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13 I also shook my robes,[a] and said, “May God shake out every man from his house and his possessions who does not keep this promise. May he be emptied out and shaken just like this.”

All the assembly said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord. And the people kept their promise.

Nehemiah Refuses the Governor’s Allotment

14 In addition, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah (that is, during the twelve years from the twentieth to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes), neither I nor my relatives relied on the provisions[b] allotted to the governor. 15 Nevertheless, the former governors before me placed a heavy burden on the people. They received food and wine, plus a tax of[c] 40 shekels[d] of silver. Even their young men took advantage of the people, but I never did so because I feared God.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 5:13 Lit. lap
  2. Nehemiah 5:14 Lit. have eaten the bread
  3. Nehemiah 5:15 The Heb. lacks a tax of
  4. Nehemiah 5:15 I.e. about a pound; a shekel weighed about 0.4 ounces

13 I also shook(A) 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,”(B) and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

14 Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,(C) when I was appointed to be their governor(D) 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[a] of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God(E) I did not act like that.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 5:15 That is, about 1 pound or about 460 grams