Nehemiah
5
- Now the men and their wives raised a great
outcry against their Jewish brothers.
- Some were saying, "We and our sons
and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must
get grain."
- Others were saying, "We are mortgaging
our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine."
- Still others were saying, "We have
had to borrow money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards.
- 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."
- When I heard their outcry and these charges,
I was very angry.
- 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
- 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.
- 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 ?
- I and my brothers and my men are also lending
the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop!
- 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."
- "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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and
officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding
nations.
- 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.
- Remember me with favor, O my God, for all
I have done for these people.
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