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1. And the cry of the people and their wives was great against their brethren the Jews.
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1. And there was H1961 a great H1419 cry H6818 of the people H5971 and of their wives H802 against H413 their brethren H251 the Jews H3064 .
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2. And some said, We are numerous with our sons and our daughters; so we will take corn, and eat, and live.
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2. For there were H3426 that H834 said H559 , We H587 , our sons H1121 , and our daughters H1323 , are many H7227 : therefore we take up H3947 corn H1715 for them , that we may eat H398 , and live H2421 .
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3. And some said, As to our fields and vineyards and houses, let us pledge them, and we will take corn, and eat.
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3. Some also there were H3426 that H834 said H559 , We H587 have mortgaged H6148 our lands H7704 , vineyards H3754 , and houses H1004 , that we might buy H3947 corn H1715 , because of the dearth H7458 .
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4. And some said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tributes:—our fields, and our vineyards, and houses are pledged.
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4. There were H3426 also that H834 said H559 , We have borrowed H3867 money H3701 for the king H4428 's tribute H4060 , and that upon our lands H7704 and vineyards H3754 .
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5. And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children are as their children: yet, behold, we are Gr. controlling tyrannically reducing our sons and our daughters to Gr. slaves slavery, and some of our daughters are enslaved: and there is no power of our hands, for our fields and our vineyards belong to the nobles.
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5. Yet now H6258 our flesh H1320 is as the flesh H1320 of our brethren H251 , our children H1121 as their children H1121 : and, lo H2009 , we H587 bring into bondage H3533 H853 our sons H1121 and our daughters H1323 to be servants H5650 , and some of our daughters H4480 H1323 are H3426 brought unto bondage H3533 already : neither H369 is it in our power H410 H3027 to redeem them ; for other H312 men have our lands H7704 and vineyards H3754 .
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6. And I was much grieved as I heard their cry and these words.
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6. And I was very H3966 angry H2734 when H834 I heard H8085 H853 their cry H2201 and these H428 words H1697 .
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7. And my heart took counsel Gr. upon me within me, and I contended against the nobles, and the princes, and I said to them, Gr. shall Should every man demand of his brother what ye demand? And I appointed against them a great assembly,
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7. Then I consulted H4427 with H5921 myself H3820 , and I rebuked H7378 H853 the nobles H2715 , and the rulers H5461 , and said H559 unto them, Ye H859 exact H5378 usury H4855 , every one H376 of his brother H251 . And I set H5414 a great H1419 assembly H6952 against H5921 them.
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8. and I said to them, We of our free-will have redeemed our brethren the Jews that were sold to the Gentiles; and do ye sell your brethren? and shall they be delivered to us? And they were silent, and found no answer.
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8. And I said H559 unto them, We H587 after our ability H1767 have redeemed H7069 H853 our brethren H251 the Jews H3064 , which were sold H4376 unto the heathen H1471 ; and will ye H859 even H1571 sell H4376 H853 your brethren H251 ? or shall they be sold H4376 unto us? Then held they their peace H2790 , and found H4672 nothing H3808 H1697 to answer .
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9. And I said, The thing which ye do is not good; ye will not so walk in the fear of our God Gr. from because of the reproach of the Gentiles our enemies.
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9. Also I said H559 , It is not H3808 good H2896 H1697 that H834 ye H859 do H6213 : ought ye not H3808 to walk H1980 in the fear H3374 of our God H430 because of the reproach H4480 H2781 of the heathen H1471 our enemies H341 ?
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10. Both my brethren, and my acquaintances, and I, have Gr. set, or placed to them; See Hebrew lent them money and corn: let us now leave off this exaction.
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10. I H589 likewise H1571 , and my brethren H251 , and my servants H5288 , might exact H5383 of them money H3701 and corn H1715 : I pray H4994 you , let us leave off H5800 H853 this H2088 usury H4855 .
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11. Restore to them, I pray, as at this day, their fields, and their vineyards, and their olive-yards, and their houses, and bring forth to them corn and wine and oil of the money.
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11. Restore H7725 , I pray H4994 you , to them , even this day H3117 , their lands H7704 , their vineyards H3754 , their oliveyards H2132 , and their houses H1004 , also the hundredth H3967 part of the money H3701 , and of the corn H1715 , the wine H8492 , and the oil H3323 , that H834 ye H859 exact H5383 of them.
