1   And there was ^note a great crie of the people, and of their wiues against their brethren the Iewes.

2   And there were that said. Our sonnes and our daughters are verie manie: let vs take corne for the price of them, and let vs eate, and liue.

3   And there were that sayd: Let vs pledge our fieldes, and vineyardes, and our houses, and let vs take corne in famine.

4   And others sayd: Let vs borow money for the kings tributes, and let vs giue our fields and vineyardes,

5   and now as the flesh of our bretheren, so is our flesh: and as their children so also our children. behold we subdew our sonnes, and our daughters into bondage, and our daughters there are bondwemen, neither haue we wherewith they may be redemed, and our fieldes and our vineyardes other men doe possesse.

6   And I was exceding angrie, when I had heard their crie according to these wordes.

7   And my hart thought with my selfe: and I rebuked the princes and magistrates, and sayd to them: Do you euery one exact vsuries of your brethen? and I gathered against them a great assemblie,

8   and I sayd to them: We as you know, haue redemed our bretheren the

Nehemias. Iewes, that were sold to the gentiles, according to our abilitie: and wil you therfore sel your bretheren, and shal we redeme them? And they held their peace, neither did they find what to answer.

9   And I sayd to them: The thing is not good, which you doe: why walke you not in the feare of our God, lest we be vpbrayded with al the gentiles our enimies? ^note

10   I also and my bretheren, and my seruantes, haue lent money and corne to very manie: let vs not aske this againe in common, let vs remitte them the debt, that is dewe to vs.

11   Restore ye to them their fieldes this day, and their vineyards, and their oliuets, and their houses: yea the hundreth part also of money, corne, wine and oyle, which you were wont to exact of them, giue it rather for them.

12   And they sayd: We wil restore, and we wil secke nothing of them: and we wil do so as thou speakest. And I called the Priestes, and adiured them, to do according to that which I had sayd.

13   Moreouer I shooke my bosome, and sayd: God so shake euery man, that shal not accomplish this word, out of his house, and out of his labours, so be he shaken out, and made emptie. And al the multitude sayd: Amen. And they praysed God. And the people did as it was sayd.

14   And from that day, wherin the king commended me to the duke in the land of Iuda, from the twenteth yeare til the two & thirteth yeare of Artaxerxes the king for twelue yearees, I and my bretheren did not eate the yearly allowance, that was dewe to the dukes.

15   But the former dukes, that had bene before me, burdened the people, and tooke of them in bread, and wine, and money euery day fourtie sicles: yea and their officers oppressed the people. But I did not so for the feare of God.

16   Yea I builded rather in the worke of the wal, and field I bought not, and al my seruantes were gathered together to the worke.

17   Tke Iewes also and the magistrates an hundred fiftie men, and they that came to vs out of the nations, that were round about vs were at the table.

18   And there was prepared for me day by day one oxe, six chosen rammes, beside foules, and within ten dayes diuers wines, & many other things did I giue. Moreouer also the yearly allowance of my dukedome I sought not, for the people was very much empouerished.

19    ^noteRemember me my God to good, according to al things, which I haue done to this people

Nehemias.

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