Nehemiah 5
Living Bible
5 About this time there was a great outcry of protest from parents against some of the rich Jews who were profiteering on them. 2-4 What was happening was that families who ran out of money for food had to sell their children or mortgage their fields, vineyards, and homes to these rich men; and some couldn’t even do that, for they already had borrowed to the limit to pay their taxes.
5 “We are their brothers, and our children are just like theirs,” the people protested. “Yet we must sell our children into slavery to get enough money to live. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to redeem them, for our fields, too, are mortgaged to these men.”
6 I was very angry when I heard this; 7 so after thinking about it I spoke out against these rich government officials.
“What is this you are doing?” I demanded. “How dare you demand a mortgage as a condition for helping another Israelite!”
Then I called a public trial to deal with them.
8 At the trial I shouted at them, “The rest of us are doing all we can to help our Jewish brothers who have returned from exile as slaves in distant lands, but you are forcing them right back into slavery again. How often must we redeem them?”
And they had nothing to say in their own defense.
9 Then I pressed further. “What you are doing is very evil,” I exclaimed. “Should you not walk in the fear of our God? Don’t we have enough enemies among the nations around us who are trying to destroy us? 10 The rest of us are lending money and grain to our fellow Jews without any interest. I beg you, gentlemen, stop this business of usury. 11 Restore their fields, vineyards, olive yards, and homes to them this very day and drop your claims against them.”
12 So they agreed to do it and said that they would assist their brothers without requiring them to mortgage their lands and sell them their children. Then I summoned the priests and made these men formally vow to carry out their promises. 13 And I invoked the curse of God upon any of them who refused.[a]
“May God destroy your homes and livelihood if you fail to keep this promise,” I declared.
And all the people shouted, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. And the rich men did as they had promised.
14 I would like to mention that for the entire twelve years that I was governor of Judah—from the twentieth until the thirty-second year of the reign of King Artaxerxes—my aides and I accepted no salaries or other assistance from the people of Israel. 15 This was quite a contrast to the former governors who had demanded food and wine and $100 a day in cash, and had put the population at the mercy of their aides who tyrannized them; but I obeyed God and did not act that way. 16 I stayed at work on the wall and refused to speculate in land; I also required my officials to spend time on the wall. 17 All this despite the fact that I regularly fed 150 Jewish officials at my table, besides visitors from other countries! 18 The provisions required for each day were one ox, six fat sheep, and a large number of domestic fowls; and we needed a huge supply of all kinds of wines every ten days. Yet I refused to make a special levy against the people, for they were already having a difficult time. 19 O my God, please keep in mind all that I’ve done for these people and bless me for it.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 5:13 I invoked the curse of God upon any of them who refused, literally, “Then I shook out the lap of my gown.”
Nehemiah 5
New King James Version
Nehemiah Deals with Oppression
5 And there was a great (A)outcry of the people and their wives against their (B)Jewish brethren. 2 For there were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain, that we may eat and live.”
3 There were also some who said, “We have mortgaged our lands and vineyards and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine.”
4 There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards. 5 Yet now (C)our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we (D)are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards.”
6 And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. 7 After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, (E)“Each of you is [a]exacting usury from his brother.” So I [b]called a great assembly against them. 8 And I said to them, “According to our ability we have (F)redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?”
Then they were silenced and found nothing to say. 9 Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk (G)in the fear of our God (H)because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? 10 I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this [c]usury! 11 Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them.”
12 So they said, “We will restore it, and will require nothing from them; we will do as you say.”
Then I called the priests, (I)and required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise. 13 Then (J)I shook out [d]the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out each man from his house, and from his property, who does not perform this promise. Even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.”
And all the assembly said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord. (K)Then the people did according to this promise.
The Generosity of Nehemiah
14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year (L)until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers (M)ate the governor’s provisions. 15 But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but (N)I did not do so, because of the (O)fear of God. 16 Indeed, I also continued the (P)work on this wall, and [e]we did not buy any land. All my servants were gathered there for the work.
17 And (Q)at my table were one hundred and fifty Jews and rulers, besides those who came to us from the nations around us. 18 Now that (R)which was prepared daily was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine. Yet in spite of this (S)I did not demand the governor’s provisions, because the bondage was heavy on this people.
19 (T)Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 5:7 charging interest
- Nehemiah 5:7 Lit. held
- Nehemiah 5:10 interest
- Nehemiah 5:13 Lit. my lap
- Nehemiah 5:16 So with MT; LXX, Syr., Vg. I
Nehemiah 5
English Standard Version
Nehemiah Stops Oppression of the Poor
5 Now there arose (A)a great outcry of the people and of their wives (B)against their Jewish brothers. 2 For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.” 3 There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” 4 And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for (C)the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5 Now (D)our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet (E)we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.”
6 I was very angry when I heard (F)their outcry and these words. 7 I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, (G)“You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them 8 and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, (H)have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. 9 So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk (I)in the fear of our God (J)to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? 10 Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. 11 Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” 12 Then they said, “We will restore these and (K)require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and (L)made them swear (M)to do as they had promised. 13 (N)I also shook out the fold[a] of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” (O)And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
Nehemiah's Generosity
14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from (P)the twentieth year to (Q)the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, (R)neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. 15 The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration[b] forty shekels[c] of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, (S)because of the fear of God. 16 I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. 17 Moreover, there were (T)at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. 18 (U)Now what was prepared at my expense[d] for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this (V)I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. 19 (W)Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 5:13 Hebrew bosom
- Nehemiah 5:15 Compare Vulgate; Hebrew took from them for food and wine after
- Nehemiah 5:15 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
- Nehemiah 5:18 Or prepared for me
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
