Nehemiah 5–6

5And there was a great ^acry of the people and of their wives against their ^bbrethren the Jews. ²For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live. ³Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth. ⁴There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s ^ctribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards. ⁵Yet now ^dour flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our ^esons and our ^fdaughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards. ⁶And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. ⁷Then ^†I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, ^gYe exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them. ⁸And I said unto them, We after our ability have ^hredeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer. ⁹Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk ⁱin the fear of our God ^kbecause of the reproach of the heathen our enemies? ¹⁰I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury. ¹¹Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them. ¹²Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and ^ltook an oath of them, ^mthat they should do according to this promise. ¹³Also I shook my ⁿlap, and said, So God ^oshake out every man from his house, and from his ^plabour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and ^†emptied. And all the congregation said, ^qAmen, and praised the Lord. And the people did according to this promise.

¹⁴Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their ^rgovernor in the land of Judah, from the ^stwentieth year even unto the ^ttwo and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not ^ueaten the bread of the ^rgovernor. ¹⁵But the former ^rgovernors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of ^xthe fear of God. ¹⁶Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work. ¹⁷Moreover there were ^yat my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us. ¹⁸Now that ^zwhich was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I ^athe bread of the ^rgovernor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people. ^19bThink upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.

6Now it came to pass, when ^aSanballat, and ^aTobiah, and ^||Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; ^b(though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) ²That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us ^bbmeet together in some one of the villages in the plain of ^cOno. But they thought to do me mischief. ³And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? ⁴Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner. ⁵Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand; ⁶Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and ^||Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think ^dto rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words. ⁷And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together. ⁸Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou ^efeignest them out of thine own heart. ⁹For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, ^fO God, strengthen my hands. ¹⁰Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was ^gshut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee. ¹¹And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. ¹²And, lo, I perceived ^hthat God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. ¹³Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might ⁱreproach me. ^14kMy God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the ^hprophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.

^15*So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month ^lElul, ^min fifty and two days. ¹⁶And it came to pass, that when ⁿall our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for ^othey perceived that this work was wrought of our God. ¹⁷Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah ^†sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them. ¹⁸For there were many in Judah ^psworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of ^qArah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of ^rMeshullam the son of Berechiah. ¹⁹Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my ^||words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.