1 A nd there is a great cry of the people and their wives, concerning their brethren the Jews,

Now there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brethren.

2 y ea, there are who are saying, `Our sons, and our daughters, we -- are many, and we receive corn, and eat, and live.'

For some said, We, our sons and daughters, are many; therefore allow us to take grain, that we may eat and live! If we are not given grain, let us take it!

3 A nd there are who are saying, `Our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, we are pledging, and we receive corn for the famine.'

Also some said, We are mortgaging our lands, vineyards, and houses to buy grain because of the scarcity.

4 A nd there are who are saying, `We have borrowed money for the tribute of the king, our fields, and our vineyards;

Others said, We have borrowed money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king’s heavy tax.

5 a nd now, as the flesh of our brethren our flesh, as their sons our sons, and lo, we are subduing our sons and our daughters for servants, and there are of our daughters subdued, and our hand hath no might, and our fields and our vineyards to others.'

Although our flesh is the same as that of our brethren and our children are as theirs, yet we are forced to sell our children as slaves; some of our daughters have already been thus sold, and we are powerless to redeem them, for others have our lands and vineyards.

6 A nd it is very displeasing to me when I have heard their cry and these words,

I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

7 a nd my heart reigneth over me, and I strive with the freemen, and with the prefects, and say to them, `Usury one upon another ye are exacting;' and I set against them a great assembly,

I thought it over and then rebuked the nobles and officials. I told them, You are exacting interest from your own kinsmen. And I held a great assembly against them.

8 a nd say to them, `We have acquired our brethren the Jews, those sold to the nations, according to the ability that in us, and ye also sell your brethren, and they have been sold to us!' and they are silent, and have not found a word.

I said to them, We, according to our ability, have bought back our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations; but will you even sell your brethren, that they may be sold to us? Then they were silent and found not a word to say.

9 A nd I say, `Not good the thing that ye are doing; in the fear of our God do ye not walk, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies?

Also I said, What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts and reproach of the nations, our enemies?

10 A nd also, I, my brethren, and my servants, are exacting of them silver and corn; let us leave off, I pray you, this usury.

I, my brethren, and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us stop this forbidden interest!

11 G ive back, I pray you, to them, as to-day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive-yards, and their houses, and the hundredth of the money, and of the corn, of the new wine, and of the oil, that ye are exacting of them.'

Return this very day to them their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, and also a hundredth of all the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you have exacted from them.

12 A nd they say, `We give back, and of them we seek nothing; so we do as thou art saying.' And I call the priests, and cause them to swear to do according to this thing;

Then they said, We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say. Then I called the priests and took an oath of the lenders that they would do according to this promise.

13 a lso, my lap I have shaken, and I say, `Thus doth God shake out every man, who doth not perform this thing, from his house, and from his labour; yea, thus is he shaken out and empty;' and all the assembly say, `Amen,' and praise Jehovah; and the people do according to this thing.

I shook out my lap 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 according to this promise.

14 A lso, from the day that he appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the thirty and second year of Artaxerxes the king -- twelve years -- I, and my brethren, the bread of the governor have not eaten:

Also, in the twelve years after I was appointed to be their governor in Judah, from the twentieth to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, neither I nor my kin ate the food allowed to the governor.

15 t he former governors who before me have made themselves heavy on the people, and take of them in bread and wine, besides in silver forty shekels; also, their servants have ruled over the people -- and I have not done so, because of the fear of God.

But the former governors lived at the expense of the people and took from them food and wine, besides forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants assumed authority over the people. But I did not so because of my fear of God.

16 A nd also, in the work of this wall I have done mightily, even a field we have not bought, and all my servants are gathered there for the work;

I also held fast to the work on this wall; and we bought no land. And all my servants were gathered there for the work.

17 a nd of the Jews, and of the prefects, a hundred and fifty men, and those coming in unto us of the nations that round about us, at my table;

And there were at my table 150 Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations about us.

18 a nd that which hath been prepared for one day one ox, six fat sheep, also fowls have been prepared for me, and once in ten days of all wines abundantly, and with this, the bread of the governor I have not sought, for heavy is the service on this people.

Now these were prepared for each day: one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days a store of all sorts of wine. Yet for all this, I did not demand the food allowed me as governor, for the bondage was heavy upon this people.

19 R emember for me, O my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.

O my God, remember me for good for all I have done for this people.