⁸I said, “Our Jewish brothers and sisters were sold to other nations. We’ve done everything we could to buy them back and bring them home. But look at what you are doing! You are actually selling your own people! Now we’ll have to buy them back too!”

The people kept quiet. They couldn’t think of anything to say.

⁹So I continued, “What you are doing isn’t right. Shouldn’t you show respect for our God? Shouldn’t you live in a way that will keep our enemies from making fun of us?

¹⁰“I’m lending the people money and grain. So are my relatives and my men. But you must stop charging too much interest!

¹¹“Give the people’s fields back to them. Give them back their vineyards, olive groves and houses. Do it right away. You have charged them too much. Give everything back to them. Give them back the one percent on the money, grain, fresh wine and olive oil you have charged them.”

¹²“We’ll give it back,” they said. “And we won’t require anything more from them. We’ll do exactly as you say.”

Then I sent for the priests. I made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised.

Read in Logos