Nehemiah 5:10-15

New International Version

¹⁰ I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest!^{(A) 11} Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest^(B) you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”

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^(C) to do what they had promised. ¹³ I also shook^(D) out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!”

At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,”^(E) and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

¹⁴ Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,^(F) when I was appointed to be their governor^(G) in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. ¹⁵ But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels^[a] of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God^(H) I did not act like that.