1 ARST { Around this same time,} many of the men and their wives complained bitterly about what their fellow Jews were doing to them. BSB BSB: About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.
2 ARST Some of them began,“We have many children. We need to get{ a lot of} food to feed them{ all}.” BSB BSB: Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.”
3 ARST Others added,“We have had to promise to give someone our fields, vineyards, and houses if we do not pay back the money{ he} has loaned us. We had{ to borrow the money} to buy food during this time when food is scarce.” BSB BSB: Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.”
4 ARST Still others said,“We have had to borrow money to{ pay} the taxes that the king{ commanded us to pay} on our fields and our vineyards. BSB BSB: Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.
5 ARST { This is how bad things have gotten.} We are selling our children into slavery. In fact, we have even sold some of our daughters. Our creditors took the fields and vineyards{ we pledged as security for loans}, so there was nothing{ else} we could do. But we are Jews, just like the people who are doing these things to us!” BSB BSB: We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
6 ARST I got very angry when I heard these things that they were complaining about. BSB BSB: When I heard their outcry and these complaints, I became extremely angry,
7 ARST I thought hard about what to do. Then I brought charges against the leading citizens and the city officials. I called together a large group of people{ to hear} the charges against them. I told these leaders,“You are charging interest{ on loans} to your fellow Jews.{ You know that is forbidden in the Law of Moses}.” BSB BSB: and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them
8 ARST I said to them,“Whenever our fellow Jews have had to sell themselves into slavery to people from{ other} nations, to{ the best of} our ability we have been buying them back. But you are actually selling your fellow Jews into slavery to get back the money they owe you. These are some of the very people we have been buying back!” They knew that these charges were true, so there was absolutely nothing they could say in response. BSB BSB: and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say.
9 ARST Then I said to them,“What you are doing is wrong! You certainly ought to obey God and do what is right! Otherwise, our enemies will mock us even more. BSB BSB: So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies?
10 ARST I myself, my relatives, and my servants have been lending money and grain{ to anyone in need without charging interest}. All of us should stop charging interest on loans. BSB BSB: I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending the people money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury.
11 ARST Give them back their fields, vineyards, olive orchards, and houses. Do it right away! And pay back the 12% annual{ interest you have been collecting} on the money, grain, wine, and olive oil that you have lent them.” BSB BSB: Please restore to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you have been assessing them.”
12 ARST These leaders replied,“Yes, we will do what you say. We will give back{ their fields, vineyards, olive orchards, and houses}. And we will stop{ charging} them{ interest}.” Then I called the priests, and I made the leaders swear{ to God in front of them} that they would do what they had promised. BSB BSB: “We will restore it,” they replied, “and will require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and required of the nobles and officials an oath that they would do what they had promised.
13 ARST I also shook out the folds of my robe and said to them,“In this same way, may God fling anyone who does not keep this oath away from everything he owns. Yes, may that person lose everything!” Then everyone who was there said,“We agree!” And they praised Yahweh. After that none of the Jews took houses or fields to guarantee loans, and none of them charged interest any more. BSB BSB: I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. May such a man be shaken out and have nothing!” The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
14 ARST Here is something else I did to help the people. Artaxerxes, the king{ of Persia}, had appointed me to be the governor of{ the province of} Judah during the twentieth year{ of his reign}. During the twelve years from the time that he appointed me until the thirty- second year of his reign, I did not accept the governor’ s food allowance, and{ I did not use it to feed} my relatives.{ I knew that the people were poor and could not afford to pay for it.} BSB BSB: Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year (twelve years total), neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor.
15 ARST The governors before me had made life very difficult for the people. They had demanded that the people supply them with bread and wine and forty silver shekels every day. Even their servants oppressed the people. But I respected and honored God, and so I did not oppress them. BSB BSB: The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people. But I did not do this, because of my fear of God.
16 ARST I devoted myself to the work of{ rebuilding} the wall.{ My relatives and I} did not buy any property,{ even though we could have gotten it cheaply because the poor were so desperate}. I also assigned all of my servants to work{ on the wall}. BSB BSB: Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of the wall, and all my servants were gathered there for the work; we did not acquire any land.
17 ARST { As governor,} I{ was responsible for} feeding 150 Jewish leaders and city officials. I also entertained{ Jewish} visitors who came from nearby countries. BSB BSB: There were 150 Jews and officials at my table, besides the guests from the surrounding nations.
18 ARST Each day{ I told my servants} to prepare{ for us} one ox, six good sheep, and various kinds of poultry. I paid for these myself. Every ten days I also brought in an abundant supply of various kinds of wine. But{ I knew that} the people were struggling to survive, and so{ I paid for all of these things at my own expense}. I did not accept the governor’ s food allowance. BSB BSB: Each day one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine was provided. But I did not demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy.
19 ARST My God, think of me, and reward me for all the good that I have done for the people of Judah. BSB BSB: Remember me favorably, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.