Nehemiah 5:7-9
5:7 I considered these things carefully
and then registered a complaint with the wealthy
and the officials. I said to them, “Each one of you is seizing the collateral
from your own countrymen!”
Because of them I called for
a great public assembly.
5:8 I said to them, “To the extent possible we have bought back our fellow Jews
who had been sold to the Gentiles. But now you yourselves want to sell your own countrymen,
so that we can then buy them back!” They were utterly silent, and could find nothing to say.
5:9 Then I said, “The thing that you are doing is wrong! Should you not conduct yourselves in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies?