… will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?” Then they were silenced and found nothing to say. Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury! Nehemiah 5:8-10
Caring for the poor: 5:1-9. Work on the walls is threatened when it brings special hardship on the poor, who cannot afford to leave their fields to work on the central city. This is caused in part by heavy taxes levied by the Persian government.
Archaeologists have recovered large jars from this period, marked with seals that identify Judah and Jerusalem, and a sign which identifies them as “belonging to the king.” Similar sealed jars have been found in Egypt. Evidently these large jars were issued and then used locally to collect portions of the harvest as taxes.
Many in Judah have been forced to mortgage their property to pay their taxes. Other has loaned money at high interest and then foreclosed if the poor could not repay on time.
8 And I said to them, “According to our ability we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?” Then they were silenced and found nothing to say. 9 Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? 10 I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury!
