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1. Many of the poor people began to complain against their fellow Jews.
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1. And there was H1961 a great H1419 cry H6818 of the people H5971 and of their wives H802 against H413 their brethren H251 the Jews H3064 .
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2. Some of them were saying, "We have many children. We must get some grain if we are going to eat and stay alive."
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2. For there were H3426 that H834 said H559 , We H587 , our sons H1121 , and our daughters H1323 , are many H7227 : therefore we take up H3947 corn H1715 for them , that we may eat H398 , and live H2421 .
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3. Other people were saying, "This is a time of famine. We have to use our fields, vineyards, and homes to pay for grain."
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3. Some also there were H3426 that H834 said H559 , We H587 have mortgaged H6148 our lands H7704 , vineyards H3754 , and houses H1004 , that we might buy H3947 corn H1715 , because of the dearth H7458 .
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4. And still other people were saying, "We have to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards. But we cannot afford to pay, so we are borrowing money to pay the tax.
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4. There were H3426 also that H834 said H559 , We have borrowed H3867 money H3701 for the king H4428 's tribute H4060 , and that upon our lands H7704 and vineyards H3754 .
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5. We are as good as the others. Our sons are as good as their sons. But we will have to sell our sons and daughters as slaves. Some of us have already had to sell our daughters as slaves. There is nothing we can do. We have already lost our fields and vineyards. Other people own them now."
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5. Yet now H6258 our flesh H1320 is as the flesh H1320 of our brethren H251 , our children H1121 as their children H1121 : and, lo H2009 , we H587 bring into bondage H3533 H853 our sons H1121 and our daughters H1323 to be servants H5650 , and some of our daughters H4480 H1323 are H3426 brought unto bondage H3533 already : neither H369 is it in our power H410 H3027 to redeem them ; for other H312 men have our lands H7704 and vineyards H3754 .
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6. When I heard their complaints, I was very angry.
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6. And I was very H3966 angry H2734 when H834 I heard H8085 H853 their cry H2201 and these H428 words H1697 .
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7. I calmed myself down, and then I went to the rich families and the officials. I told them, "You are forcing your own people to pay interest on the money you loan them. You must stop doing that!" Then I called for all the people to meet together
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7. Then I consulted H4427 with H5921 myself H3820 , and I rebuked H7378 H853 the nobles H2715 , and the rulers H5461 , and said H559 unto them, Ye H859 exact H5378 usury H4855 , every one H376 of his brother H251 . And I set H5414 a great H1419 assembly H6952 against H5921 them.
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8. and said to them, "Our fellow Jews were sold as slaves to people in other countries. We did our best to buy them back and make them free. And now, you are selling them like slaves again!" The rich people and officials kept quiet. They could not find anything to say.
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8. And I said H559 unto them, We H587 after our ability H1767 have redeemed H7069 H853 our brethren H251 the Jews H3064 , which were sold H4376 unto the heathen H1471 ; and will ye H859 even H1571 sell H4376 H853 your brethren H251 ? or shall they be sold H4376 unto us? Then held they their peace H2790 , and found H4672 nothing H3808 H1697 to answer .
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9. So I continued speaking. I said, "What you people are doing is not right! You know that you should fear and respect God. You should not do the shameful things other people do!
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9. Also I said H559 , It is not H3808 good H2896 H1697 that H834 ye H859 do H6213 : ought ye not H3808 to walk H1980 in the fear H3374 of our God H430 because of the reproach H4480 H2781 of the heathen H1471 our enemies H341 ?
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10. My men, my brothers, and I are also lending money and grain to the people. But let's stop forcing them to pay interest on these loans.
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10. I H589 likewise H1571 , and my brethren H251 , and my servants H5288 , might exact H5383 of them money H3701 and corn H1715 : I pray H4994 you , let us leave off H5800 H853 this H2088 usury H4855 .
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11. You must give their fields, vineyards, olive fields, and houses back to them, right now! And you must give back the interest you charged them. You charged them one percent for the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you loaned them."
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11. Restore H7725 , I pray H4994 you , to them , even this day H3117 , their lands H7704 , their vineyards H3754 , their oliveyards H2132 , and their houses H1004 , also the hundredth H3967 part of the money H3701 , and of the corn H1715 , the wine H8492 , and the oil H3323 , that H834 ye H859 exact H5383 of them.
