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Nehemiah 5:1-19 — Nehemiah Helps the Poor

Neh.5.1-19

¹Now there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their brothers the Jews. ²For there were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; let us get grain, that we may eat and live.” ³And there were those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses; let us get grain because of the famine.” ⁴And there were those who said, "We have borrowed money for the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards. ⁵Now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children are like their children. Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are already enslaved. It is not in the power of our hands to help it, for our fields and our vineyards belong to others." ⁶I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. ⁷Then I consulted with myself, and I contended with the nobles and the officials, and I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother!” And I held a great assembly against them. ⁸And I said to them, “We, according to our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews who were sold to the nations; and would you yourselves even sell your brothers, that they may be sold back to us?” And they were silent, and found not a word to say. ⁹So 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 reproach of the nations, our enemies? ¹⁰I also, my brothers, and my servants are lending them money and grain . Please, let us abandon this exaction! ¹¹Please restore to them, even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, and the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, that you are exacting from them." ¹²Then they said, “We will restore them, and we will require nothing from them. We will do exactly as you say.” Then I called the priests, and made them swear an oath to do according to this promise. ¹³I 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; even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise. ¹⁴Moreover, from the day 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, twelve years, I and my brothers did not eat the food allowance of the governor. ¹⁵But the former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. ¹⁶I also devoted myself to the work on this wall, and we bought no land; and all my servants were gathered there for the work. ¹⁷Furthermore, there were at my table one hundred and fifty men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. ¹⁸Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the labor was heavy upon this people. ¹⁹“Remember me, O my God, for good , for all that I have done for this people.”

Translation Notes

4/11/2026

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