Nehemiah 5:6-19
6I was very angry when I heard atheir outcry and these words. 7I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, b“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, chave 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 din the fear of our God eto 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 frequire nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and gmade them swear hto do as they had promised. 13 iI 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.” kAnd 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 lthe twentieth year to mthe thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, nneither 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, qbecause 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 rat my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. 18 sNow 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 uI did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. 19 vRemember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.
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