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Nehemiah 5-6
New English Translation

Nehemiah Intervenes on behalf of the Oppressed

5 Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.[a] 2 There were those who said, “With our sons and daughters, we are many. We must obtain[b] grain in order to eat and stay alive.” 3 There were others who said, “We are putting up our fields, our vineyards, and our houses as collateral in order to obtain grain during the famine.” 4 Then there were those who said, “We have borrowed money to pay our taxes to the king[c] on our fields and our vineyards. 5 And now, though we share the same flesh and blood as our fellow countrymen[d] and our children are just like their children,[e] still we have found it necessary to subject our sons and daughters to slavery.[f] Some of our daughters have been subjected to slavery, while we are powerless to help,[g] since our fields and vineyards now belong to other people.”[h]

6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints.[i] 7 I considered these things carefully[j] and then registered a complaint with the wealthy[k] and the officials. I said to them, “Each one of you is seizing the collateral[l] from your own countrymen!”[m] Because of them I called for[n] a great public assembly. 8 I said to them, “To the extent possible we have bought back our fellow Jews[o] who had been sold to the Gentiles. But now you yourselves want to sell your own countrymen,[p] so that we can then buy them back!” They were utterly silent, and could find nothing to say.

9 Then I[q] said, “The thing that you are doing is wrong![r] Should you not conduct yourselves[s] in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies? 10 Even I and my relatives[t] and my associates[u] are lending them money and grain. But let us abandon this practice of seizing collateral![v] 11 This very day return to them their fields, their vineyards, their olive trees, and their houses, along with the interest[w] that you are exacting from them on the money, the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil.”

12 They replied, “We will return these things,[x] and we will no longer demand anything from them. We will do just as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the wealthy and the officials[y] swear to do what had been promised.[z] 13 I also shook out my garment,[aa] and I said, “In this way may God shake out from his house and his property every person who does not carry out[ab] this matter. In this way may he be shaken out and emptied!” All the assembly replied, “So be it!” and they praised the Lord. Then the people did as they had promised.[ac]

14 From the day that I was appointed[ad] governor[ae] in the land of Judah, that is, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes—twelve years in all—neither I nor my relatives[af] ate the food allotted to the governor.[ag] 15 But the former governors who preceded me had burdened the people and had taken food and wine from them, in addition to[ah] forty shekels of silver. Their associates were also domineering over the people. But I did not behave in this way, due to my fear of God. 16 I gave myself to the work on this wall, without even purchasing[ai] a field. All my associates were gathered there for the work.

17 There were 150 Jews and officials who dined with me routinely,[aj] in addition to those who came to us from the nations[ak] all around us. 18 Every day one ox, six select sheep, and some birds were prepared for me, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Despite all this I did not require the food allotted to the governor, for the work was demanding on this people.

19 Please remember me for good, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.

Opposition to the Rebuilding Efforts Continues

6 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and no breach remained in it (even though up to that time I had not positioned doors in the gates), 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent word to me saying, “Come on! Let’s set up a time to meet together at Kephirim[al] in the plain of Ono.” Now they intended to do me harm.

3 So I sent messengers to them saying, “I am engaged in[am] an important work, and I am unable to come down. Why should the work come to a halt when I leave it to come down to you?” 4 They contacted[an] me four times in this way, and I responded the same way each time.[ao]

5 The fifth time that Sanballat sent his assistant to me in this way, he had an open letter in his hand. 6 Written in it were the following words:

“Among the nations it is rumored[ap] (and Geshem[aq] has substantiated[ar] this) that you and the Jews have intentions of revolting, and for this reason you are building the wall. Furthermore, according to these rumors[as] you are going to become their king. 7 You have also established prophets to announce[at] in Jerusalem on your behalf, ‘We have a king in Judah!’ Now the king is going to hear about these rumors. So come on, let’s talk about this.”[au]

8 I sent word back to him, “We are not engaged in these activities you are describing.[av] All of this is a figment of your imagination.”[aw]

9 All of them were wanting[ax] to scare us, supposing, “Their hands will grow slack from the work, and it won’t get done.”

