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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>Nehemiah 5 ISV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/nehemiah/5.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/nehemiah/5-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">ISV</a> > Nehemiah 5</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../nehemiah/4.htm" title="Nehemiah 4">◄</a> Nehemiah 5 <a href="../nehemiah/6.htm" title="Nehemiah 6">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">International Standard Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/isv/esv/nehemiah/5.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="heading">Settling Some Civil Disputes</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Now the people along with their spouses complained loudly against their fellow<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="5:1 i.e. wealthy">a</a></span> Jews, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>because certain of them kept claiming, “Since we have so many sons and daughters, we must get some grain so we can eat and survive.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>Others were saying, “We’re having to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes so we can buy grain during this famine.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>Still others were saying “We’ve borrowed money against our fields and vineyards to pay the king’s taxes. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>Now 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.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>I became very livid when I heard their complaining and these charges. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>So 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.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>I 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.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>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? <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>I’m also lending money and grain, as are my fellow-Jews and my servants, but let’s not charge interest. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>So today please restore to them their fields, vineyards, olive orchards, and homes, along with the one percent interest charge<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="5:11 Lit. the one hundredth part">b</a></span> that you’ve assessed them on the grain, wine, and oil.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>They responded, “We will restore these things,<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="5:12 The Heb. lacks these things">c</a></span> and will assess no interest charges<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="5:12 Lit. will require nothing">d</a></span> against them. We will do what you are requesting!”</p> <p class="reg">So I called the priests and made them take an oath to fulfill this promise. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>I also shook my robes,<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="5:13 Lit. lap">e</a></span> 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.”</p> <p class="reg">All the assembly said, “Amen!” and praised the LORD. And the people kept their promise.</p> <p class="heading">Nehemiah Refuses the Governor’s Allotment</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>In 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<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="5:14 Lit. have eaten the bread">f</a></span> allotted to the governor. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>Nevertheless, the former governors before me placed a heavy burden on the people. They received food and wine, plus a tax of<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="5:15 The Heb. lacks a tax of">g</a></span> 40 shekels<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="5:15 i.e. about a pound; a shekel weighed about 0.4 ounces">h</a></span> of silver. Even their young men took advantage of the people, but I never did so because I feared God.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>Also, as I continued to work on the wall, we purchased no land, and all of my young men were employed in the work. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>I fed 150 Jews and officials every day, not counting those who came from the nations around us. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>Our 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,<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="5:18 Lit. bread">i</a></span> because demands on the people were heavy.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/nehemiah/5-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>“Remember me with favor, my God, for everything I’ve done for this people.”</p><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><A name="ftn"></a><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="fn1"><span class="fnb">a</span> 5:1 i.e. wealthy<br /><span class="fnb">b</span> 5:11 Lit. <i>the one hundredth part</i><br /><span class="fnb">c</span> 5:12 The Heb. lacks <i>these things</i><br /><span class="fnb">d</span> 5:12 Lit. <i>will require nothing</i><br /><span class="fnb">e</span> 5:13 Lit. <i>lap</i><br /><span class="fnb">f</span> 5:14 Lit. <i>have eaten the bread</i><br /><span class="fnb">g</span> 5:15 The Heb. lacks <i>a tax of</i><br /><span class="fnb">h</span> 5:15 i.e. about a pound; a shekel weighed about 0.4 ounces<br /><span class="fnb">i</span> 5:18 Lit. <i>bread</i><br /></span><br><br><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><div align="center"><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1<br />Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation<br />ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a></div></div></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../nehemiah/4.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Nehemiah 4"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Nehemiah 4" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../nehemiah/6.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Nehemiah 6"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Nehemiah 6" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="rightbox"><div class="padright"><div id="pic"><iframe width="100%" height="860" scrolling="no" src="//biblescan.com/mpc/nehemiah/5-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div></div><div id="rightbox4"><div class="padright2"><div id="spons1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="sp1"><iframe width="122" height="860" scrolling="no" src="../sidemenu.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="bot"><div align="center" style="background-color:#F2FAFF"><br /><br /><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>  <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="6710025936" data-ad-format="auto"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script></td></tr></table><br /><br /><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>  <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="6710025936" data-ad-format="auto"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script></td></tr></table></div><br /><br /> </div><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="//biblehu.com/botmenubhnm2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe><div align="center"><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span></div></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>