| New International Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. | 1Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. |
| 2Some were saying, "We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain." | 2For there were those who said, "We, our sons and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain that we may eat and live." |
| 3Others were saying, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine." | 3There were others who said, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our houses that we might get grain because of the famine." |
| 4Still others were saying, "We have had to borrow money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards. | 4Also there were those who said, "We have borrowed money for the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards. |
| 5Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others." | 5"Now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others." |
| 6When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. | 6Then I was very angry when I had heard their outcry and these words. |
| 7I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, "You are charging your own people interest!" So I called together a large meeting to deal with them | 7I consulted with myself and contended with the nobles and the rulers and said to them, "You are exacting usury, each from his brother!" Therefore, I held a great assembly against them. |
| 8and said: "As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!" They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say. | 8I said to them, "We according to our ability have redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?" Then they were silent and could not find a word to say. |
| 9So 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 Gentile enemies? | 9Again I said, "The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? |
| 10I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! | 10"And likewise I, my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Please, let us leave off this usury. |
| 11Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them--one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil." | 11"Please, give back to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money and of the grain, the new wine and the oil that you are exacting from them." |
| 12"We will give it back," they said. "And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say." Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. | 12Then they said, "We will give it back and will require nothing from them; we will do exactly as you say." So I called the priests and took an oath from them that they would do according to this promise. |
| 13I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, "In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!" At this the whole assembly said, "Amen," and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised. | 13I also shook out the front of my garment and said, "Thus may God shake out every man from his house and from his possessions who does not fulfill this promise; even thus may he be shaken out and emptied." And all the assembly said, "Amen!" And they praised the LORD. Then the people did according to this promise. |
| 14Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year--twelve years--neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. | 14Moreover, from the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my kinsmen have eaten the governor's food allowance. |
| 15But the earlier governors--those preceding me--placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. | 15But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so because of the fear of God. |
| 16Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land. | 16I also applied myself to the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. |
| 17Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. | 17Moreover, there were at my table one hundred and fifty Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. |
| 18Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people. | 18Now that which was prepared for each day was one ox and six choice sheep, also birds were prepared for me; and once in ten days all sorts of wine were furnished in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the governor's food allowance, because the servitude was heavy on this people. |
| 19Remember me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people. | 19Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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