Nehemiah:5

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* And there was a great outcry of the people and their wives against their Jewish brethren . * For there were those who said , "We , our sons , and our daughters are many ; therefore let us get grain , that we may eat and live ." * There were also some who said , "We have mortgaged our lands and vineyards and houses , that we might buy grain because of the famine ." * There were also those who said , "We have borrowed money for the king 's tax on our lands and vineyards . * Yet 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 ." * And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words . * After 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 . * And 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 . * Then 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 ? * I also , with my brethren and my servants , am lending them money and grain . Please , let us stop this usury ! * Restore 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 ." * So 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 . * Then 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 . * Moreover , 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 . * But 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 . * Indeed , I also continued the work on this wall , and we did not buy any land . All my servants were gathered there for the work . * And at my table were one hundred and fifty Jews and rulers , besides those who came to us from the nations around us . * Now 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 . * Remember me , my God , for good , according to all that I have done for this people .

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