Nehemiah 5:1-13 - Nehemiah Deals With Strife
1 Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their countrymen the Jews. 2 Some said: We with our sons and our daughters are a great number. Let us get grain, so that we may have food for our needs. 3 There were some who said: We are giving our fields and our vine-gardens and our houses for debt. Let us get grain because we are in need. 4 Yet others said: We have given up our fields and our vine-gardens to get money for the king's taxes. 5 But our flesh is the same as the flesh of our countrymen, and our children as their children. Now we give our sons and daughters into the hands of others, to be their servants. Some of our daughters are servants even now. We have no power to stop this. For other men have our fields and our vine-gardens.
6 On hearing their outcry and what they said I was very angry. 7 After giving it much thought, I made a protest to the chiefs and the rulers, and said to them: Everyone of you is collecting interest from his brothers. I organized a big meeting of protest. 8 I said to them: We have given whatever we were able to give, to make our brothers the Jews free. They were servants and prisoners of the nations. Would you now give up your brothers for a price? Are they to become our property? They said nothing. They answered not a word! 9 I said: What you are doing is not good. Is it not necessary for you to walk out of respect for our God, because of the shame the nations put on us? 10 Even I and my servants have been collecting interest (Usury) for the money and the grain we have let them have. So now, let us give this up. 11 Give back to them this very day their fields, their vine-gardens, their olive-gardens, and their houses, as well as a hundredth part of the money and the grain and the wine and the oil that you have taken from them.
12 They said: We will give them back, and take nothing for them. We will do as you say. Then I sent for the priests and made them take an oath that they would keep this agreement. 13 Shaking out the folds of my robe, I said: So, may God send out from his house and his work every man who does not keep this agreement. Even so let him be sent out and made as nothing. All the people said: Amen! They praised Jehovah. The people did as they said.