Nehemiah 5

Revised Geneva Translation

5 Now there was a great cry from the people, and from their wives, against their brethren the Jews.

² For there were those who said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Therefore, let us get grain, so that we may eat and live.”

³ And there were those who said, “We must gage our lands and our vineyards and our houses, and get grain for the famine.”

⁴ There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute on our lands and our vineyards.

⁵ “And now, our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, and our sons as their sons. And lo, we bring our sons and our daughters into subjection, as servants. And our daughters are now in subjection. And there is no power in our hands. For other men have our lands and our vineyards.”

⁶ Then I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

⁷ And I thought in my mind. And I rebuked the princes and the rulers and said to them, “Each of you lays burdens upon his brethren.” And I set a great assembly against them.

⁸ And I said to them, “We, according to our ability, have redeemed our brethren the Jews who were sold to the heathen. And will you sell your brethren back, or shall they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace and could not answer.

⁹ I also said, “That which you do is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God for the reproach of the heathen, our enemies?

¹⁰ “For even I, my brethren, and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury!

¹¹ “Please restore to them this day their lands, their vineyards, their olives, and their houses, and one hundredth of the silver and of the grain, of the wine, and of the oil that you exacted from them!”

¹² Then they said, “We will restore it and will not require it of them. We will do as you have said.” Then I called the priests and required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.

¹³ So I shook my lap, and said, “So let God shake out every man from His House, and from His labor, who will not perform this promise. Thus let him be shaken out and emptied!” And all the Congregation said, “Amen!” and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.

¹⁴ And from the time that the king gave me charge to be governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes (twelve years), I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.

¹⁵ For the former governors who were before me had laid burdens on the people, and had taken bread and wine from them, besides forty shekels of silver. Yea, and their servants bore rule over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.

¹⁶ But rather, I fortified a portion in the work of this wall. And we bought no land. And all my servants came there together to work.

¹⁷ Moreover, there were at my table one hundred fifty of the Jews and rulers who came to us from among the heathen who are around us.

¹⁸ And an ox was prepared daily, and six chosen sheep. And birds were prepared for me. And every ten days, there was wine for all in abundance. Yet for all this, I did not require the bread of the governor. For the bondage was grievous to this people.

¹⁹ Remember me, O my God, in goodness, according to all that I have done for this people.