1And the cry of the people and their women became great toward their brothers the Jews.2And there were those who said, "Our sons and our daughters are many; so let us take grain and eat and live."3And there were those who said, "We are pledging our fields and our vineyards and our houses, so let us take grain in the famine."4And there were those who said, "We borrowed silver for the tribute of the king on our fields and our vineyards."5And now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our flesh like the flesh of their sons and our sons; and behold, we are subduing our sons and our daughters to servants, and some of our daughters are subdued, and there is no power in our hand, and our fields and our vineyards belong to others.6And it burned greatly within me when I heard their outcry and these words.7And my heart counseled itself, and I contended with the nobles and with the rulers, and I said to them, "You lend at interest, each man to his brother," and I placed a great assembly upon them.8And I said to them, "We have bought our brothers the Jews who were sold to the nations according to our ability, and you also will sell your brothers so that they may be sold to us," and they were silent and found no word.9And I said, "The word that you are doing is not good. Will you not walk in the fear of our God away from the reproach of the nations our enemies?"10And I also, my brothers and my youths, lend them silver and grain. Please leave this interest.11Return to them this day their fields, their vineyards, their olive trees, and their houses, and the hundred pieces of silver and the grain, the new wine, and the oil that you are lending to them.12And they said, "We will return them and will not seek repayment from them; thus we will do as you say," and I called the priests and made them swear to do according to this word.13Also I shook out my bosom and said, "Thus may God shake out every man who does not uphold this word from his house and from his toil, and thus may he be shaken out and empty." And all the assembly said, "Amen," and they praised the LORD, and the people did according to this word.14Also from the day when he commanded me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food of the governor.15And the former governors who were before me burdened the people and took from them food and wine worth forty silver shekels afterward; their youths also domineered over the people, but I did not do so because of the fear of God.16And I also strengthened myself in the work of this wall, and I did not buy land, and all my youths were gathered there for the work.17And the Jews and the rulers, one hundred and fifty men, together with those who came to us from the nations around us, were at my table.18And what was prepared each day was one ox and six choice sheep, and birds were prepared for me, and every ten days wine of every kind in abundance; yet for this food of the governor I did not make request, because the service was heavy upon this people.19Remember for me, my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.