Now ^athere was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their ^bJewish brothers. 2 For there were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let’s ^aget grain so that we may eat and live.” 3 And there were others who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses so that we might get grain because of the famine.” 4 There also were those who said, “We have borrowed money ^afor the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5 And now ^aour flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, ^bwe are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and ¹we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”

6 Then I was very ^aangry when I heard their outcry and these words. 7 So I thought it over and contended with the nobles and the leading people, and said to them, “^aYou are lending at interest, each to his brother!” Therefore, I held a great assembly against them. 8 And I said to them, “We, according to our ability, ^ahave ¹redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?” Then they were silent and could not find a word to say. 9 So I said, “The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of ^athe taunting of the nations, our enemies? 10 And likewise I, my brothers, and my servants are lending them money and grain. Please, let’s ¹do without this interest. 11 Please, give back to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, as well as the hundredth part of the money and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil that you are charging as interest from them.” 12 Then they said, “We ^awill give it back and ^bwill require nothing from them; we will do exactly as you say.” So I called the priests and made them ^ctake an oath to act in accordance with this ¹promise. 13 I ^aalso shook out the ¹front of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every person from his house and from his possessions who does not keep this ²promise; just so may he be shaken out and emptied.” And ^ball the assembly said, “Amen!” And they praised the LORD. Then the people acted in accordance with this ³promise.

14 Furthermore, since the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from ^athe twentieth year to the ^bthirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my kinsmen have eaten the governor’s food allowance. 15 But the previous governors who were before me ¹laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so ^abecause of my fear of God. 16 I also ¹applied myself to the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. 17 Moreover, ^athere were at my table 150 Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. 18 Now ^athat which was prepared for each day was one ox and six choice sheep; also birds were prepared for me, and every ten days all sorts of wine were provided in abundance. Yet for all this ^bI did not request the governor’s food allowance, because the forced labor was heavy on this people. 19 ^aRemember me, my God, for good, in return for all that I have done for this people.