Nehemiah's Generosity

¹⁴ Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from ^(A)the twentieth year to ^(B)the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, ^(C)neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor.

⁶ While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for ^(A)in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes ^(B)king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king

⁸ nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but ^(A)with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. ⁹ It was ^(B)not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves ^(C)an example to imitate.

Nehemiah Sent to Judah

2 In the month of Nisan, ^(A)in the twentieth year of King ^(B)Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, ^(C)I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence.

¹⁸ What then is my reward? That in my preaching ^(A)I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

^4 (A)Do we not have the right to eat and drink? ^5 (B)Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife,^[a] as do the other apostles and ^(C)the brothers of the Lord and ^(D)Cephas? ⁶ Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? ^7 (E)Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? ^(F)Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?

⁸ Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? ⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses, ^(G)“You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? ¹⁰ Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written ^(H)for our sake, because ^(I)the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. ^11 (J)If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? ¹² If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?

Nevertheless, ^(K)we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything ^(L)rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. ¹³ Do you not know that ^(M)those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? ¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord commanded that ^(N)those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

¹⁵ But ^(O)I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone ^(P)deprive me of my ground for boasting.

⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. ^7 (A)Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

¹³ Now be it known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay ^(A)tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired. ¹⁴ Now because we eat the salt of the palace^[a] and it is not fitting for us to witness the king's dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king,