7 After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, e“Each of you is 1exacting usury from his brother.” So I 2called a great assembly against them. 8 And I said to them, “According to our ability we have fredeemed 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 gin the fear of our God hbecause 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 this 3usury! 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, iand required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.