Nehemiah 5:15

5:15 But the former governors who preceded me had burdened the people and had taken food and wine from them, in addition to ¹  forty shekels of silver. Their associates were also domineering over the people. But I did not behave in this way, due to my fear of God.

Nehemiah 8:3

8:3 So he read it before the plaza in front of the Water Gate from dawn till noon ²  before the men and women and those children who could understand. ³  All the people were eager to hear ⁴  the book of the law.

[5:15]  ¹ tc The Hebrew term אַחַר (’akhar) is difficult here. It normally means “after,” but that makes no sense here. Some scholars emend it to אַחַד (’akhad) and supply the word “day,” which yields the sense “daily.” Cf. TEV “40 silver coins a day for food and wine.”

[8:3]  ² tn Heb “from the light till the noon of the day.”

[8:3]  ³ tn Heb “all who could hear with understanding.” The word “children” is understood to be implied here by a number of English versions (e.g., NAB, TEV, NLT).

[8:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “the ears of all the people were toward.”