| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now the people along with their spouses complained loudly against their fellow Jews, | 1Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews. |
| 2because certain of them kept claiming, "Since we have so many sons and daughters, we must get some grain so we can eat and survive." | 2There were those who said, "With our sons and daughters, we are many. We must obtain grain in order to eat and stay alive." |
| 3Others were saying, "We're having to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes so we can buy grain during this famine." | 3There were others who said, "We are putting up our fields, our vineyards, and our houses as collateral in order to obtain grain during the famine." |
| 4Still others were saying "We've borrowed money against our fields and vineyards to pay the king's taxes. | 4Then there were those who said, "We have borrowed money to pay our taxes to the king on our fields and our vineyards. |
| 5Now our bodies are no different than the bodies of our relatives, and our children are like their children. Nevertheless, we're about to force our sons and daughters into slavery, and some of our daughters are already in bondage. It's beyond our power to do anything about it, because our fields and vineyards belong to others." | 5And now, though we share the same flesh and blood as our fellow countrymen, and our children are just like their children, still we have found it necessary to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have been subjected to slavery, while we are powerless to help, since our fields and vineyards now belong to other people." |
| 6I became very livid when I heard their complaining and these charges. | 6I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints. |
| 7So after thinking it over carefully, I accused the officials and nobles openly, "Every one of you is charging your fellow countrymen interest!" So I opened a public investigation against them. | 7I considered these things carefully and then registered a complaint with the wealthy and the officials. I said to them, "Each one of you is seizing the collateral from your own countrymen!" Because of them I called for a great public assembly. |
| 8I accused them, "To the best of our ability, we've been buying back our fellow Jews who had been sold to foreigners. Even now you're selling your fellow countrymen, only for them to be sold back to us!" They kept quiet and never spoke a word. | 8I said to them, "To the extent possible we have bought back our fellow Jews who had been sold to the Gentiles. But now you yourselves want to sell your own countrymen, so that we can then buy them back!" They were utterly silent, and could find nothing to say. |
| 9So I said, "What you're doing isn't right! Shouldn't you live in the fear of our God to avoid shame from our foreign enemies? | 9Then I said, "The thing that you are doing is wrong! Should you not conduct yourselves in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies? |
| 10I'm also lending money and grain, as are my fellow-Jews and my servants, but let's not charge interest. | 10Even I and my relatives and my associates are lending them money and grain. But let us abandon this practice of seizing collateral! |
| 11So today please restore to them their fields, vineyards, olive orchards, and homes, along with the one percent interest charge that you've assessed them on the grain, wine, and oil." | 11This very day return to them their fields, their vineyards, their olive trees, and their houses, along with the interest that you are exacting from them on the money, the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil." |
| 12They responded, "We will restore these things, and will assess no interest charges against them. We will do what you are requesting!" So I called the priests and made them take an oath to fulfill this promise. | 12They replied, "We will return these things, and we will no longer demand anything from them. We will do just as you say." Then I called the priests and made the wealthy and the officials swear to do what had been promised. |
| 13I also shook my robes, and said, "May God shake out every man from his house and his possessions who does not keep this promise. May he be emptied out and shaken just like this." All the assembly said, "Amen!" and praised the LORD. And the people kept their promise. | 13I also shook out my garment, and I said, "In this way may God shake out from his house and his property every person who does not carry out this matter. In this way may he be shaken out and emptied!" All the assembly replied, "So be it!" and they praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised. |
| 14In addition, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah (that is, during the twelve years from the twentieth to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes), neither I nor my relatives relied on the provisions allotted to the governor. | 14From the day that I was appointed governor in the land of Judah, that is, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes--twelve years in all--neither I nor my relatives ate the food allotted to the governor. |
| 15Nevertheless, the former governors before me placed a heavy burden on the people. They received food and wine, plus a tax of 40 shekels of silver. Even their young men took advantage of the people, but I never did so because I feared God. | 15But the former governors who preceded me had burdened the people and had taken food and wine from them, in addition to forty shekels of silver. Their associates were also domineering over the people. But I did not behave in this way, due to my fear of God. |
| 16Also, as I continued to work on the wall, we purchased no land, and all of my young men were employed in the work. | 16I gave myself to the work on this wall, without even purchasing a field. All my associates were gathered there for the work. |
| 17I fed 150 Jews and officials every day, not counting those who came from the nations around us. | 17There were 150 Jews and officials who dined with me routinely, in addition to those who came to us from the nations all around us. |
| 18Our daily requirements were one ox and six choice sheep, along with various kinds of poultry prepared for me. Every ten days there was a delivery of an abundant supply of wine. Despite all this, I refused the governor's allotment, because demands on the people were heavy. | 18Every day one ox, six select sheep, and some birds were prepared for me, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Despite all this I did not require the food allotted to the governor, for the work was demanding on this people. |
| 19"Remember me with favor, my God, for everything I've done for this people." | 19Please remember me for good, O my God, for all that I have done for this people. |
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