LIVING FOR THE GLORY OF GOD
Key verse: 9
NIV
Nehemiah Helps the Poor
5 Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. 2 Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.”
3 Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields,(A) our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.”(B)
4 Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax(C) on our fields and vineyards. 5 Although we are of the same flesh and blood(D) as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery.(E) Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”(F)
6 When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!”(G) So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8 and said: “As far as possible, we have bought(H) back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.(I)
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(J) of our Gentile enemies? 10 I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest!(K) 11 Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest(L) you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”
12 “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”
Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath(M) to do what they had promised. 13 I also shook(N) out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!”
At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,”(O) and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
Cross references
- Nehemiah 5:3 : Ps 109:11
- Nehemiah 5:3 : Ge 47:23
- Nehemiah 5:4 : S Ezr 4:13
- Nehemiah 5:5 : S Ge 29:14
- Nehemiah 5:5 : Lev 25:39-43, 47; S 2Ki 4:1; Isa 50:1
- Nehemiah 5:5 : Dt 15:7-11; S 2Ki 4:1
- Nehemiah 5:7 : Ex 22:25-27; S Lev 25:35-37; Dt 23:19-20; 24:10-13
- Nehemiah 5:8 : Lev 25:47
- Nehemiah 5:8 : Jer 34:8
- Nehemiah 5:9 : Isa 52:5
- Nehemiah 5:10 : S Ex 22:25
- Nehemiah 5:11 : Isa 58:6
- Nehemiah 5:12 : S Ezr 10:5
- Nehemiah 5:13 : S Mt 10:14
- Nehemiah 5:13 : Dt 27:15-26
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
Nehemiah Stops Oppression of the Poor
5 Now there arose (A)a great outcry of the people and of their wives (B)against their Jewish brothers. 2 For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.” 3 There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” 4 And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for (C)the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5 Now (D)our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet (E)we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.”
6 I was very angry when I heard (F)their outcry and these words. 7 I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, (G)“You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them 8 and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, (H)have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. 9 So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk (I)in the fear of our God (J)to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? 10 Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. 11 Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” 12 Then they said, “We will restore these and (K)require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and (L)made them swear (M)to do as they had promised. 13 (N)I also shook out the fold[a] of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” (O)And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Nehemiah 5:13 Hebrew bosom
Cross references
- Nehemiah 5:1 : [Ex. 3:9; Isa. 5:7]
- Nehemiah 5:1 : Lev. 25:35, 37; Deut. 15:7
- Nehemiah 5:4 : Ezra 4:13, 20; 7:24
- Nehemiah 5:5 : Isa. 58:7; [Gen. 29:14]
- Nehemiah 5:5 : [Ex. 21:7; Lev. 25:39; 2 Kgs. 4:1]
- Nehemiah 5:6 : [See ver. 1 above]; [Ex. 3:9; Isa. 5:7]
- Nehemiah 5:7 : [Ex. 22:25; Lev. 25:36; Ps. 15:5; Ezek. 22:12]
- Nehemiah 5:8 : Lev. 25:48, 49
- Nehemiah 5:9 : Lev. 25:36
- Nehemiah 5:9 : ch. 4:4; [2 Sam. 12:14]
- Nehemiah 5:12 : [ch. 10:31]
- Nehemiah 5:12 : Ezra 10:5
- Nehemiah 5:12 : [Jer. 34:8, 9]
- Nehemiah 5:13 : [Acts 18:6]
- Nehemiah 5:13 : ch. 8:6; [Deut. 27:15]; 1 Chr. 16:36; Ps. 106:48
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” This is a life that honors God. When we love our brothers and sisters as Christ has loved us, it is a testimony to the whole world that we are God’s people. This has always been true. Many of the Jews in Nehemiah’s day were suffering due to a famine and they did not have enough grain to feed their families. They mortgaged their properties to pay the king’s tax and sometimes had no choice but to sell their own children into slavery. The rich were making a profit from the plight of the poor by charging them interest and making their situation even more difficult. Nehemiah confronted the nobles and officials and declared “What you are doing is not right.” They were not honoring God.
Nehemiah called the nobles and officials to repent by returning all the property and interest they had taken from the poor and they agreed to do it. To hold them accountable, Nehemiah made the nobles and officials swear before the priests that they would keep their promises and pronounced a curse before God if they didn’t do it. He wanted them to live before God and for the glory of God. The nobles and officials did what they promised and praised God. Repentance leads to joy.
Prayer: Lord, help us to love one another.
One Word: Walk in the fear of our God
