Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives
against their Jewish brothers. 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.” There were also those who said, “We are
mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain
because of the famine.” And there were those who said, “We have
borrowed money for the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards.
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.”
I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. 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 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. 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? Moreover, I and
my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let
us abandon this exacting of interest. 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.” 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.
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.
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. 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. I also persevered in the work on this
wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered
there for the work. Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews
and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that
were around us. 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. Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have
done for this people.
