Nehemiah 5

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 There was a great outcry from the people, and from their wives, against their brother Jews.	1 Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brethren.
2 Some said, 'We are having to pledge our sons and daughters to get enough grain to eat and keep usalive.'	2 For there were those who said, "With our sons and our daughters, we are many; let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive."
3 Others said, 'We are having to mortgage our fields, our vineyards and our houses to get grain becauseof the shortage.'	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 Stil others said, 'We have had to borrow money on our fields and our vineyards to pay the royal tax;	4 And there were those who said, "We have borrowed money for the king's tax upon our fields and our vineyards.
5 and though we belong to the same race as our brothers, and our children are as good as theirs, weshall have to sel our sons and our daughters into slavery; some of our daughters have been sold into slaveryalready. We can do nothing about it, since our fields and our vineyards now belong to others.'	5 Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children are as their children; yet 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 When I heard their complaints and these words I was very angry.	6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.
7 Having turned the matter over in my mind, I reprimanded the nobles and the officials as fol ows, 'Eachof you is imposing a burden on his brother.' Summoning a great assembly to deal with them,	7 I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, "You are exacting interest, each from his brother." And I held a great assembly against them,
8 I said to them, 'To the best of our power, we have redeemed our brother Jews who were forced to selthemselves to foreigners, and now you in turn are sel ing your brothers, for them to be bought back by us!' Theywere silent and could find nothing to say.	8 and said to them, "We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brethren who have been sold to the nations; but you even sell your brethren that they may be sold to us!" They were silent, and could not find a word to say.
9 'What you are doing', I went on, 'is wrong. Do you not want to walk in the fear of our God and escapethe sneers of the nations, our enemies?	9 So I said, "The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?
10 I too, with my brothers and retainers, have lent them money and grain. Let us cancel these pledges.	10 Moreover I and my brethren and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us leave off this interest.
11 This very day return them their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves and their houses, and cancelthe claim on the money, grain, new wine and olive oil, which you have lent them.'	11 Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the hundredth of money, grain, wine, and oil which you have been exacting of them."
12 'We shall make restitution,' they replied, 'we shal claim nothing more from them; we shal do as yousay.' Summoning the priests, I then made them swear to do as they had promised.	12 Then they said, "We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say." And I called the priests, and took an oath of them to do as they had promised.
13 Then, shaking out the fold of my garment, I said, 'May God thus shake out of house and possessionsanyone who does not make good this promise; may he be shaken out thus and left empty!' And the wholeassembly answered, 'Amen' and praised Yahweh. And the people kept this promise.	13 I also shook out my lap and said, "So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not perform this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied." And all the assembly said "Amen" and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
14 What is more, from the time when the king appointed me to be their governor in Judah, from thetwentieth to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ever levied thegovernor's subsistence al owance,	14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brethren ate the food allowance of the governor.
15 whereas the former governors, my predecessors, had been a burden on the people, from whom theytook forty silver shekels a day for food and wine, while their attendants oppressed the people too. But I, fearingGod, never did this.	15 The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens upon the people, and took from them food and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.
16 Also, not acquiring any land, I concentrated on the work of this wal and all my attendants joined in thework together, too.	16 I also held to the work on this wall, and acquired no land; and all my servants were gathered there for the work.
17 Furthermore, magistrates and officials to the number of a hundred and fifty ate at my table, not tomention those who came to us from the surrounding nations.	17 Moreover there were at my table a hundred and fifty men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations which were about us.
18 Every day, one ox, six fine sheep, as wel as poultry, were prepared for me; every ten days, skins ofwine were brought in bulk. But even so, I never claimed the governor's subsistence al owance, since the peoplealready had burden enough to bear.	18 Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep; fowls likewise were prepared for me, and every ten days skins of wine in abundance; yet with all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the servitude was heavy upon this people.
19 To my credit, my God, remember all I have done for this people.	19 Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.