| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. | 1Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews. |
| 2Some were saying, "We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain." | 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 are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the 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 have had to borrow money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards. | 4Then there were those who said, "We have borrowed money to pay our taxes to the king 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." | 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." |
| 6When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. | 6I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints. |
| 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 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. |
| 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, "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 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? | 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 and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! | 10Even I and my relatives and my associates are lending them money and grain. But let us abandon this practice of seizing collateral! |
| 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." | 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." |
| 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. | 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 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 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 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 gave myself to the work on this wall, without even purchasing a field. All my associates 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 19Remember me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people. | 19Please remember me for good, O my God, for all that I have done for this people. |
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