Nehemiah 5:1–13

Nehemiah Stops Oppression of the Poor

5Now there arose ^fa great outcry of the people and of their wives ^gagainst their Jewish brothers. ²For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.” ³There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” ⁴And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for ^hthe king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. ⁵Now ⁱour flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet ^jwe 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.”

⁶I was very angry when I heard ^ftheir outcry and these words. ⁷I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, ^k“You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them ⁸and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, ^lhave bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. ⁹So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk ^min the fear of our God ⁿto prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? ¹⁰Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. ¹¹Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” ¹²Then they said, “We will restore these and ^orequire nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and ^pmade them swear ^qto do as they had promised. ^13rI also shook out the fold¹ of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” ^sAnd all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.