NIV Nehemiah Audio Bible
Nehemiah 5: The People’s Cry for Help – Clear & Engaging Audio Bible Reading | Social Injustice, Leaders’ Corruption, Nehemiah’s Rebuke, and God’s Mercy
Experience the powerful events of Nehemiah 5 with this clear and engaging audio recording. Follow the story of the people’s cry for help against social injustice caused by leaders’ corruption, Nehemiah’s rebuke to their oppressors, and God’s mercy manifested through Nehemiah’s leadership. Perfect for study, reflection, or meditation, immerse yourself in this profound chapter and let the Scriptures come alive.
NEHEMIAH 5 (NIV)
1 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, our vineyards and our
homes to get grain during the famine.”
4 Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax
on our fields and vineyards.
5 Although we are of the same flesh and blood as
our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to
subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already
been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards
belong to others.”
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!” So I called together a large meeting
to deal with them
8 and said: “As far as possible, we have bought 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.
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 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!
11 Give back to them immediately their fields,
vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest 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 to
do what they had promised.
13 I also shook 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,” and praised the Lord. And the people
did as they had promised.
14 Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed
to be their governor 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 of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their
assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did
not act like that.
16 Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All
my men were assembled there for the work; we 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 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 me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people.