Nehemiah 5 And a cry of the people and their wives will be great against their brethren the Jews.

VIN⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ And a cry of the people and their wives will be great against their brethren the Jews. ² Yes, they who say, We, our sons and our daughters, are many; and we take crop to eat and live. ³ Others were saying, "We're having to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes so we can buy grain during this famine." ⁴ And others there were that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. ⁵ Now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our sons are like their sons. Look, we are subduing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and there are some from our daughters being molested. We are powerless, and our fields and vineyards belong to others." ⁶ And when I heard their cry, and these words, I was very angry. ⁷ I thought over this in my heart, and then I quarreled with the nobles and the prefects. I said to them, "You yourselves are taking interest from your own brother!" So I called the great assembly against them, ⁸ And I said to them, We after our ability have redeemed our brothers the Jews, which were sold to the heathen; and will you even sell your brothers? or shall they be sold to us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer. ⁹ So 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? ¹⁰ Also, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Please stop taking this interest. ¹¹ So 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." ¹² So they said, "We will restore it and will not request anything more. So we will do as you say." Then I called the priests and made them take an oath to do this promise. ¹³ Shaking out the folds of my robe, I said: "So, may God send out from his house and his work every man who does not keep this agreement. Even so let him be sent out and made as nothing." All the people said: "Amen!" They praised the LORD. The people did as they said. 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 laid burdens upon the people, and took of them for bread and wine above forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants lorded over the people; but so did not I, because of the fear of God. ¹⁶ I also devoted myself to the work of this wall, and we did not buy land. All of my servants were gathered for the work. ¹⁷ There is more, a hundred and fifty of the Jews and the rulers were guests at my table, in addition to those who came to us from the nations nearby. ¹⁸ Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days abundant stores of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I the food allowance of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people. ¹⁹ "Remember me with favor, my God, for everything I've done for this people."