Nehemiah 5:1-13

Contemporary English Version

Nehemiah's Concern for the Poor

5 Some of the men and their wives complained about the Jews in power ² and said, “We have large families, and it takes a lot of grain merely to keep us alive.”

³ Others said, “During the famine we even had to mortgage our fields, vineyards, and homes to them in order to buy grain.”

⁴ Then others said, “We had to borrow money from those in power to pay the government tax on our fields and vineyards. ⁵ We are Jews just as they are, and our children are as good as theirs. But we still have to sell our children as slaves, and some of our daughters have already been raped. We are completely helpless; our fields and vineyards have even been taken from us.”

⁶ When I heard their complaints and their charges, I became very angry. ^7 (A) So I thought it over and said to the leaders and officials, “How can you charge your own people interest?”

Then I called a public meeting and accused the leaders ⁸ by saying, “We have tried to buy back all of our people who were sold into exile. But here you are, selling more of them for us to buy back!” The officials and leaders did not say a word, because they knew this was true.

⁹ I continued, “What you have done is wrong! We must honor our God by the way we live, so the Gentiles can't find fault with us. ¹⁰ My relatives, my friends, and I are also lending money and grain, but we must no longer demand payment in return. ¹¹ Now give back the fields, vineyards, olive orchards, and houses you have taken and also the interest you have been paid.”

¹² The leaders answered, “We will do whatever you say and return their property, without asking to be repaid.”

So I made the leaders promise in front of the priests to give back the property. ¹³ Then I emptied my pockets and said, “If you don't keep your promise, that's what God will do to you. He will empty out everything you own, even taking away your houses.”

The people answered, “We will keep our promise.” Then they praised the Lord and did as they had promised.