NET Bible
"Then there were those who said,“We have borrowed money to pay our taxes to the king on our fields and our vineyards."
— Nehemiah 5:4, NET Bible
“There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.”
“There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute upon our fields and our vineyards. ”
“There were also some who said, "We have borrowed money for the king's tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral.”
“And others said: Let us borrow money for the king's tribute, and let us give up our fields and vineyards:”
“And there were others who said, We have given up our fields and our vine-gardens to get money for the king's taxes.”
“There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.”
Nehemiah Intervenes on behalf of the Oppressed Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.
There were those who said,“With our sons and daughters, we are many. We must obtain grain in order to eat and stay alive.”
There were others who said,“We are putting up our fields, our vineyards, and our houses as collateral in order to obtain grain during the famine.”
Then there were those who said,“We have borrowed money to pay our taxes to the king on our fields and our vineyards.
And now, though we share the same flesh and blood as our fellow countrymen, and our children are just like their children, still we have found it necessary to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have been subjected to slavery, while we are powerless to help, since our fields and vineyards now belong to other people.”
I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints.
I considered these things carefully and then registered a complaint with the wealthy and the officials. I said to them,“Each one of you is seizing the collateral from your own countrymen!” Because of them I called for a great public assembly.