Nehemiah 5:8
6 When I heard their outcry and these complaints, I became extremely angry,
7 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
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?
10 I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending the people money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- 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.
- KJV
- And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.
- WEB
- I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say.
- ASV
- And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, that were sold unto the nations; and would ye even sell your brethren, and should they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found never a word.
- DARBY
- And I said to them, We, according to our ability, have redeemed our brethren the Jews, who were sold to the nations; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? And they were silent and found no answer.
- BLB
- and I said to them, “We have redeemed our brothers the Jews, who were sold to the nations, according to our ability. And you⁺ indeed are selling your⁺ brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” And they were silenced, and they found not a word.
- ÅB
- Og jeg sa til dem: Vi har, så vidt vi kunne, løskjøpt våre jødiske brødre som var solgt til hedningene, og så vil dere selge deres brødre, og de må selge seg til oss! Da tidde de og fant ikke et ord til svar.
- OTB
- Jeg sa til dem: “Så langt det er mulig, har vi løskjøpt våre jødiske brødre som ble solgt til hedningene. Nå selger dere deres egne brødre, bare for at de skal bli solgt tilbake til oss!” De forble tause, ute av stand til å finne et svar.
- B1930
- Og jeg sa til dem: Vi har, så vidt vi kunde, løskjøpt våre jødiske brødre som var solgt til hedningene, og så vil I selge eders brødre, og de må selge sig til oss! Da tidde de og fant ikke et ord til svar.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Leviticus 25:47–49
If a foreigner residing among you prospers, but your countryman dwelling near him becomes destitute and sells himself to the foreigner or to a member of his clan,
Read in contextDeuteronomy 24:7
If a man is caught kidnapping one of his Israelite brothers, whether he treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. So you must purge the evil from among you.
Read in contextMatthew 25:15
To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey.
Read in context2 Corinthians 8:12
For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
Read in context1 Corinthians 8:11
So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.
Read in contextRomans 3:19
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
Read in contextExodus 21:16
Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession.
Read in contextMatthew 25:29
For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
Read in context