Parallel Bible results for "nehemiah 5"

Nehemiah 5

Common English Bible CEB

1 Then there was a great protest of the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.

2 Some said, "With our sons and daughters we are many, and we all need grain to eat and stay alive."

3 Others said, "We have to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our houses in order to get grain during the famine."

4 Still others said, "We have had to borrow money against our fields and vineyards in order to pay the king's tax."

5 "We are of the same flesh and blood as our kin, and our children are the same as theirs. Yet we are just about to force our sons and daughters into slavery, and some of our daughters are already slaves! There is nothing we can do since our fields and vineyards now belong to others."

6 I was very angry when I heard their protest and these complaints.

7 After thinking it over, I brought charges against the officials and the officers. I told them, "You are all taking interest from your own people!" I also called for a large assembly in order to deal with them.

8 "To the best of our ability," I said to them, "we have bought back our Jewish kin who had been sold to other nations. But now you are selling your own kin, who must then be bought back by us!" At this they were silent, unable to offer a response.

9 So I continued, "What you are doing isn't good! Why don't you walk in the fear of our God? This will prevent the taunts of the nations that are our enemies!

10 I myself, along with my family and my servants, am lending them money and grain. But let's stop charging this interest!

11 Give it back to them, right now. Return their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses. And give back the interest on money, grain, wine, and oil that you are charging them."

12 They replied, "We'll return everything, and we won't charge anything else. We'll do what you've asked." So I called the priests and made them swear to do what they had promised.

13 I also shook out the fold of my robe, saying, "So may God shake out everyone from their house and property if they don't keep this promise. So may they be shaken out and emptied!" The whole assembly said, "Amen," and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.

14 In addition, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah (that is, from the twentieth to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes for a total of twelve years), neither I nor my family ate from the governor's food allowance.

15 The earlier governors who had come before me laid heavy burdens on the people. They took food and wine from them as well as forty shekels of silver. Even their servants oppressed the people. But because I was God-fearing, I didn't behave in this way.

16 Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. We acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.

17 One hundred fifty Jews and officials, along with those who came to us from the surrounding nations, gathered around my table.

18 One ox, six choice sheep, and birds were prepared each day. Every ten days there was a large amount of wine. Yet even with this I didn't ask for the governor's food allowance because of the heavy burden the people had to carry.

19 Remember in my favor, my God, all that I've done for this people!

English Standard Version ESV

1 Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.

2 For 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. ”

3 There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine. ”

4 And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.

5 Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we 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. ”

6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.

7 I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother. ” And I held a great assembly against them

8 and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have 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.

9 So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?

10 Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest.

11 Return 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. ”

12 Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say. ” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised.

13 I also shook out the fold 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. ” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor.

15 The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.

16 I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.

17 Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.

18 Now what was prepared at my expense 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 I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people.

19 Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.