| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. | 1Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews. |
| 2For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.” | 2There were those who said, "With our sons and daughters, we are many. We must obtain grain in order to eat and stay alive." |
| 3There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” | 3There were others who said, "We are putting up our fields, our vineyards, and our houses as collateral in order to obtain grain during the famine." |
| 4And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. | 4Then there were those who said, "We have borrowed money to pay our taxes to the king on our fields and our vineyards. |
| 5Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.” | 5And now, though we share the same flesh and blood as our fellow countrymen, and our children are just like their children, still we have found it necessary to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have been subjected to slavery, while we are powerless to help, since our fields and vineyards now belong to other people." |
| 6I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. | 6I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints. |
| 7I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them | 7I considered these things carefully and then registered a complaint with the wealthy and the officials. I said to them, "Each one of you is seizing the collateral from your own countrymen!" Because of them I called for a great public assembly. |
| 8and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. | 8I said to them, "To the extent possible we have bought back our fellow Jews who had been sold to the Gentiles. But now you yourselves want to sell your own countrymen, so that we can then buy them back!" They were utterly silent, and could find nothing to say. |
| 9So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? | 9Then I said, "The thing that you are doing is wrong! Should you not conduct yourselves in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies? |
| 10Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. | 10Even I and my relatives and my associates are lending them money and grain. But let us abandon this practice of seizing collateral! |
| 11Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” | 11This very day return to them their fields, their vineyards, their olive trees, and their houses, along with the interest that you are exacting from them on the money, the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil." |
| 12Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised. | 12They replied, "We will return these things, and we will no longer demand anything from them. We will do just as you say." Then I called the priests and made the wealthy and the officials swear to do what had been promised. |
| 13I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised. | 13I also shook out my garment, and I said, "In this way may God shake out from his house and his property every person who does not carry out this matter. In this way may he be shaken out and emptied!" All the assembly replied, "So be it!" and they praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised. |
| 14Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. | 14From the day that I was appointed governor in the land of Judah, that is, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes--twelve years in all--neither I nor my relatives ate the food allotted to the governor. |
| 15The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. | 15But the former governors who preceded me had burdened the people and had taken food and wine from them, in addition to forty shekels of silver. Their associates were also domineering over the people. But I did not behave in this way, due to my fear of God. |
| 16I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. | 16I gave myself to the work on this wall, without even purchasing a field. All my associates were gathered there for the work. |
| 17Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. | 17There were 150 Jews and officials who dined with me routinely, in addition to those who came to us from the nations all around us. |
| 18Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. | 18Every day one ox, six select sheep, and some birds were prepared for me, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Despite all this I did not require the food allotted to the governor, for the work was demanding on this people. |
| 19Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people. | 19Please remember me for good, O my God, for all that I have done for this people. |
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