Nehemiah

And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

1The people and their wives cried out loudly. They were upset with their fellow Jews.

2For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live.

2Some said, "Our families are big. We have many sons and daughters. We need grain so we can eat and stay alive."

Note"Corn" in the King James Bible means grain of any kind, like wheat or barley. It does not mean corn on the cob.

3Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.

3Others said, "There is no food in the land. So we gave up our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to borrow money for grain."

4There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.

4Others said, "We had to borrow 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, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.

5We are the same kind of people as our fellow Jews. Our children are just like their children. Yet we must sell our own sons and daughters to be slaves. Some of our daughters are slaves already. We cannot buy them back. Other men own our fields and vineyards now."

6And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

6I heard their cry and what they said. It made me very angry.

7Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.

7I thought about it hard. Then I told the rich men and the leaders they were wrong. I said, "You charge your own brothers extra money on loans!" So I called a big meeting about them.

Note"Usury" here means lending money and making people pay back more than they borrowed. God's law told the Jews not to do this to each other.

8And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.

8I said, "We did all we could to buy back our Jewish brothers. They had been sold to people from other lands. Now you are selling your own brothers! Must we buy them back again?" They said nothing. They had no answer.

9Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?

9I also said, "What you are doing is not right. You should live with respect for our God. Then our enemies in other lands will have nothing to mock us for.

10I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.

10My brothers, my helpers, and I have also lent money and grain to the people. Please, let us stop charging extra.

11Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.

11Please give it all back to them today. Give back their fields, their vineyards, their olive trees, and their houses. Give back the extra part of the money, grain, wine, and oil you have taken from them."

Note"The hundredth part" is the extra amount the lenders charged. It was likely one out of every hundred coins each month.

12Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.

12They said, "We will give it back. We will ask nothing more from them. We will do what you say." So I called the priests. I made the leaders promise in front of them to keep their word.

13Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.

13I also shook out the folds of my robe. I said, "May God shake out every man who breaks this promise. May he lose his house and all he worked for. May he be shaken out and left with nothing." All the people said, "Amen." They praised the LORD. And the people kept their promise.

NoteShaking out a robe was a way of acting something out so everyone could see it. It showed a man being shaken out and left with nothing.

14Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.

14Also, the king made me governor, the leader, of the land of Judah. That was from King Artaxerxes' twentieth year to his thirty-second year. That is twelve years. In all that time, my brothers and I never took the food a governor is allowed.

15But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.

15The governors before me had been hard on the people. They took bread and wine from them, and forty pieces of silver too. Even their helpers bossed the people around. But I did not do that. I had respect for God.

16Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work.

16Instead, I kept working on the wall. We did not buy any land. All my helpers came and worked there too.

17Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us.

17A hundred and fifty Jews and leaders ate at my table. Visitors from the lands around us ate there too.

18Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.

18Each day one ox and six fine sheep were cooked for me. Birds were cooked for me too. Every ten days plenty of wine of all kinds was brought in. Even so, I never took the food a governor is allowed. The load on these people was already too heavy.

19Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.

19My God, remember me. Be kind to me for all I have done for these people.