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Nehemiah 5:8-10
New English Translation
Nehemiah 5:8-10
New English Translation
8 I said to them, “To the extent possible we have bought back our fellow Jews[a] who had been sold to the Gentiles. But now you yourselves want to sell your own countrymen,[b] so that we can then buy them back!” They were utterly silent, and could find nothing to say.
9 Then I[c] said, “The thing that you are doing is wrong![d] Should you not conduct yourselves[e] in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies? 10 Even I and my relatives[f] and my associates[g] are lending them money and grain. But let us abandon this practice of seizing collateral![h]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Nehemiah 5:8 tn Heb “our brothers, the Jews.”
- Nehemiah 5:8 tn Heb “your brothers.”
- Nehemiah 5:9 tc The translation reads with the Qere and the ancient versions וָאוֹמַר (vaʾomar, “and I said”) rather than the MT Kethib, וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyoʾmer, “and he said”).
- Nehemiah 5:9 tn Heb “not good.” The statement “The thing…is not good” is an example of tapeinosis, a figurative expression which emphasizes the intended point (“The thing…is wrong!”) by negating its opposite.
- Nehemiah 5:9 tn Heb “[should you not] walk.”
- Nehemiah 5:10 tn Heb “brothers.”
- Nehemiah 5:10 tn Heb “servants.”
- Nehemiah 5:10 tn Heb “this debt.” This expression is a metonymy of association: “debt” refers to the seizure of the collateral of the debt.
Nehemiah 5:8-10
New International Version
Nehemiah 5:8-10
New International Version
8 and said: “As far as possible, we have bought(A) 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.(B)
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(C) 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!(D)
New English Translation (NET)
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