Exodus 22:26-27
26 aIf ever you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, 27for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he bcries to me, I will hear, for I am ccompassionate.Nehemiah 5
Nehemiah Stops Oppression of the Poor
1Now there arose da great outcry of the people and of their wives eagainst their Jewish brothers. 2For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.” 3There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” 4And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for fthe king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5Now gour flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet hwe are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.”6I was very angry when I heard itheir outcry and these words. 7I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, j“You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them 8and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, khave bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. 9So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk lin the fear of our God mto prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? 10Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. 11Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” 12Then they said, “We will restore these and nrequire nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and omade them swear pto do as they had promised. 13 qI also shook out the fold ▼
▼Hebrew bosom
of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” sAnd all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised. Nehemiah’s Generosity
14Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from tthe twentieth year to uthe thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, vneither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. 15The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration ▼▼Compare Vulgate; Hebrew took from them with food and wine afterward
forty shekels ▼▼A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, ybecause of the fear of God. 16I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. 17Moreover, there were zat my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. 18 aaNow what was prepared at my expense ▼▼Or prepared for me
for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this acI did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. 19 adRemember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people. Matthew 6:12
12and forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Matthew 18:27-30
27And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and aeforgave him the debt. 28But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred afdenarii, ▼▼A denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer
and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. Matthew 18:35
35 ahSo also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother aifrom your heart.”
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