So now, strengthen my hands![ay]

10 Then I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel. He was confined to his home.[az] He said, “Let’s set up a time to meet in the house of God, within the temple. Let’s close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. It will surely be at night that they will come to kill you.”

11 But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Would someone like me flee to the temple in order to save his life?[ba] I will not go!” 12 I recognized the fact that God had not sent him, for he had spoken the prophecy against me as a hired agent of Tobiah and Sanballat.[bb] 13 He had been hired to scare me so that I would do this and thereby sin. They would thus bring reproach on me and I[bc] would be discredited.[bd]

14 Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat in light of these actions of theirs—also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who have been trying to scare me!

The Rebuilding of the Wall Is Finally Completed

15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of Elul,[be] in just fifty-two days. 16 When all our enemies heard and all the nations who were around us saw[bf] this, they were greatly disheartened.[bg] They knew that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.

17 In those days the aristocrats of Judah repeatedly sent letters to Tobiah, and responses from Tobiah were repeatedly coming to them. 18 For many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him,[bh] because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah. His son Jonathan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. 19 They were telling me about his good deeds and then taking back to him the things I said.[bi] Tobiah, on the other hand, sent letters in order to scare[bj] me.

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 5:1 tn Heb “their brothers the Jews.”
  2. Nehemiah 5:2 tn Heb “take” (so also in v. 3).
  3. Nehemiah 5:4 tn Heb “for the tax of the king.”
  4. Nehemiah 5:5 tn Heb “according to the flesh of our brothers is our flesh.”
  5. Nehemiah 5:5 tn Heb “like their children, our children.”
  6. Nehemiah 5:5 tn Heb “to become slaves” (also later in this verse).
  7. Nehemiah 5:5 tn Heb “there is not power for our hand.” The Hebrew expression used here is rather difficult.
  8. Nehemiah 5:5 sn The poor among the returned exiles were being exploited by their rich countrymen. Moneylenders were loaning large amounts of money, and not only collecting interest on loans which was illegal (Lev 25:36-37; Deut 23:19-20), but also seizing pledges as collateral (Neh 5:3) which was allowed (Deut 24:10). When the debtors missed a payment, the moneylenders would seize their collateral: their fields, vineyards and homes. With no other means of income, the debtors were forced to sell their children into slavery, a common practice at this time (Neh 5:5). Nehemiah himself was one of the moneylenders (Neh 5:10), but he insisted that seizure of collateral from fellow Jewish countrymen was ethically wrong (Neh 5:9).
  9. Nehemiah 5:6 tn Heb “words.”
  10. Nehemiah 5:7 tn Heb “my heart was advised upon me.”
  11. Nehemiah 5:7 tn Heb “nobles.”
  12. Nehemiah 5:7 tn Heb “taking a creditor’s debt.” The Hebrew noun מַשָּׁא (mashaʾ) means “interest; debt” and probably refers to the collateral (pledge) collected by a creditor (HALOT 641-42 s.v.). This particular noun form appears only in Nehemiah (5:7, 10; 10:32); however, it is related to מַשָּׁאָה (mashaʾah, “contractual loan; debt; collateral”) which appears elsewhere (Deut 24:10; Prov 22:26; cf. Neh 5:11). See the note on the word “people” at the end of v. 5. The BHS editors suggest emending the MT to מָשָׂא (masaʾ, “burden”), following several medieval Hebrew mss; however, the result is not entirely clear: “you are bearing a burden, a man with his brothers.”
  13. Nehemiah 5:7 tn Heb “his brothers.”
  14. Nehemiah 5:7 tn Heb “I gave.”
  15. Nehemiah 5:8 tn Heb “our brothers, the Jews.”
  16. Nehemiah 5:8 tn Heb “your brothers.”
  17. Nehemiah 5:9 tc The translation reads with the Qere and the ancient versions וָאוֹמַר (vaʾomar, “and I said”) rather than the MT Kethib, וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyoʾmer, “and he said”).
