1 And there arose a great outcry {tsa‘aqat: communal complaint} of the people and their wives against their brothers {ach: kinship bond}, the Jews.
2 And there were those saying, “Our sons and our daughters—we are many {rabbim: numerous group}—let us take grain {dagan: staple harvest} so that we may eat and live.”
3 And there were some who said, “We are mortgaging {orvim: pledging property} our fields, our vineyards, and our houses so that we might get grain in the famine {ra'av: severe scarcity}.”
4 And there are those who say, “We have borrowed {lavinu: incurred debt} money for the king’s tax {midad: official assessment} on our fields and our vineyards.”
5 And now, our flesh {basar: physical kinship} is like the flesh of our brothers, and behold, we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved. And there is not in the power {yadenu: ability} of our hand to redeem them, and our fields and our vineyards are for others.
6 I became very {me’od: intensely} angry when I heard their outcry {za’akah: desperate appeal} and these words.
7 Then my heart took counsel within me, and I contended {va’arivah: entered into dispute} with the nobles {hachorim: aristocratic councilors} and the officials; I said to them, “You are exacting interest from your brother.” Then I convened a great assembly against them.
8 And I said to them, “We, as far as we were able {kedei: extent marker}, have redeemed our fellow Jews who were sold to the nations; will you now sell your own brothers to be sold to us?” And they kept silent and found nothing to say {davar: verbal reply}.
9 And I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God {Eloheinu, Revered Authority} to avoid the reproach of the nations {goyim: surrounding peoples}, our enemies?”
10 I, my brothers, and my young men are also lending {noshim: acting as creditors} them silver and grain; let us now abandon this burden {masha: oppressive loan} and leave off this usury.
11 Return, please, to them as of today {kehayom: on this date} their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, and the hundredth part {umeat: one-percent portion} of the silver, the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil which you are exacting from them.
12 They said, “We will restore {nashiv: give back what was taken}, and we will not seek anything from them; so we will do as you say.” Then I called the priests and made them swear {ashbi’em: take a solemn oath} to do according to this word.
13 Also, I shook out the fold of my garment and said, “Thus may God {Elohim, Righteous Repayer} shake out every person who does not uphold this word from his house and from his labor, and thus may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD {YHWH, Covenant-Keeper}. And the people did according to this word.
14 Also, from the day when he appointed me governor {pecham: provincial administrator} in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king—a span of twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food {lechem: official provision} of the governor.
15 But the former governors {hapakhot: provincial governors} who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine, besides forty silver shekels. Their servants also exerted authority over the people. But I did not do so because of the fear of God {Elohim, Revered Judge}.
16 And also, I devoted myself to this work {meleket: construction task} of the wall, and we did not acquire any field {sadeh: agricultural allotment}; and all my young men were assembled there for the work.
17 And the Jews and the officials {sganim: administrative leaders}, one hundred and fifty men, and those who came to us from the surrounding nations, were at my table {shulchani: leaders’ bench}.
18 And what was prepared for one day was one ox, six choice sheep {tson: includes sheep or goats}, and birds were prepared for me, and every ten days wine of every kind in abundance; yet with this the food of the governor {pechah: Persian-appointed provincial official} I did not request, because the labor was heavy upon this people.
19 Remember me, my God {Elohai, Personal Advocate}, for good {le-tovah: divine favor}, for all that I have done for this people.