5
"Now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and we are helpless** because our fields and vineyards belong to others."
7
I consulted with myself and contended with the nobles and the rulers and said to them, "You are exactingusury, each from his brother!" Therefore, I held a greatassemblyagainst them.
8
I said to them, "We according to our ability have redeemed our Jewishbrothers who were sold to the nations; now would you evensell your brothers that they may be sold to us?" Then they were silent and could not find a word to say.
9
Again I said, "The thingwhich you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our Godbecause of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?
11
"Please, giveback to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olivegroves and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money and of the grain, the newwine and the oil that you are exacting from them."
12
Then they said, "We will give it back and will requirenothing from them; we will doexactly as you say." So I called the priests and took an oath from them that they would do according to thispromise.
13
I alsoshook out the front of my garment and said, "Thus may Godshake out everyman from his house and from his possessionswho does not fulfillthispromise; even thus may he be shaken out and emptied." And all the assemblysaid, "Amen!" And they praised the LORD. Then the peopledid according to thispromise.
14
Moreover, from the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentiethyear to the thirty-second*year of KingArtaxerxes, for twelve*years, neither I nor my kinsmen have eaten the governor'sfood allowance.
15
But the formergovernorswho were before me laidburdens on the people and took from them bread and winebesidesfortyshekels of silver; even their servantsdomineered the people. But I did not dosobecause* of the fear of God.
18
Now that which was prepared for each day was oneox and sixchoicesheep, also birds were prepared for me; and once in tendaysall sorts of wine were furnished in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the governor'sfood allowance, because the servitude was heavy on thispeople.