The Love of Nehemiah for the Israelites
Nehemiah 5:10-15 I likewise,
and my brethren, and my
servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave
off this usury. Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their
lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the
hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the
oil, that ye exact of them. Then said they, We will restore them,
and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I
called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do
according to this promise. Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake
out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not
this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the
congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did
according to this promise. Moreover from the time that I was appointed
to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even
unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is,
twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the
governor. ...