Nehemiah 5:6-8

New Catholic Bible

Nehemiah’s Action. ⁶ When I heard these complaints and the cries of the people, I was extremely angry. ⁷ After having considered the various options, I threatened to bring charges against the nobles and the magistrates, accusing them of exacting interest from their own kinsmen.

Then I summoned a great assembly to deal with them, ⁸ and I said to them: “As far as it was humanly possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who had been sold to foreigners. However, now you are selling your own brothers and thus forcing us to purchase them back.” They remained silent, for they were unable to come up with a satisfactory reply.