¹ 耶和華的話又臨到我說：

³³ 他們不可住在你的地上，恐怕他們使你得罪我。你若事奉他們的神，這必成為你的網羅。

¹ Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews.

² For there were that said, "We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live."

³ Some also there were that said, "We are mortgaging our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine."

⁴ There were also some who said, "We have borrowed money for the king's tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral.

⁵ Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. Neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards."

⁶ I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

⁷ Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, "You exact usury, everyone of his brother." I held a great assembly against them.

⁸ I said to them, "We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?" Then they held their peace, and found never a word.

⁹ Also I said, "The thing that you do is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies?

¹⁰ I likewise, my brothers and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury.

¹¹ Please restore to them, even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, that you are charging them."

¹² Then they said, "We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do, even as you say." Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise.