Nehemiah 5:7
5 We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
6 When I heard their outcry and these complaints, I became extremely angry,
and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them
8 and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say.
9 So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies?
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them
- KJV
- Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
- WEB
- Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, “You exact usury, everyone of his brother.” I held a great assembly against them.
- ASV
- Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I held a great assembly against them.
- DARBY
- And I consulted with myself; and I remonstrated with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother! And I set a great assembly against them.
- BLB
- And my heart reigned over me, and I rebuked the nobles and the prefects and said to them, “You⁺ are exacting usury on one another.” And I called a great assembly against them,
- ÅB
- Jeg overveide saken med meg selv, og så irettesatte jeg de fornemme og forstanderne og sa til dem: Dere krever rente av deres brødre! Så sammenkalte jeg et stort folkemøte mot dem.
- OTB
- Etter å ha vurdert saken, konfronterte jeg adelsmennene og embetsmennene og sa: “Dere krever renter av deres eget folk!” Så kalte jeg sammen en stor forsamling mot dem.
- B1930
- Jeg overveide saken med mig selv, og så irettesatte jeg de fornemme og forstanderne og sa til dem: I krever rente av eders brødre! Så sammenkalte jeg et stort folkemøte mot dem.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Leviticus 25:36
Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 23:19–20
Do not charge your brother interest on money, food, or any other type of loan.
Read in contextExodus 22:25
If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.
Read in contextEzekiel 22:12
In you they take bribes to shed blood. You engage in usury, take excess interest, and extort your neighbors. But Me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD.
Read in context2 Chronicles 19:6–7
Then he said to the judges, “Consider carefully what you do, for you are not judging for man, but for the LORD, who is with you when you render judgment.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 15:2–3
This is the manner of remission: Every creditor shall cancel what he has loaned to his neighbor. He is not to collect anything from his neighbor or brother, because the LORD’s time of release has been proclaimed.
Read in contextPsalms 15:5
who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
Read in contextLeviticus 19:15
You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.
Read in context