Nehemiah 5:3-5

Expanded Bible

³ Others were saying, “We are ·borrowing money [mortgaging; ^Cfrom their fellow Jews, which increased their frustration] against our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain ·because there is not much food [during the famine].”

⁴ And still others were saying, “We are borrowing money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. ⁵ ·We are just like our fellow Jews [^LOur flesh is like our brothers’ flesh], and our ·sons [children] are like their ·sons [children]. But we have to sell our sons and daughters ·as slaves [into bondage/slavery; ^Can often temporary servitude to satisfy debts; Ex. 21:2–11]. Some of our daughters have already been ·sold [enslaved]. But ·there is nothing we can do [we are powerless/helpless], because our fields and vineyards already belong to other people.”