Nehemiah 5
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 5
Antisocial Conduct.[a] 1 Soon thereafter, there arose a great outcry from the common people and from their wives against their Jewish brothers. 2 Some were vehement in their complaints that they were forced to pledge their sons and daughters in order to obtain grain so that they might eat and stay alive. 3 Others asserted that they were forced to mortgage their fields, their vineyards, and their houses in order to survive.
4 Furthermore, there were those who said: “We are being forced to borrow money on our fields and vineyards in order to pay the king’s tax. 5 And although our flesh is identical to that of our kinsmen and our children are as good as theirs, we will have to subject our sons and daughters into slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, and our fields and our vineyards now belong to others.”
Nehemiah’s Action. 6 When I heard these complaints and the cries of the people, I was extremely angry. 7 After having considered the various options, I threatened to bring charges against the nobles and the magistrates, accusing them of exacting interest from their own kinsmen.
Then I summoned a great assembly to deal with them, 8 and I said to them: “As far as it was humanly possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who had been sold to foreigners. However, now you are selling your own brothers and thus forcing us to purchase them back.” They remained silent, for they were unable to come up with a satisfactory reply.
9 Therefore, I said: “What you are doing is terribly wrong. Should you not walk in the fear of our God and make clear that you are not at all concerned with the taunts of the nations who are our enemies? 10 Moreover, I myself, along with my brothers and my servants, have lent the people money and grain without charge. Let us cease the custom of usury. 11 I also ask that you restore to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, together with the interest on the money, the grain, the wine, and the oil that you have lent them.”
12 They replied: “We will give it all back and demand nothing more from them. We will do just what you ask.” I then summoned the priests and made them swear to do what they had promised. 13 I also shook out the folds of my garment and said: “So may God shake out from home and property everyone who fails to adhere to this promise. May every such man be shaken out and emptied.”[b]
All the assembled people said “Amen” and praised the Lord, and they did as they promised.
14 Nehemiah’s Lack of Self-Interest. Moreover, from the twentieth year that King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah until the thirty-second year, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor by the king. 15 On the other hand, the former governors, my predecessors, had laid a heavy burden on the people and exacted from them forty shekels of silver each day for food and wine, while their servants also oppressed the people. However, because I feared God, I did not act in this way.
16 Indeed, I devoted all my efforts to the work on the wall, and I acquired no land, while all my servants were gathered there for the work. 17 Moreover, there sat at my table guests who numbered one hundred and fifty people, Jews and officials, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations.
18 Every day one ox, six choice sheep, and some poultry were prepared for me, as well as skins of wine in abundance every ten days. Despite all this, I did not claim the governor’s food allowance because the people had such a heavy burden of labor.
19 O my God, please remember me favorably for all that I have done for this people.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 5:1 It is one thing to be abused by outsiders; here, the enemies were fellow Jews who probably had returned under Zerubbabel (Ezr 1:2) and were now the social and financial elite who were taking advantage of the newly arrived.
- Nehemiah 5:13 Shaken out and emptied: a symbolic act and saying that Nehemiah pronounced as a curse on anyone who failed to keep the promise to forego usury and treat people justly.
Nehemiah 5
New Century Version
Nehemiah Helps Poor People
5 The men and their wives complained loudly against their fellow Jews. 2 Some of them were saying, “We have many sons and daughters in our families. To eat and stay alive, we need grain.”
3 Others were saying, “We are borrowing money against our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain because there is not much food.”
4 And still others were saying, “We are borrowing money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 We are just like our fellow Jews, and our sons are like their sons. But we have to sell our sons and daughters as slaves. Some of our daughters have already been sold. But there is nothing we can do, because our fields and vineyards already belong to other people.”
6 When I heard their complaints about these things, I was very angry. 7 After I thought about it, I accused the important people and the leaders, “You are charging your own brothers too much interest.” So I called a large meeting to deal with them. 8 I said to them, “As much as possible, we have bought freedom for our fellow Jews who had been sold to foreigners. Now you are selling your fellow Jews to us!” The leaders were quiet and had nothing to say.
9 Then I said, “What you are doing is not right. Don’t you fear God? Don’t let our foreign enemies shame us. 10 I, my brothers, and my men are also lending money and grain to the people. But stop charging them so much for this. 11 Give back their fields, vineyards, olive trees, and houses right now. Also give back the extra amount you charged—the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine, and oil.”
12 They said, “We will give it back and not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”
Then I called for the priests, and I made the important people and leaders take an oath to do what they had said. 13 Also I shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out everyone who does not keep his promise. May God shake him out of his house and out of the things that are his. Let that person be shaken out and emptied!”
Then the whole group said, “Amen,” and they praised the Lord. So the people did what they had promised.
14 I was appointed governor in the land of Judah in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ rule. I was governor of Judah for twelve years, until his thirty-second year. During that time neither my brothers nor I ate the food that was allowed for a governor. 15 But the governors before me had placed a heavy load on the people. They took about one pound of silver from each person, along with food and wine. The governors’ helpers before me also controlled the people, but I did not do that, because I feared God. 16 I worked on the wall, as did all my men who were gathered there. We did not buy any fields.
17 Also, I fed one hundred fifty Jewish people and officers at my table, as well as those who came from the nations around us. 18 This is what was prepared every day: one ox, six good sheep, and birds. And every ten days there were all kinds of wine. But I never demanded the food that was due a governor, because the people were already working very hard.
19 Remember to be kind to me, my God, for all the good I have done for these people.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
