Nehemiah 5:14-16

Good News Translation

Nehemiah's Unselfishness

¹⁴ During all the twelve years that I was governor of the land of Judah, from the twentieth year that Artaxerxes was emperor until his thirty-second year, neither my relatives nor I ate the food I was entitled to have as governor. ¹⁵ Every governor who had been in office before me had been a burden to the people and had demanded forty silver coins a day^[a] for food and wine. Even their servants had oppressed the people. But I acted differently, because I honored God. ¹⁶ I put all my energy into rebuilding the wall and did not acquire any property. Everyone who worked for me joined in the rebuilding.