Nehemiah Helps the Oppressed
Nehemiah 5Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews. For there were some who said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live.” There were also some who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine.” There were also some who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral. Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Look, we bring our sons and our daughters into bondage to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. It is also not in our power to help it, because other men have our fields and our vineyards.”
I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, “Y’all are charging interest against your own people!” So I called a large assembly against them. I said to them, “As much as we could, we have redeemed our fellow Jews who were sold to the nations. But now y’all would sell your* brothers, so that we can buy them back?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say. Then I said, “What y’all are doing is not good. Shouldn’t y’all walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Please let stop charging this interest. Please y’all, as of today return their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, and also the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and oil that y’all are charging them.”
Then they said, “We will restore them, and will require nothing of them. We will do so, even as you say.”
Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise. Also I shook out my lap, and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that doesn’t perform this promise; even may he be shaken out and emptied like this.”
All the assembly said, “Amen,” and praised YHWH. The people did according to this promise.
Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brothers have not eaten the bread of the governor. But the former governors who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and wine from them, plus forty shekels+5:15 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces. of silver; yes, even their servants ruled over the people, but I didn’t do so, because of the fear of God. Yes, I also continued in the work of this wall. We didn’t buy any land. All my servants were gathered there to the work. Moreover there were at my table, of the Jews and the rulers, one hundred fifty men, in addition to those who came to us from among the nations that were around us. Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days a store of all sorts of wine. Yet for all this, I didn’t demand the governor’s pay, because the bondage was heavy on this people. Remember me, my God, for all the good that I have done for this people.