Nehemiah 5:1–8

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

²And there were some that said: Our sons and our daughters are very many: let us take up corn for the price of them, and let us eat and live.

³And there were some that said: Let us mortgage our lands, and our vineyards, and our houses, and let us take corn because of the famine.

⁴And others said: Let us borrow money for the king’s tribute, and let us give up our fields and vineyards:

⁵And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren: and our children as their children. Behold we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters, and some of our daughters are bondwomen already, neither have we wherewith to redeem them, and our fields and our vineyards other men possess.

⁶And I was exceedingly angry when I heard their cry according to these words.

⁷And my heart thought with myself: and I rebuked the nobles and magistrates, and said to them: Do you every one exact usury of your brethren? And I gathered together a great assembly against them,

⁸And I said to them: We, as you know, have redeemed according to our ability our brethren the Jews, that were sold to the Gentiles: and will you then sell your brethren, for us to redeem them? And they held their peace, and found not what to answer.