Nehemiah 5

Nehemiah Defends the Oppressed

1About that time there wasH1961 a greatH1419 outcryH6818 from the peopleH5971 and their wivesH802 againstH413 their fellowH251 JewsH3064.

2

SomeH834 were sayingH559, “WeH587 and our sonsH1121 and daughtersH1323 are numerousH7227. We must getH3947 grainH1715 in order to eatH398 and stay aliveH2421.”

3

OthersH834 were sayingH559, “WeH587 are mortgagingH6148 our fieldsH7704, our vineyardsH3754, and our homesH1004 to getH3947 grainH1715 during the famineH7458.”

4

Still othersH834 were sayingH559, “We have borrowedH3867 moneyH3701 to pay the king’sH4428 taxH4060 on our fieldsH7704 and vineyardsH3754. 5We and our childrenH1121 are just like our countrymenH251H1320 and their childrenH1121H2009, yet weH587 are subjectingH3533 our sonsH1121 and daughtersH1323 to slaveryH5650. Some ofH3426 our daughtersH1323 are already enslavedH3533, but we are powerlessH369H410H3027 to redeem them because our fieldsH7704 and vineyardsH3754 belong to othersH312.”

6WhenH834 I heardH8085 their outcryH2201 and theseH428 complaintsH1697, I became extremelyH3966 angryH2734, 7and after seriousH3820 thoughtH4427 I rebukedH7378 the noblesH2715H854 and officialsH5461, sayingH559, “YouH376H859 are exactingH5378 usuryH4855 from your own brothersH251!”

So I calledH5414 a largeH1419 assemblyH6952 against themH5921 8and saidH559, “WeH587 have done our bestH1767 to buy backH7069 our JewishH3064 brothersH251 who were soldH4376 to foreignersH1471, but now youH859 are sellingH4376 your own brothersH251, that they may be sold backH4376 to us!”

But they remained silentH2790, for they could findH4672 nothingH3808 to sayH1697.

9So I continuedH559, “WhatH834 youH859 are doingH6213 is notH3808 rightH2896H1697. Shouldn’tH3808 you walkH1980 in the fearH3374 of our GodH430 to avoid the reproachH2781 of our foreignH1471 enemiesH341? 10IH589, as well asH1571 my brothersH251 and my servantsH5288, have been lendingH5383 the people moneyH3701 and grainH1715. PleaseH4994, let us stopH5800 thisH2088 usuryH4855. 11PleaseH4994 restoreH7725 to them immediatelyH3117 their fieldsH7704, vineyardsH3754, olive grovesH2132, and housesH1004, along with the percentageH3967 of the moneyH3701, grainH1715, new wineH8492, and oilH3323 thatH834 youH859 have been assessingH5383 them.”

12“We will restoreH7725 it,” they repliedH559, “and will requireH1245H3651 nothingH3808 more from them. We will doH6213 asH834 youH859 sayH559.”

So I summonedH7121 the priestsH3548 and required of the nobles and officials an oath that theyH7650 would doH6213 what they had promisedH1697H2088. 13I alsoH1571 shook outH5287 the folds of my robeH2684 and saidH559, “May GodH430 likewiseH3602 shakeH5287 out of his houseH1004 and possessionsH3018H3602 everyH3605 manH376 whoH834 does notH3808 keepH6965 thisH2088 promiseH1697. May such a man beH1961 shaken outH5287 and have nothingH7386!”

The wholeH3605 assemblyH6951 saidH559, “AmenH543,” and they praisedH1984 the LORDH3068. And the peopleH5971 didH6213 as they had promisedH1697H2088.

Nehemiah’s Generosity

14FurthermoreH1571, from the dayH3117 KingH4428 ArtaxerxesH783 appointed meH6680 to beH1961 their governorH6346 in the landH776 of JudahH3063, from his twentiethH6242 yearH8141 untilH5704 his thirty-secondH7970H8147 yearH8141 (twelveH8147H6240 years totalH8141), neither IH589 nor my brothersH251H3808 ateH398 the foodH3899 allotted to the governorH6346.

15The governorsH6346H7223 before meH6440 had heavily burdenedH3513H5921 the peopleH5971, takingH3947 from them breadH3899 and wineH3196 plusH310 fortyH705 shekelsH8255 of silverH3701.1 Their servantsH5288 alsoH1571 oppressedH7980H5921 the peopleH5971. But IH589 did notH3808 doH6213 thisH3651, becauseH6440 of my fearH3374 of GodH430. 16InsteadH1571, I devoted myselfH2388 to the constructionH4399 of theH2063 wallH2346, and allH3605 my servantsH5288 were gatheredH6908 thereH8033 forH5921 the workH4399; we did notH3808 acquireH7069 any landH7704.

17There were 150H3967H2572H376 JewsH3064 and officialsH5461 atH5921 my tableH7979, besides the guestsH935H413 fromH4480 the surroundingH5439 nationsH1471. 18EachH259 dayH3117 oneH259 oxH7794, sixH8337 choiceH1305 sheepH6629, and some fowlH6833 were preparedH6213 for me, and once everyH996 tenH6235 daysH3117 an abundanceH7235H5973 of all kindsH3605 of wineH3196 was provided. But I did notH3808 demandH1245 the foodH3899 allotted to the governorH6346, becauseH3588 the burdenH5656 onH5921 the peopleH5971H2088 was so heavyH3513.

19RememberH2142 me favorablyH2896, O my GodH430, for allH3605 thatH834 I have doneH6213 forH5921 thisH2088 peopleH5971.