Nehemiah 5
New Living Translation
Nehemiah Defends the Oppressed
5 About this time some of the men and their wives raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews. 2 They were saying, “We have such large families. We need more food to survive.”
3 Others said, “We have mortgaged our fields, vineyards, and homes to get food during the famine.”
4 And others said, “We have had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay our taxes. 5 We belong to the same family as those who are wealthy, and our children are just like theirs. Yet we must sell our children into slavery just to get enough money to live. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to do anything about it, for our fields and vineyards are already mortgaged to others.”
6 When I heard their complaints, I was very angry. 7 After thinking it over, I spoke out against these nobles and officials. I told them, “You are hurting your own relatives by charging interest when they borrow money!” Then I called a public meeting to deal with the problem.
8 At the meeting I said to them, “We are doing all we can to redeem our Jewish relatives who have had to sell themselves to pagan foreigners, but you are selling them back into slavery again. How often must we redeem them?” And they had nothing to say in their defense.
9 Then I pressed further, “What you are doing is not right! Should you not walk in the fear of our God in order to avoid being mocked by enemy nations? 10 I myself, as well as my brothers and my workers, have been lending the people money and grain, but now let us stop this business of charging interest. 11 You must restore their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes to them this very day. And repay the interest you charged when you lent them money, grain, new wine, and olive oil.”
12 They replied, “We will give back everything and demand nothing more from the people. We will do as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the nobles and officials swear to do what they had promised.
13 I shook out the folds of my robe and said, “If you fail to keep your promise, may God shake you like this from your homes and from your property!”
The whole assembly responded, “Amen,” and they praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
14 For the entire twelve years that I was governor of Judah—from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of the reign of King Artaxerxes[a]—neither I nor my officials drew on our official food allowance. 15 The former governors, in contrast, had laid heavy burdens on the people, demanding a daily ration of food and wine, besides forty pieces[b] of silver. Even their assistants took advantage of the people. But because I feared God, I did not act that way.
16 I also devoted myself to working on the wall and refused to acquire any land. And I required all my servants to spend time working on the wall. 17 I asked for nothing, even though I regularly fed 150 Jewish officials at my table, besides all the visitors from other lands! 18 The provisions I paid for each day included one ox, six choice sheep or goats, and a large number of poultry. And every ten days we needed a large supply of all kinds of wine. Yet I refused to claim the governor’s food allowance because the people already carried a heavy burden.
19 Remember, O my God, all that I have done for these people, and bless me for it.
Nehemiah 5
New American Standard Bible
Charging Interest Abolished
5 Now (A)there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their (B)Jewish brothers. 2 For there were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let’s (C)get grain so that we may eat and live.” 3 And there were others who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses so that we might get grain because of the famine.” 4 There also were those who said, “We have borrowed money (D)for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5 And now (E)our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, (F)we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and [a]we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
6 Then I was very (G)angry when I heard their outcry and these words. 7 So I thought it over and contended with the nobles and the leading people, and said to them, “(H)You are lending at interest, each to his brother!” Therefore, I held a great assembly against them. 8 And I said to them, “We, according to our ability, (I)have [b]redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?” Then they were silent and could not find a word to say. 9 So I said, “The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of (J)the taunting of the nations, our enemies? 10 And likewise I, my brothers, and my servants are lending them money and grain. Please, let’s [c]do without this interest. 11 Please, give back to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, as well as the hundredth part of the money and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil that you are charging as interest from them.” 12 Then they said, “We (K)will give it back and (L)will require nothing from them; we will do exactly as you say.” So I called the priests and made them (M)take an oath to act in accordance with this [d]promise. 13 I (N)also shook out the [e]front of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every person from his house and from his possessions who does not keep this [f]promise; just so may he be shaken out and emptied.” And (O)all the assembly said, “Amen!” And they praised the Lord. Then the people acted in accordance with this [g]promise.
Nehemiah’s Example
14 Furthermore, since the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from (P)the twentieth year to the (Q)thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my kinsmen have eaten the governor’s food allowance. 15 But the previous governors who were before me [h]laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so (R)because of my fear of God. 16 I also [i]applied myself to the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. 17 Moreover, (S)there were at my table 150 Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. 18 Now (T)that which was prepared for each day was one ox and six choice sheep; also birds were prepared for me, and every ten days all sorts of wine were provided in abundance. Yet for all this (U)I did not request the governor’s food allowance, because the forced labor was heavy on this people. 19 (V)Remember me, my God, for good, in return for all that I have done for this people.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 5:5 Lit there is no power in our hands
- Nehemiah 5:8 Lit purchased
- Nehemiah 5:10 Lit abandon
- Nehemiah 5:12 Lit word
- Nehemiah 5:13 Lit fold
- Nehemiah 5:13 Lit word
- Nehemiah 5:13 Lit word
- Nehemiah 5:15 Lit made heavy
- Nehemiah 5:16 Or held fast
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