  18. Nehemiah 5:9 tn Heb “not good.” The statement “The thing…is not good” is an example of tapeinosis, a figurative expression which emphasizes the intended point (“The thing…is wrong!”) by negating its opposite.
  19. Nehemiah 5:9 tn Heb “[should you not] walk.”
  20. Nehemiah 5:10 tn Heb “brothers.”
  21. Nehemiah 5:10 tn Heb “servants.”
  22. Nehemiah 5:10 tn Heb “this debt.” This expression is a metonymy of association: “debt” refers to the seizure of the collateral of the debt.
  23. Nehemiah 5:11 tc The MT reads וּמְאַת (umeʾat, “and the hundredth”) which is somewhat enigmatic. The BHS editors suggest emending to וּמַשַּׁאת (umashaʾt, “and the debt”) which refers to the interest or collateral (pledge) seized by a creditor (Deut 24:10; Prov 22:26; see HALOT 641-42 s.v. מַשָּׁא). The term מַשַּׁאת (mashaʾt) is related to the noun מָשָּׁא (mashaʾ, “debt”) in 5:7, 10.
  24. Nehemiah 5:12 tn The words “these things” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  25. Nehemiah 5:12 tn Heb “took an oath from them”; the referents (the wealthy and the officials, cf. v. 7) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
  26. Nehemiah 5:12 tn Heb “according to this word.”
  27. Nehemiah 5:13 tn Heb “my bosom.”
  28. Nehemiah 5:13 tn Heb “cause to stand.”
  29. Nehemiah 5:13 tn Heb “according to this word.”
  30. Nehemiah 5:14 tc The BHS editors suggest reading צֻוֵּאתִי (tsuvveʾti, “and I was appointed”) rather than the reading of the MT, אֹתִי צִוָּה (tsivvah ʾoti, “he appointed me”).
  31. Nehemiah 5:14 tc The translation reads with one medieval Hebrew ms פֶּחָה (pekhah, “governor”) rather than פֶּחָם (pekham, “their governor”) of the MT. One would expect the form with pronominal suffix to have a tav (ת) before the suffix.
  32. Nehemiah 5:14 tn Heb “brothers.”
  33. Nehemiah 5:14 tn Heb “the food of the governor.” Cf. v. 18.
  34. Nehemiah 5:15 tc The Hebrew term אַחַר (ʾakhar) is difficult here. It normally means “after,” but that makes no sense here. Some scholars emend it to אַחַד (ʾakhad) and supply the word “day,” which yields the sense “daily.” Cf. TEV “40 silver coins a day for food and wine.”
  35. Nehemiah 5:16 tn Heb “we did not purchase.”
  36. Nehemiah 5:17 tn Heb “officials at my table.”
  37. Nehemiah 5:17 tn Or “from the Gentiles.” The same Hebrew word can refer to “the Gentiles” or “the nations.” Cf. the phrase in 6:16.
  38. Nehemiah 6:2 tn It is not entirely clear whether the Hebrew word כְּפִירִים (kefirim) is a place-name not mentioned elsewhere in the OT (as indicated in the present translation; so also NAB, NASB) or whether it means “in [one of] the villages” (so, e.g., NIV, NRSV, NLT; see BDB 499 s.v.; HALOT 493 s.v.). The LXX and Vulgate understand it in the latter sense. Some scholars connect this term with the identically spelled word כפירים (“lions”) as a figurative description of princes or warriors (e.g., Pss 34:11; 35:17; 58:7; Jer 2:15; Ezek 32:2, 13; Nah 2:14 HT [2:13 ET]; see HALOT 493 s.v. כְּפִיר): “let us meet together with the leaders in the plain of Ono.”
  39. Nehemiah 6:3 tn Heb “[am] doing.”
  40. Nehemiah 6:4 tn Heb “sent to.”
  41. Nehemiah 6:4 tn Heb “and I answered them according to this word.”
  42. Nehemiah 6:6 tn Heb “heard.”
  43. Nehemiah 6:6 tn Heb “Gashmu”; in Neh 2:19 this name appears as Geshem. Since it is important for the modern reader to recognize that this is the same individual, the form of the name used here in the translation is the same as that in v. 19.
  44. Nehemiah 6:6 tn Heb “is saying.”
  45. Nehemiah 6:6 tn Heb “words.” So also in v. 7.
  46. Nehemiah 6:7 tn Heb “call.”
  47. Nehemiah 6:7 tn Heb “Let us consult together.”
  48. Nehemiah 6:8 tn Heb “We are not according to these matters that you are saying.”
  49. Nehemiah 6:8 tn Heb “For from your heart you are inventing them.”
  50. Nehemiah 6:9 tn The participle has a desiderative nuance here, describing the desire of the subject and not necessarily the actual outcome. See also v. 14.
