5:1 And the cry of the people and their
wives [was] great against their brethren the Jews.
5:2 And some said, We [are] numerous with our sons and our daughters; so we
will take corn, and eat, and live.
5:3 And some said, [As to] our fields and vineyards and houses, let us
pledge [them], and we will take corn, and eat.
5:4 And some said, We have borrowed money for the king's tributes:-- our
fields, and our vineyards, and houses [are pledged].
5:5 And now our flesh [is] as the flesh of our brethren, our children [are]
as their children: yet, behold, we are reducing our sons and our daughters
to slavery, and some of our daughters are enslaved: and there is no power of
our hands, for our fields and our vineyards [belong] to the nobles.
5:6 And I was much grieved as I heard their cry and these words.
5:7 And my heart took counsel within me, and I contended against the nobles,
and the princes, and I said to them, Should every man demand of his brother
what ye demand? And I appointed against them a great assembly,
5:8 and I said to them, We of our free-will have redeemed our brethren the
Jews that were sold to the Gentiles; and do ye sell your brethren? and shall
they be delivered to us? And they were silent, and found no answer.
5:9 And I said, The thing which ye do [is] not good; ye will not so walk in
the fear of our God because of the reproach of the Gentiles our enemies.
5:10 Both my brethren, and my acquaintances, and I, have lent them money and
corn: let us now leave off this exaction.
5:11 Restore to them, I pray, as at this day, their fields, and their
vineyards, and their olive-yards, and their houses, and bring forth to them
corn and wine and oil of the money.
5:12 And they said, We will restore, and we will not exact of them; we will
do thus as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and bound them by oath to
do according to this word.
5:13 And I shook out my garment, and said, So may God shake out every man
who shall not keep to this word, from his house, and from his labours, he
shall be even thus shaken out, as an outcast and empty. And all the
congregation said, Amen, and they praised the Lord: and the people did this
thing.
5:14 From the day that he charged me to be their ruler in the land of Juda,
from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Arthasastha,
twelve years, I and my brethren ate not [provision] extorted from them.
5:15 But as for the former acts of extortion wherein [those who were] before
me oppressed them, they even took of them their last money, forty didrachms
for bread and wine; and the [very] outcasts of them exercised authority over
the people: but I did not so, because of the fear of God.
5:16 Also in the work of the wall I treated them not with rigor, I bought
not land: and all that were gathered together [came] thither to the work.
5:17 And the Jews, to [the number of] a hundred and fifty men, besides those
coming to us from the nations round about, [were] at my table.
5:18 And there came [to me] for one day one calf, and I had six choice sheep
and a goat; and every ten days wine in abundance of all sorts: yet with
these I required not the bread of extortion, because the bondage was heavy
upon this people.
5:19 Remember me, O God, for good, [in] all that I have done to this people. |
5:1 And there was a great cry of the people
and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.
5:2 For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many:
therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live.
5:3 Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards,
and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.
5:4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's
tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.
5:5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their
children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be
servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already:
neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and
vineyards.
5:6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
5:7 Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers,
and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a
great assembly against them.
5:8 And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren
the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your
brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and
found nothing to answer.
5:9 Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear
of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?
5:10 I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money
and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.
5:11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their
vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of
the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.
5:12 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them;
so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of
them, that they should do according to this promise.
5:13 Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his
house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be
he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised
the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.
5:14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the
land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year
of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not
eaten the bread of the governor.
5:15 But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto
the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of
silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not
I, because of the fear of God.
5:16 Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any
land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work.
5:17 Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and
rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about
us.
5:18 Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice
sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all
sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor,
because the bondage was heavy upon this people.
5:19 Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for
this people. |