¹ And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

² And there were that said, We, our sons and our daughters, are many, and we must procure corn that we may eat and live.

³ And there were that said, We have had to pledge our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, that we might procure corn in the dearth.

⁴ And there were that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute upon our fields and vineyards;

⁵ yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and behold, we must bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage [already]; neither is it in the power of our hand [to redeem them], for other men have our fields and our vineyards.

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

⁷ And I consulted with myself; and I remonstrated with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother! And I set a great assembly against them.

⁸ And I said to them, We, according to our ability, have redeemed our brethren the Jews, who were sold to the nations; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? And they were silent and found no answer.

⁹ And I said, The thing that ye do is not good. Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our¹ God, so as not to be the reproach of the nations our enemies?

1. 5.9 Elohim

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

¹¹ Restore, I pray you, to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive-gardens, and their houses, also the hundredth [part] of the money, and of the corn, the wine and the oil, that ye have exacted of them.

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

¹³ Also I shook my lap, and said, So¹ God shake out every man from his house and from his earnings, that performeth not this promise: even thus be he shaken out and emptied! And all the congregation said, Amen! And they praised Jehovah. And the people did according to this promise.

1. 5.13 Elohim

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

¹⁵ But the former governors that were before me had been chargeable to the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver: even their servants bore rule over the people. But I did not so, because of the fear of¹ God.

1. 5.15 Elohim

¹⁶ Yea, also I applied myself to this work of the wall, and we bought no fields; and all my servants were gathered thither for the work.

¹⁷ And there were at my table a hundred and fifty of the Jews and the rulers, besides those that came to us from among the nations that were about us.

¹⁸ And that which was prepared daily was one ox [and] six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days all sorts of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I demanded not the bread of the governor; for the service was heavy upon this people.

¹⁹ Remember for me, my¹ God, for good, all that I have done for this people.

1. 5.19 Elohim