace and could find not a word to answer.
5:9 Then I said, The thing that you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations our enemies?
5:10 And even I, my brothers, and my servants lend them money and grain. Let us now abandon such taking of interest.
5:11 Restore now to them, as of today, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, as well as the hundredth part of the money and of the grain, new wine, and fresh oil that you charge them as interest.
5:12 And they said, We will restore it, and we will require nothing from them; so will we do, even as you say. Then I called for the priests and took an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.
5:13 I also shook out the lap of my garment and said, May God shake out in the same way every man from his house and from his possessions who does not perform this promise; even so may he be shaken out and emptied. And all the assembly said, Amen; and they praised Jehovah. And the people acted according to this promise.
5:14 Moreover from the time that the king appointed me to be 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 did not eat the food appointed for the governor.
5:15 But the former governors, who were before me, laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them food and wine, besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants tyrannized the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.
5:16 And I also applied myself to the work on this wall. And we did not acquire fields, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.
5:17 And there were at my table one hundred fifty men, Jews and rulers, besides those who came to us from the nations that surrounded us.
5:18 And what was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowl was prepared for me, as well as all kinds of wine in abundance every ten days. Yet for this I did not demand the food appointed for the governor, for the service was heavy upon this people.
5:19 Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.