| New Living Translation | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1About this time some of the men and their wives raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews. | 1There was a widespread outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen. |
| 2They were saying, “We have such large families. We need more food to survive.” | 2Some were saying, "We, our sons, and our daughters are numerous. Let us get grain so that we can eat and live." |
| 3Others said, “We have mortgaged our fields, vineyards, and homes to get food during the famine.” | 3Others were saying, "We are mortgaging our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain during the famine." |
| 4And others said, “We have had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay our taxes. | 4Still others were saying, "We have borrowed money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards. |
| 5We belong to the same family as those who are wealthy, and our children are just like theirs. Yet we must sell our children into slavery just to get enough money to live. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to do anything about it, for our fields and vineyards are already mortgaged to others.” | 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 because our fields and vineyards belong to others." |
| 6When I heard their complaints, I was very angry. | 6I became extremely angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints. |
| 7After thinking it over, I spoke out against these nobles and officials. I told them, “You are hurting your own relatives by charging interest when they borrow money!” Then I called a public meeting to deal with the problem. | 7After seriously considering the matter, I accused the nobles and officials, saying to them, "Each of you is charging his countrymen interest." So I called a large assembly against them |
| 8At the meeting I said to them, “We are doing all we can to redeem our Jewish relatives who have had to sell themselves to pagan foreigners, but you are selling them back into slavery again. How often must we redeem them?” And they had nothing to say in their defense. | 8and said, "We have done our best to buy back our Jewish countrymen who were sold to foreigners, but now you sell your own countrymen, and we have to buy them back." They remained silent and could not say a word. |
| 9Then I pressed further, “What you are doing is not right! Should you not walk in the fear of our God in order to avoid being mocked by enemy nations? | 9Then I said, "What you are doing isn't right. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God and not invite the reproach of our foreign enemies? |
| 10I myself, as well as my brothers and my workers, have been lending the people money and grain, but now let us stop this business of charging interest. | 10Even I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop charging this interest. |
| 11You must restore their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes to them this very day. And repay the interest you charged when you lent them money, grain, new wine, and olive oil.” | 11Return their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses to them immediately, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and olive oil that you have been assessing them." |
| 12They replied, “We will give back everything and demand nothing more from the people. We will do as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the nobles and officials swear to do what they had promised. | 12They responded: "We will return these things and require nothing more from them. We will do as you say." So I summoned the priests and made everyone take an oath to do this. |
| 13I shook out the folds of my robe and said, “If you fail to keep your promise, may God shake you like this from your homes and from your property!” The whole assembly responded, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised. | 13I also shook the folds of my robe and said, "May God likewise shake from his house and property everyone who doesn't keep this promise. May he be shaken out and have nothing!" The whole assembly said, "Amen," and they praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised. |
| 14For the entire twelve years that I was governor of Judah—from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of the reign of King Artaxerxes —neither I nor my officials drew on our official food allowance. | 14Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah--from the twentieth year until his thirty-second year, 12 years--I and my associates never ate from the food allotted to the governor. |
| 15The former governors, in contrast, had laid heavy burdens on the people, demanding a daily ration of food and wine, besides forty pieces of silver. Even their assistants took advantage of the people. But because I feared God, I did not act that way. | 15The governors who preceded me had heavily burdened the people, taking food and wine from them, as well as a pound of silver. Their subordinates also oppressed the people, but I didn't do this, because of the fear of God. |
| 16I also devoted myself to working on the wall and refused to acquire any land. And I required all my servants to spend time working on the wall. | 16Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of the wall, and all my subordinates were gathered there for the work. We didn't buy any land. |
| 17I asked for nothing, even though I regularly fed 150 Jewish officials at my table, besides all the visitors from other lands! | 17There were 150 Jews and officials, as well as guests from the surrounding nations at my table. |
| 18The provisions I paid for each day included one ox, six choice sheep or goats, and a large number of poultry. And every ten days we needed a large supply of all kinds of wine. Yet I refused to claim the governor’s food allowance because the people already carried a heavy burden. | 18Each day, one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me. An abundance of all kinds of wine was provided every 10 days. But I didn't demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy. |
| 19Remember, O my God, all that I have done for these people, and bless me for it. | 19Remember me favorably, my God, for all that I have done for this people. |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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