4 There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards.
5 Yet now aour flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we bare 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, a“Each of you is exacting usury from his brother.” So I2 called a great assembly against them.
8 And I said to them, “According to our ability we have aredeemed 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 ain the fear of our God bbecause 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 this1 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, aand required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.
13 Then aI shook out 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. bThen 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 auntil the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers bate the governor’s provisions.
New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
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