ortgage our lands, and our
vineyards, and our houses, and let us take corn because of the famine.

5:4. And others said: Let us borrow money for the king's tribute, and
let us give up our fields and vineyards:

5:5. And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren: and our children
as their children. Behold we bring into bondage our sons and our
daughters, and some of our daughters are bondwomen already, neither have
we wherewith to redeem them, and our fields and our vineyards other men
possess.

5:6. And I was exceedingly angry when I heard their cry according to
these words.

5:7. And my heart thought with myself: and I rebuked the nobles and
magistrates, and said to them: Do you every one exact usury of your
brethren? And I gathered together a great assembly against them,

5:8. And I said to them: We, as you know, have redeemed according to our
ability our brethren the Jews, that were sold to the Gentiles: and will
you then sell your brethren, for us to redeem them? And they held their
peace, and found not what to answer.

5:9. And I said to them: The thing you do is not good: why walk you not
in the fear of our God, that we be not exposed to the reproaches of the
Gentiles our enemies?

5:10. Both I and my brethren, and my servants, have lent money and corn
to many: let us all agree not to call for it again; let us forgive the
debt that is owing to us.

5:11. Restore ye to them this day their fields, and their vineyards, and
their oliveyards, and their houses: and the hundredth part of the money,
and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, which you were wont to exact of
them, give it rather for them.

5:12. And they said: We will restore, and we will require nothing of
them: and we will do as thou sayest. And I called the priests and took
an oath of them, to do according to what I had said.

5:13. Moreover I shook my lap, and said: So may God shake every man that
shall not accomplish this word, out of his house, and out of his
labours, thus may he be shaken out, and become empty. And all the
multitude said: Amen. And they praised God. And the people did according
to what was said.

5:14. And from the day, in which the king commanded me to be governor in
the land of Juda, from the twentieth year even to the two and thirtieth
year of Artaxerxes the king, for twelve years, I and my brethren did not
eat the yearly allowance that was due to the governors.

5:15. But the former governors that had been before