| International Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Now the people along with their spouses complained loudly against their fellow Jews, | 1About this time some of the men and their wives raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews. |
| 2because certain of them kept claiming, "Since we have so many sons and daughters, we must get some grain so we can eat and survive." | 2They were saying, “We have such large families. We need more food to survive.” |
| 3Others were saying, "We're having to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes so we can buy grain during this famine." | 3Others said, “We have mortgaged our fields, vineyards, and homes to get food during the famine.” |
| 4Still others were saying "We've borrowed money against our fields and vineyards to pay the king's taxes. | 4And others said, “We have had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay our taxes. |
| 5Now our bodies are no different than the bodies of our relatives, and our children are like their children. Nevertheless, we're about to force our sons and daughters into slavery, and some of our daughters are already in bondage. It's beyond our power to do anything about it, because our fields and vineyards belong to others." | 5We belong to the same family as those who are wealthy, and our children are just like theirs. Yet we must sell our children into slavery just to get enough money to live. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to do anything about it, for our fields and vineyards are already mortgaged to others.” |
| 6I became very livid when I heard their complaining and these charges. | 6When I heard their complaints, I was very angry. |
| 7So after thinking it over carefully, I accused the officials and nobles openly, "Every one of you is charging your fellow countrymen interest!" So I opened a public investigation against them. | 7After thinking it over, I spoke out against these nobles and officials. I told them, “You are hurting your own relatives by charging interest when they borrow money!” Then I called a public meeting to deal with the problem. |
| 8I accused them, "To the best of our ability, we've been buying back our fellow Jews who had been sold to foreigners. Even now you're selling your fellow countrymen, only for them to be sold back to us!" They kept quiet and never spoke a word. | 8At the meeting I said to them, “We are doing all we can to redeem our Jewish relatives who have had to sell themselves to pagan foreigners, but you are selling them back into slavery again. How often must we redeem them?” And they had nothing to say in their defense. |
| 9So I said, "What you're doing isn't right! Shouldn't you live in the fear of our God to avoid shame from our foreign enemies? | 9Then I pressed further, “What you are doing is not right! Should you not walk in the fear of our God in order to avoid being mocked by enemy nations? |
| 10I'm also lending money and grain, as are my fellow-Jews and my servants, but let's not charge interest. | 10I myself, as well as my brothers and my workers, have been lending the people money and grain, but now let us stop this business of charging interest. |
| 11So today please restore to them their fields, vineyards, olive orchards, and homes, along with the one percent interest charge that you've assessed them on the grain, wine, and oil." | 11You must restore their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes to them this very day. And repay the interest you charged when you lent them money, grain, new wine, and olive oil.” |
| 12They responded, "We will restore these things, and will assess no interest charges against them. We will do what you are requesting!" So I called the priests and made them take an oath to fulfill this promise. | 12They replied, “We will give back everything and demand nothing more from the people. We will do as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the nobles and officials swear to do what they had promised. |
| 13I also shook my robes, and said, "May God shake out every man from his house and his possessions who does not keep this promise. May he be emptied out and shaken just like this." All the assembly said, "Amen!" and praised the LORD. And the people kept their promise. | 13I shook out the folds of my robe and said, “If you fail to keep your promise, may God shake you like this from your homes and from your property!” The whole assembly responded, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised. |
| 14In addition, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah (that is, during the twelve years from the twentieth to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes), neither I nor my relatives relied on the provisions allotted to the governor. | 14For the entire twelve years that I was governor of Judah—from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of the reign of King Artaxerxes —neither I nor my officials drew on our official food allowance. |
| 15Nevertheless, the former governors before me placed a heavy burden on the people. They received food and wine, plus a tax of 40 shekels of silver. Even their young men took advantage of the people, but I never did so because I feared God. | 15The former governors, in contrast, had laid heavy burdens on the people, demanding a daily ration of food and wine, besides forty pieces of silver. Even their assistants took advantage of the people. But because I feared God, I did not act that way. |
| 16Also, as I continued to work on the wall, we purchased no land, and all of my young men were employed in the work. | 16I also devoted myself to working on the wall and refused to acquire any land. And I required all my servants to spend time working on the wall. |
| 17I fed 150 Jews and officials every day, not counting those who came from the nations around us. | 17I asked for nothing, even though I regularly fed 150 Jewish officials at my table, besides all the visitors from other lands! |
| 18Our daily requirements were one ox and six choice sheep, along with various kinds of poultry prepared for me. Every ten days there was a delivery of an abundant supply of wine. Despite all this, I refused the governor's allotment, because demands on the people were heavy. | 18The provisions I paid for each day included one ox, six choice sheep or goats, and a large number of poultry. And every ten days we needed a large supply of all kinds of wine. Yet I refused to claim the governor’s food allowance because the people already carried a heavy burden. |
| 19"Remember me with favor, my God, for everything I've done for this people." | 19Remember, O my God, all that I have done for these people, and bless me for it. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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