7. And my heart ruled over me, and I strove with the nobles and with the deputy rulers, and said to them, “You are exacting interest, each one from his brother.” And I called a great assembly against them,
8. and said to them, “According to our ability we have redeemed our brothers, the Yehuḏim, who were sold to the gentiles. And you even sell your brothers! Or should they be sold to us?” And they were silent and found not a word to say.
9. I also said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our Elohim because of the reproach of the gentiles, our enemies?
10. “And also, I, my brothers and my servants, am lending them silver and grain. Please, let us leave off this interest!
11. “Please, give back to them, even today, their lands, their vineyards, their olive-trees, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the silver and of the grain, and of the new wine, and of the oil, that you have taken from them.”
12. And they said, “Let us give it back, and ask no more from them, we do as you say.” Then I called the priests, and made them swear to do according to this word.
13. I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “Let Elohim in this way shake out each man from his house, and from his property, who does not do this word, even to be thus shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amĕn!” and praised יהוה. And the people did according to this word.
14. Also, from the day I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Yehuḏah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of Sovereign Artaḥshashta, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the governor’s food.
15. But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty sheqels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of Elohim.
16. And I also applied myself to the work on this wall. We did not buy any land. And all my servants were gathered there for the work.