Nehemiah 5

A severe internal crisis erupts among the people. Due to famine and high taxes, the poor are forced to mortgage their fields and sell their children into slavery to pay debts to their wealthier Jewish brothers. Nehemiah confronts the wealthy nobles and officials for this wicked practice of charging usury (interest) against God's Law. Nehemiah expresses righteous indignation and demands that they immediately stop the oppression, restore the properties, and return the interest. The nobles agree to Nehemiah’s demands, and Nehemiah leads by example by forgoing his own salary.