6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words 7 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 8 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 9 Also I said It is not good that ye do ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies 10 I likewise and my brethren and my servants might exact of them money and corn I pray you let us leave off this usury 11 Restore I pray you to them even this day their lands their vineyards their oliveyards and their houses also the hundredth part of the money and of the corn the wine and the oil that ye exact of them 12 Then said they We will restore them and will require nothing of them so will we do as thou sayest Then I called the priests and took an oath of them that they should do according to this promise 13 Also I shook my lap and said So God shake out every man from his house and from his labour that performeth not this promise even thus be he shaken out and emptied And all the congregation said Amen and praised the LORD And the people did according to this promise
14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king that is twelve __ years I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor 15 But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people and had taken of them bread and wine beside forty shekels of silver yea even their servants bare rule over the people but so did not I because of the fear of God 16 Yea also I continued in the work of this wall neither bought we any land and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work 17 Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty __ of the Jews and rulers beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us 18 Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep also fowls were prepared for me and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor because the bondage was heavy upon this people 19 Think upon me my God for good according to all that I have done for this people
