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.

⁹ Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Hebrew in bondage.^{(A) 10} So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage. They agreed, and set them free. ¹¹ But afterward they changed their minds^(B) and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again.

¹⁴ ‘Every seventh year each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. After they have served you six years, you must let them go free.’^[a](A) Your ancestors, however, did not listen to me or pay attention^(B) to me.

¹⁶ But now you have turned around^(A) and profaned^(B) my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again.