  51. Nehemiah 6:9 tn The statement “So now, strengthen my hands” is frequently understood as an implied prayer, but is taken differently by NAB (“But instead, I now redoubled my efforts”).
  52. Nehemiah 6:10 tn Heb “shut in.” The reason for his confinement is not stated. BDB 783 s.v. עָצַר suggests that it had to do with the fulfillment of a vow or was related to an issue of ceremonial uncleanness.
  53. Nehemiah 6:11 tn Heb “go into the temple and live.”
  54. Nehemiah 6:12 tn Heb “and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.”
  55. Nehemiah 6:13 tc The translation reads לִי (li, “to me”) rather than the MT reading לָהֶם (lahem, “to them”).
  56. Nehemiah 6:13 tn Heb “would have a bad name.”
  57. Nehemiah 6:15 sn Elul was the sixth month, or August-September by modern reckoning.
  58. Nehemiah 6:16 tc The MT understands the root here to be יָרֵא (yareʾ, “to fear”) rather than רָאָה (raʾah, “to see”).
  59. Nehemiah 6:16 tn Heb “they greatly fell [i.e., were cast down] in their own eyes.” Some scholars suggest emending the reading of the MT, וַיִּפְּלוּ (vayyipelu) to וַיִּפָּלֵא (vayyippaleʾ, “it was very extraordinary in their eyes”).
  60. Nehemiah 6:18 tn Heb “were lords of oath.”
  61. Nehemiah 6:19 tn Heb “my words.”
  62. Nehemiah 6:19 tn Or “to intimidate” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT).
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Nehemiah 5-6
New International Version

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.

14 Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,(P) when I was appointed to be their governor(Q) in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. 15 But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels[a] of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God(R) I did not act like that. 16 Instead,(S) I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we[b] did not acquire any land.

17 Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. 18 Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry(T) were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.

19 Remember(U) me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people.

Further Opposition to the Rebuilding

6 When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah,(V) Geshem(W) the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates— 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages[c] on the plain of Ono.(X)”

But they were scheming to harm me; 3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.

5 Then, the fifth time, Sanballat(Y) sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6 in which was written:

“It is reported among the nations—and Geshem[d](Z) says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king 7 and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.”

8 I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”

9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”

But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”

10 One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple(AA), and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.”

11 But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” 12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me(AB) because Tobiah and Sanballat(AC) had hired him. 13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.(AD)

14 Remember(AE) Tobiah and Sanballat,(AF) my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet(AG) Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets(AH) have been trying to intimidate me. 15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.

Opposition to the Completed Wall

16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.

17 Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. 18 For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shekaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. 19 Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 5:15 That is, about 1 pound or about 460 grams
  2. Nehemiah 5:16 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac I
  3. Nehemiah 6:2 Or in Kephirim
  4. Nehemiah 6:6 Hebrew Gashmu, a variant of Geshem
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