Nehemiah 5:12-14

Expanded Bible

¹² They said, “We will give it back and not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”

Then I called for the priests, and I made the ·important people [nobles] and ·leaders [officials] ·take an oath [swear; vow] to do what they had ·said [promised]. ¹³ Also I shook out the folds of my ·robe [^Lbosom] and said, “In this way may God shake out everyone who does not ·keep his [fulfill/^Lcause to stand this] promise. May God shake him out of his house and ·out of the things that are his [his possessions/property]. Let that person be shaken out and emptied!”

Then the whole ·group [assembly] said, “Amen,” and they praised the Lord. So the people did what they had ·promised [sworn; vowed].

¹⁴ I was appointed governor in the land of Judah in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ rule [^C445 bc]. I was governor of Judah for twelve years, until his thirty-second year. During that time neither my ·brothers [colleagues; relatives; or officials] nor I ate the food that was allowed for a governor [^CNehemiah is demonstrating his own selflessness during this time].