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12. Then the rich people and the officials said, "We will give it back and not demand anything more from them. Nehemiah, we will do as you say." Then I called the priests. I made the rich people and the officials promise to God that they would do what they said.
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12. Then said H559 they , We will restore H7725 them , and will require H1245 nothing H3808 of H4480 them; so H3651 will we do H6213 as H834 thou H859 sayest H559 . Then I called H7121 H853 the priests H3548 , and took an oath H7650 of them , that they should do H6213 according to this H2088 promise H1697 .
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13. Then I shook out the folds of my clothes. I said, "God will do the same thing to everyone who does not keep their promise. God will shake them out of their houses and they will lose everything they worked for. They will lose everything!" I finished saying these things and all the people agreed. They all said, "Amen" and praised the Lord. So the people did as they had promised.
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13. Also H1571 I shook H5287 my lap H2684 , and said H559 , So H3602 God H430 shake out H5287 H853 every H3605 man H376 from his house H4480 H1004 , and from his labor H4480 H3018 , that H834 performeth H6965 not H3808 H853 this H2088 promise H1697 , even thus H3602 be H1961 he shaken out H5287 , and emptied H7386 . And all H3605 the congregation H6951 said H559 , Amen H543 , and praised H1984 H853 the LORD H3068 . And the people H5971 did H6213 according to this H2088 promise H1697 .
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14. And also, during the whole time that I was appointed to be governor in the land of Judah, neither my brothers nor I ate the food that was allowed for the governor. {I never forced the people to pay taxes to buy my food.} I was governor from the 20 year until the 32 year that Artaxerxes was king. I was governor of Judah for twelve years.
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14. Moreover H1571 from the time H4480 H3117 that H834 I was appointed H6680 to be H1961 their governor H6346 in the land H776 of Judah H3063 , from the twentieth H6242 year H4480 H8141 even unto H5704 the two H8147 and thirtieth H7970 year H8141 of Artaxerxes H783 the king H4428 , that is , twelve H8147 H6240 years H8141 , I H589 and my brethren H251 have not H3808 eaten H398 the bread H3899 of the governor H6346 .
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15. But the governors who ruled before me made life hard for the people. The governors forced everyone to pay 1 pound of silver. They also made the people give them food and wine. The leaders under these governors also ruled over the people {and made life even harder}. But I respected and feared God, so I didn't do things like that.
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15. But the former H7223 governors H6346 that H834 had been before H6440 me were chargeable H3513 unto H5921 the people H5971 , and had taken H3947 of H4480 them bread H3899 and wine H3196 , beside H310 forty H705 shekels H8255 of silver H3701 ; yea H1571 , even their servants H5288 bore rule H7980 over H5921 the people H5971 : but so H3651 did H6213 not H3808 I H589 , because H4480 H6440 of the fear H3374 of God H430 .
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16. I worked hard at building the wall of Jerusalem. All my men gathered there to work on the wall. We didn't take any land from anyone.
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16. Yea, also H1571 I continued H2388 in the work H4399 of this H2063 wall H2346 , neither H3808 bought H7069 we any land H7704 : and all H3605 my servants H5288 were gathered H6908 thither H8033 unto H5921 the work H4399 .
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17. Also, I regularly fed 150 Jews who were always welcome at my table, and I fed those who came to us from the nations around us.
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17. Moreover there were at H5921 my table H7979 a hundred H3967 and fifty H2572 H376 of the Jews H3064 and rulers H5461 , beside those that came H935 unto H413 us from among H4480 the heathen H1471 that H834 are about H5439 us.
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18. Every day I prepared this much food for the people who ate at my table: one cow, six good sheep, and different kinds of birds. Every ten days all kinds of wine were brought to my table. Yet, I never demanded them to give me the food that was allowed for the governor. I knew that the work the people were doing was very hard.
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18. Now that which H834 was H1961 prepared H6213 for me daily H3117 H259 was one H259 ox H7794 and six H8337 choice H1305 sheep H6629 ; also fowls H6833 were prepared H6213 for me , and once H996 in ten H6235 days H3117 store H7235 of all H3605 sorts of wine H3196 : yet for all H5973 this H2088 required H1245 not H3808 I the bread H3899 of the governor H6346 , because H3588 the bondage H5656 was heavy H3513 upon H5921 this H2088 people H5971 .
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19. God, remember all the good I have done for these people.
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19. Think H2142 upon me , my God H430 , for good H2896 , according to all H3605 that H834 I have done H6213 for H5921 this H2088 people H5971 .
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