| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1And there was a great outcry of the people and their wives against their Jewish brethren. | 1About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews. |
| 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.” | 2Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.” |
| 3There were also some who said, “We have mortgaged our lands and vineyards and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine.” | 3Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.” |
| 4There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards. | 4Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. |
| 5Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards.” | 5We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.” |
| 6And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. | 6When I heard their outcry and these complaints, I became extremely angry, |
| 7After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, “Each of you is exacting usury from his brother.” So I called a great assembly against them. | 7and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them |
| 8And I said to them, “According to our ability we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?” Then they were silenced and found nothing to say. | 8and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say. |
| 9Then I said, “What 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? | 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 foreign enemies? |
| 10I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury! | 10I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending the people money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury. |
| 11Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them.” | 11Please restore to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you have been assessing them.” |
| 12So they said, “We will restore it, and will require nothing from them; we will do as you say.” Then I called the priests, and required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise. | 12“We will restore it,” they replied, “and will require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and required of the nobles and officials an oath that they would do what they had promised. |
| 13Then I shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out each man from his house, and from his property, who does not perform this promise. Even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen!” and praised the LORD. Then the people did according to this promise. | 13I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake out of His house and possession every man who does not keep this promise. May such a man be shaken out and have nothing!” The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised. |
| 14Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the governor’s provisions. | 14Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year (twelve years total), neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. |
| 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. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God. | 15The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people, but I did not do this because of my fear of God. |
| 16Indeed, I also continued the work on this wall, and we did not buy any land. All my servants were gathered there for the work. | 16Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of the wall, and all my servants were gathered there for the work; we did not acquire any land. |
| 17And at my table were one hundred and fifty Jews and rulers, besides those who came to us from the nations around us. | 17There were 150 Jews and officials at my table, besides the guests from the surrounding nations. |
| 18Now that which was prepared daily was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine. Yet in spite of this I did not demand the governor’s provisions, because the bondage was heavy on this people. | 18Each day one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine was provided. But I did not demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy. |
| 19Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people. | 19Remember me favorably, O my God, for all that I have done for this people. |
|
