Nehemiah 5:2-4

New English Translation

²There were those who said, “With our sons and daughters, we are many. We must obtain^[a] grain in order to eat and stay alive.” ³There were others who said, “We are putting up our fields, our vineyards, and our houses as collateral in order to obtain grain during the famine.” ⁴Then there were those who said, “We have borrowed money to pay our taxes to the king^[b] on our fields and our vineyards.

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Footnotes

Nehemiah 5:2 tn Heb “take” (so also in v. 3).
Nehemiah 5:4 tn Heb “for the tax of the king.”

Nehemiah 5:2-4

King James Version

²For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live.

³Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.

⁴There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.

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Nehemiah 5:2-4

Easy-to-Read Version

²Some of them were saying, “We have many children. We must get some grain if we are going to eat and stay alive.”

³Other people were saying, “This is a time of famine. We have to use our fields, vineyards, and homes to pay for grain.”

⁴And still other people were saying, “We have to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. But we cannot afford to pay, so we are borrowing money to pay the tax.

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