Nehemiah 5:1-19 Complaints About Inadequate Food & Taxation

Complaints About Inadequate Food & Taxation

Nehemiah 5:1-19          The Book of Nehemiah in [Smaller Chunks]

There was a great [outcry] of the people & their wives against their brethren, the Jews. For there were [those who] said, We, our: sons & daughters, are many. Therefore, we take corn, [a.k.a. grain,] up for them, [so] that we may eat, & live.

Also, some there said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, & houses, [so] that we might buy [grain,] because of the [famine.] There were [others, who] also said, We have borrowed money [to pay] the king’s tribute, [a.k.a.tax,] on our lands, & vineyards.

[Still], our flesh is now [just] [like] the flesh of our brethren, [a.k.a. fellow Jews,] & our children [like] their children. And, [look,] we bring our sons & our daughters into bondage, [a.k.a. indentured servitude,] to be servants. And some of our daughters were brought into bondage, [a.k.a. indentured servitude,] already.

[Leviticus 25:38-42 I am the Lord your God, [Who] brought you forth, out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, & to be your God. And if your brother, [who] dwells [near] you [grows] poor, & [is] sold to you; you shall not compel him to serve as a bond servant.

But [he should serve] [like] an hired servant, & [like a foreigner.] He shall be with you, & shall serve you [until] until the year of Jubilee. And then, he shall depart from you, both he, & his children with him, & shall return to his own family. And he shall return to the possession of his [forefathers.] For they are My servants, [that] I brought forth, out of the land of Egypt: & they shall not be sold as bondmen.]

Neither is it within our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands,y & vineyards.

[Leviticus 25:48-50 After he is sold, he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him, or any [who] are [close relatives] of his family, may redeem him; or if he is able, he may redeem himself.

And he shall [calculate] with [the person who] bought him, from the year that he was sold to him, [until] the year of Jubilee. And the price of his sale shall be according to the number of years, it shall be [for] him, according to the time of a hired servant.]

And I was very angry when I heard their [outcry,] & these words. Then, I [talked within] myself, & I [warned] the nobles, & the rulers, & said to them, Everyone of you [force the payment of interest from] his brother. And I [put] a great assembly against them. [Exodus 22:25 If you lend money to any of My people [who] are poor [that are] [near] you, you shall not be a [creditor] to him, & neither shall you [charge] him [interest.]

And I said to them, We have redeemed our brethren, the Jews, [who] were sold to the heathen, [according to] our ability,

And will you even sell your brethren, [a.k.a. relatives?] Or shall they be sold to us? Then, they held their peace, & found nothing to answer. Also, I said, It isn’t good that you do [this.] [Shouldn’t] you walk, [a.k.a. follow,] in fear, [a.k.a. respect, for] our God, because of the [ridicule] of the heathen, our enemies?

[In the same way,] my brethren, my servants, & I, might [force] them [to pay] money, & [grain.] I pray [that] you [stop charging this interest.] I pray [that] you restore to them: their lands, their vineyards, their olive [groves,] & their houses, this day, & also the 1/100th [portion] of the money, & of the [grain,] wine, & oil, that you [forced] them [to pay.]

Then, they said, We will restore them, & will require nothing [from] them. So we will do as you [say.] Then, I called the priests, & took an oath [from] them, that they should do according to this promise.

Also, I shook my lap, & said, [Like this,] God [shall also] shake every man out from his house, & from his [work, who doesn’t carry out] this promise. Even, [like this] he [shall] be shaken out, & emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, & praised the Lord. And the people did according to this promise.

[Also,] from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the 20th year, even to the 32nd year of king Artaxerxes. That is 12 years, [that] my brethren, & I haven’t eaten the bread of the governor.

But the [previous] governors [who] had been before me, were [responsible] to the people, & had taken [from] them: bread, & wine, [in addition to] 40 shekels of silver. [Yes,] even their servants [were in control] over the people: but I didn’t [do] so, because of the fear, [a.k.a. respect,] of God.

[Yes,] my servants, & I, also continued in the work of this wall. Neither [did] we [buy] any land, [because] all my servants were gathered [there for] the work. [Also,] there were at my table: 150 of the Jews, & rulers, [in addition to] those [who] came to us from among the heathen [who] are [around] us.

Now, [what] was prepared for me daily was: 1 ox, 6 choice sheep, & also [game birds] were prepared for me, once [every] 10 days, & all [types] of wine. [Still] I [didn’t require] the bread [from] the governor, because the [burden of] bondage on [these] people was heavy. My God, think on me for good, according to all that I have done for this people.