1 The people are oppreſſed and in neceſſitie 6 Nehemiáh remedieth it 14 He toke not the portion of others that had ruled before, leſt he ſhulde grieue the people.

1.NOw there was a great crye of the people, and of their wiues ^aagainſt their brethren the Iewes.

2.For there were that ſaid, We, our ſónes & our daughters are many, therefore we take vp ^bcorne, that we may eat and liue.

3.And there were that ſaid, We muſt gage our lands, & our vineyardes, & our houſes and take vp corne for the famine.

4.There were alſo that ſaid, We haue borowed money for the Kings ^ctribute vpon our lands and our vineyardes.

5.And now our fleſh is as ^dthe fleſh of our brethrẽ, & our ſonnes as their ſonnes: and lo, we bring into ſubiection our ſonnes, and our daughters, as ſeruãts, and there be of our daughters now in ſubiection, and there is no power ^ein our hands. for other mẽ haue our lãds & our vineyardes.

6.Then was I very angrie when I heard their crye and theſe wordes.

7.And I thoght in my minde, and I rebuked the princes, and the rulers, and ſaid vnto them, You laie ^fburdens euerie one vpon his brethren: and I ſet a great ^gaſſemblie againſt them,

8.And I ſaid vnto them, We (according to our abilitie) haue redemed our brethren the Iewes, which were ſolde vnto the heathen: and wil you ſell your brethren againe, or ſhal they be ^hſolde vnto vs? Then helde they their peace, and colde not anſwere.

9.ⁱI ſaid alſo, That which ye do, is not good. Oght ye not to walke in the feare of our God, for the ^kreproche of the heathen our enemies?

10.For euen I, my brethren, and my ſeruãts do lend them money & corne: I pray you, let vs leaue of this ^"burden.

11.Reſtore, I pray you, vnto them this day their lands, their vineyardes, their oliues, and their houſes, and remit the hundreth parte of the ſiluer and of the corne, of the wine, & of the oyle ^lthat ye exact of thẽ.

12.Then ſaid they, We wil reſtore it, and wil not require it of them: we wil do as thou haſt ſaid. Then I called the Prieſts, & cauſed them to ſweare, that they ſhulde do according to this promes.

13.So I ſhoke my lappe, & ſaid, So let God ſhake out euerie man that wil not performe this promes from his houſe, and from his labour: euen thus let him be ſhakẽ out, and emptied. And all the Congregacion ſaid, Amen, and praiſed the Lord. and the people did according to this promes.

14.And frõ the time that the King gaue me charge to be gouernour in the land of Iudáh from the twentieth yere, euẽ vnto the two and thirtieth yere of King Artahſháſhte, that is, twelue yere, I, and my brethrẽ haue not eatẽ the ^mbread of ý gouernour.

15.For the former gouernours that were before me, had bene chargeable vnto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beſides fourtie ſhekels of ſiluer: yea, and their ſeruantes bare rule ouer the people: but ſo did not I, becauſe of the feare of God.

16.But rather I fortified a porcion in the worke of this wall, and we boght no land, and all my ſeruants came thether together vnto the worke.

17.Moreouer there were at my table an hundreth and fiftie of the Iewes, and rulers, which came vnto vs from among the heathen that are about vs.

18.And there was prepared dayly an oxe, & ſix choſen ſhepe, & birdes were prepared for me, and ^"within ten dayes wine for all ⁿin abundance. Yet for all this I required not the bread of the gouernour: for the bondage was grieuous vnto this people.

19.Remember me, ô my God, in goodnes, according to all that I haue done for this people.

Nehemiah 5

Notes