Passage

Nehemiah 5.2-5

Book: Nehemiah · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV

Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

2. For there were that said, We, our sons and our daughters, are many: let us get grain, that we may eat and live. 3. Some also there were that said, We are mortgaging our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses: let us get grain, because of the dearth. 4. There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute upon our fields and our vineyards. 5. Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage already: neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards.

And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. 7. Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I held a great assembly against them. (Nehemiah 5:1-7, ASV)

WEB

Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews.

2. For there were that said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live.” 3. There were also some that said, “We are mortgaging our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine.” 4. There were also some who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral. 5. Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring our sons and our daughters into bondage to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. It is also not in our power to help it, because other men have our fields and our vineyards.”

I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. 7. Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, “You exact usury, everyone of his brother.” I held a great assembly against them. (Nehemiah 5:1-7, WEB)

KJV

And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

2. For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live. 3. Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth. 4. There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards. 5. Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.

And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. 7. Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them. ^{I consulted: Heb. my heart consulted in me} (Nehemiah 5:1-7, KJV)

YLT

And there is a great cry of the people and their wives, concerning their brethren the Jews,

2. yea, there are who are saying, 'Our sons, and our daughters, we, are many, and we receive corn, and eat, and live.' 3. And there are who are saying, 'Our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, we are pledging, and we receive corn for the famine.' 4. And there are who are saying, 'We have borrowed money for the tribute of the king, [on] our fields, and our vineyards; 5. and now, as the flesh of our brethren [is] our flesh, as their sons [are] our sons, and lo, we are subduing our sons and our daughters for servants, and there are of our daughters subdued, and our hand hath no might, and our fields and our vineyards [are] to others.'

And it is very displeasing to me when I have heard their cry and these words, 7. and my heart reigneth over me, and I strive with the freemen, and with the prefects, and say to them, 'Usury one upon another ye are exacting;' and I set against them a great assembly, (Nehemiah 5:1-7, YLT)

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Setting

Speaker: TBD
Audience: TBD
Location: TBD
Time period: TBD

Theological reading

Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word.

TBD
TBD
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Notes

Your annotations.

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.