1Kort efter begyndte nogle mænd og deres koner at klage over, at deres rige landsmænd udnyttede dem.2Nogle sagde: „Vi har ingen penge, så vi må give vores børn i pant for at få mad.”3Andre sagde: „Vi har pantsat vores marker, vingårde og huse for at kunne købe korn under hungersnøden.”4Andre igen sagde: „Vi har måttet belåne vores marker og vingårde for at kunne betale skat til kongen.”5„Hører vi ikke til samme folk?” protesterede de. „Er vores børn ikke lige så gode som deres? Det er uretfærdigt, at vi skal sælge vores børn som slaver for at kunne overleve. Vi har allerede solgt flere af vores døtre, og vi har ingen mulighed for at købe dem fri, for vores marker og vingårde tilhører pantelånerne.”6Da jeg hørte det, blev jeg vred,7og efter at have tænkt over sagen sagde jeg til de rige og fornemme: „Det er forkert af jer at tage pant og renter af jeres landsmænd, når I låner dem penge.” Så sammenkaldte jeg til et folkemøde og henvendte mig til de rige:8„Vi har gjort alt, hvad vi kunne, for at frikøbe vores landsmænd, der levede som slaver hos et fremmed folk,” sagde jeg. „Men nu gør I jeres egne landsmænd til slaver! Hvor mange gange skal vi købe dem fri?” Der var dødstille. Ingen vidste, hvad de skulle svare.9Så fortsatte jeg: „I kan ikke være bekendt at opføre jer på den måde! Har I slet ingen ærefrygt for Gud? Er det ikke nok, at vi har fjender, der udefra prøver at komme os til livs?10Jeg og mine folk har også lånt vores nødstedte landsmænd penge og korn, men uden at kræve renter. Hold op med at tage pant og renter.11Giv dem deres marker, vingårde, olivenlunde og huse tilbage og refunder dem, hvad I har taget i renter i form af penge, korn, vin og olie.”12„Vi vil gøre, som du siger,” svarede de. „Vi giver dem deres ejendom tilbage og holder op med at kræve renter.” I præsternes påhør fik jeg dem så til at sværge på, at de ville gøre, som de havde sagt.13Og mens jeg rystede min kappefold sagde jeg: „De som ikke holder, hvad de har lovet, vil Gud ryste ud fra deres hus og hjem.” „Amen!” råbte hele forsamlingen og takkede Gud. Så gik de i gang med at gøre deres ord til handling.14I den forbindelse skal det nævnes, at i alle de 12 år, jeg var guvernør over Juda—fra kong Artaxerxes’ 20. til hans 32. regeringsår—modtog hverken jeg selv eller mine embedsmænd nogen løn eller andre ydelser fra Israels folk.15Denne praksis stod i skærende kontrast til, hvad folket var vant til fra de tidligere guvernører, der havde udnyttet dem ved at kræve mad og vin foruden 40 sølvstykker om dagen. Desuden plejede embedsmændene også at udnytte folket. Men fordi jeg ønskede at adlyde Gud, brød jeg med den praksis.16I stedet koncentrerede jeg mig om arbejdet på muren og nægtede at skaffe mig fast ejendom. Og alle mine embedsmænd tog del i arbejdet på lige fod med andre.17Jeg forsørgede ellers 150 judæiske embedsmænd foruden fremmede, der kom på besøg.18Det daglige forbrug udgjorde en okse, seks førsteklasses får og et stort antal fjerkræ. Desuden købte jeg hver tiende dag en ny forsyning vin. Alligevel undlod jeg at afkræve folket den skat, jeg havde krav på, for de havde det svært nok i forvejen.19Min Gud, glem ikke, hvad jeg har gjort for dit folk, men velsign mig for det!
1Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. (2.Mos 3,9; 3.Mos 25,35; 3.Mos 25,37; 5.Mos 15,7; Es 5,7)2For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.”3There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.”4And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. (Ez 4,13; Ez 4,20; Ez 7,24)5Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.” (1.Mos 29,14; 2.Mos 21,7; 3.Mos 25,39; 2.Kong 4,1; Es 58,7)6I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. (Neh 5,1)7I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them (2.Mos 22,25; 3.Mos 25,36; Salm 15,5; Ez 22,12)8and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. (3.Mos 25,48)9So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? (3.Mos 25,36; 2.Sam 12,14; Neh 4,4)10Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest.11Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.”12Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised. (Ez 10,5; Neh 10,31; Jer 34,8)13I also shook out the fold[1] of my garment 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 as they had promised. (5.Mos 27,15; 1.Krøn 16,36; Neh 8,6; Salm 106,48; Ap G 18,6)
Nehemiah’s Generosity
14Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. (Neh 2,1; Neh 13,6; 2.Thess 3,8)15The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration[2] forty shekels[3] of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. (Neh 5,9)16I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.17Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. (2.Sam 9,7; 2.Sam 9,10; 1.Kong 18,19)18Now what was prepared at my expense[4] for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. (1.Kong 4,22; Neh 5,14)19Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people. (Neh 13,14; Neh 13,22; Neh 13,31)