Nehemiah 5:1–8

¹And there is a great cry of the people and their wives, concerning their brethren the Jews, ²yea, there are who are saying, ‘Our sons, and our daughters, we—are many, and we receive corn, and eat, and live.’ ³And there are who are saying, ‘Our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, we are pledging, and we receive corn for the famine.’ ⁴And there are who are saying, ‘We have borrowed money for the tribute of the king, on our fields, and our vineyards; ⁵and now, as the flesh of our brethren is our flesh, as their sons are our sons, and lo, we are subduing our sons and our daughters for servants, and there are of our daughters subdued, and our hand hath no might, and our fields and our vineyards are to others.’

⁶And it is very displeasing to me when I have heard their cry and these words, ⁷and my heart reigneth over me, and I strive with the freemen, and with the prefects, and say to them, ‘Usury one upon another ye are exacting;’ and I set against them a great assembly, ⁸and say to them, ‘We have acquired our brethren the Jews, those sold to the nations, according to the ability that is in us, and ye also sell your brethren, and they have been sold to us!’ and they are silent, and have not found a word.