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12. And they said, We will restore, and we will not exact of them; we will do thus as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and bound them by oath to do according to this word.
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12. Then said H559 they , We will restore H7725 them , and will require H1245 nothing H3808 of H4480 them; so H3651 will we do H6213 as H834 thou H859 sayest H559 . Then I called H7121 H853 the priests H3548 , and took an oath H7650 of them , that they should do H6213 according to this H2088 promise H1697 .
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13. And I shook out my garment, and said, So may God shake out every man who shall not keep to this word, from his house, and from his q. d. fruits of labour labours, he shall be even thus shaken out, as an outcast and empty. And all the congregation said, Amen, and they praised the Lord: and the people did this thing.
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13. Also H1571 I shook H5287 my lap H2684 , and said H559 , So H3602 God H430 shake out H5287 H853 every H3605 man H376 from his house H4480 H1004 , and from his labor H4480 H3018 , that H834 performeth H6965 not H3808 H853 this H2088 promise H1697 , even thus H3602 be H1961 he shaken out H5287 , and emptied H7386 . And all H3605 the congregation H6951 said H559 , Amen H543 , and praised H1984 H853 the LORD H3068 . And the people H5971 did H6213 according to this H2088 promise H1697 .
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14. From the day that i. e., Artaxerxes the king he charged me to be their ruler in the land of Juda, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Arthasastha, twelve years, I and my brethren ate not provision extorted from them.
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14. Moreover H1571 from the time H4480 H3117 that H834 I was appointed H6680 to be H1961 their governor H6346 in the land H776 of Judah H3063 , from the twentieth H6242 year H4480 H8141 even unto H5704 the two H8147 and thirtieth H7970 year H8141 of Artaxerxes H783 the king H4428 , that is , twelve H8147 H6240 years H8141 , I H589 and my brethren H251 have not H3808 eaten H398 the bread H3899 of the governor H6346 .
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15. But as for the former acts of extortion wherein those who were before me oppressed them, they even took of them their last money, forty didrachms for bread and wine; and the very outcasts of them Gr. exercise exercised authority over the people: but I did not so, because of the fear of God.
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15. But the former H7223 governors H6346 that H834 had been before H6440 me were chargeable H3513 unto H5921 the people H5971 , and had taken H3947 of H4480 them bread H3899 and wine H3196 , beside H310 forty H705 shekels H8255 of silver H3701 ; yea H1571 , even their servants H5288 bore rule H7980 over H5921 the people H5971 : but so H3651 did H6213 not H3808 I H589 , because H4480 H6440 of the fear H3374 of God H430 .
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16. Also in the work of the wall I treated them not with rigor, I bought not land: and all that were gathered together came Gr. there thither to the work.
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16. Yea, also H1571 I continued H2388 in the work H4399 of this H2063 wall H2346 , neither H3808 bought H7069 we any land H7704 : and all H3605 my servants H5288 were gathered H6908 thither H8033 unto H5921 the work H4399 .
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17. And the Jews, to the number of a hundred and fifty men, besides those coming to us from the nations round about, were at my table.
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17. Moreover there were at H5921 my table H7979 a hundred H3967 and fifty H2572 H376 of the Jews H3064 and rulers H5461 , beside those that came H935 unto H413 us from among H4480 the heathen H1471 that H834 are about H5439 us.
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18. And there came to me for one day one calf, and I had six choice sheep and a goat; and every ten days wine in abundance of all sorts: yet with these I required not the bread of extortion, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.
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18. Now that which H834 was H1961 prepared H6213 for me daily H3117 H259 was one H259 ox H7794 and six H8337 choice H1305 sheep H6629 ; also fowls H6833 were prepared H6213 for me , and once H996 in ten H6235 days H3117 store H7235 of all H3605 sorts of wine H3196 : yet for all H5973 this H2088 required H1245 not H3808 I the bread H3899 of the governor H6346 , because H3588 the bondage H5656 was heavy H3513 upon H5921 this H2088 people H5971 .
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19. Remember me, O God, for good, in all that I have done to this people.
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19. Think H2142 upon me , my God H430 , for good H2896 , according to all H3605 that H834 I have done H6213 for H5921 this H2088 people H5971 .
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