Nehemiah 5:6–17

6 And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. 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. 13 Then jI shook out 4the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out each man from his house, and from his property, who does not perform this promise. Even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.”

And all the assembly said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord. kThen the people did according to this promise.

The Generosity of Nehemiah

14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year luntil the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers mate the governor’s provisions. 15 But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but nI did not do so, because of the ofear of God. 16 Indeed, I also continued the pwork on this wall, and 5we did not buy any land. All my servants were gathered there for the work.

17 And qat my table were one hundred and fifty Jews and rulers, besides those who came to us from the nations around us.