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Daily Bible Reading— April 2025, God’s Strengthening Word: Assurance of Hope in Christ Jesus

Financial Discipleship – the Bible on Restitution

New International Version

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
   <div class="book bkNEH">
      <div class="chapter ch5" data-usfm="NEH.5.1+NEH.5.2+NEH.5.3+NEH.5.4+NEH.5.5+NEH.5.6+NEH.5.7+NEH.5.8+NEH.5.9+NEH.5.10+NEH.5.11+NEH.5.12+NEH.5.13+NEH.5.14+NEH.5.15+NEH.5.16+NEH.5.17+NEH.5.18+NEH.5.19">
         <div class="p"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="NEH.5.1"><span class="label">1</span><span class="content">Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. </span></span><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="NEH.5.2"><span class="label">2</span><span class="content">Some were saying, &#8220;We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="NEH.5.2"></span><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="NEH.5.3"><span class="label">3</span><span class="content">Others were saying, &#8220;We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="NEH.5.3"></span><span class="verse v4" data-usfm="NEH.5.4"><span class="label">4</span><span class="content">Still others were saying, &#8220;We have had to borrow money to pay the king&#8217;s tax on our fields and vineyards. </span></span><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="NEH.5.5"><span class="label">5</span><span class="content">Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="NEH.5.5"></span><span class="verse v6" data-usfm="NEH.5.6"><span class="label">6</span><span class="content">When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. </span></span><span class="verse v7" data-usfm="NEH.5.7"><span class="label">7</span><span class="content">I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, &#8220;You are charging your own people interest!&#8221; So I called together a large meeting to deal with them </span></span><span class="verse v8" data-usfm="NEH.5.8"><span class="label">8</span><span class="content">and said: &#8220;As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!&#8221; They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v8" data-usfm="NEH.5.8"></span><span class="verse v9" data-usfm="NEH.5.9"><span class="label">9</span><span class="content">So I continued, &#8220;What you are doing is not right. Shouldn&#8217;t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? </span></span><span class="verse v10" data-usfm="NEH.5.10"><span class="label">10</span><span class="content">I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! </span></span><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="NEH.5.11"><span class="label">11</span><span class="content">Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them&#8212;one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="NEH.5.11"></span><span class="verse v12" data-usfm="NEH.5.12"><span class="label">12</span><span class="content">&#8220;We will give it back,&#8221; they said. &#8220;And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v12" data-usfm="NEH.5.12"><span class="content">Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. </span></span><span class="verse v13" data-usfm="NEH.5.13"><span class="label">13</span><span class="content">I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, &#8220;In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v13" data-usfm="NEH.5.13"><span class="content">At this the whole assembly said, &#8220;Amen,&#8221; and praised the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content">. And the people did as they had promised.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v13" data-usfm="NEH.5.13"></span><span class="verse v14" data-usfm="NEH.5.14"><span class="label">14</span><span class="content">Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year&#8212;twelve years&#8212;neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. </span></span><span class="verse v15" data-usfm="NEH.5.15"><span class="label">15</span><span class="content">But the earlier governors&#8212;those preceding me&#8212;placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels</span><span class="note f"><span class="label">#</span><span class="body"><span class="fr">5:15 </span><span class="ft">That is, about 1 pound or about 460 grams</span></span></span><span class="content"> of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. </span></span><span class="verse v16" data-usfm="NEH.5.16"><span class="label">16</span><span class="content">Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we</span><span class="note f"><span class="label">#</span><span class="body"><span class="fr">5:16 </span><span class="ft">Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac </span><span class="fqa">I</span></span></span><span class="content"> did not acquire any land.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v16" data-usfm="NEH.5.16"></span><span class="verse v17" data-usfm="NEH.5.17"><span class="label">17</span><span class="content">Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. </span></span><span class="verse v18" data-usfm="NEH.5.18"><span class="label">18</span><span class="content">Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v18" data-usfm="NEH.5.18"></span><span class="verse v19" data-usfm="NEH.5.19"><span class="label">19</span><span class="content">Remember me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people.</span></span></div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
   <div class="book bkEXO">
      <div class="chapter ch22" data-usfm="EXO.22.25">
         <div class="p"><span class="verse v25" data-usfm="EXO.22.25"><span class="label">25</span><span class="content">&#8220;If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest. </span></span></div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
   <div class="book bk2CO">
      <div class="chapter ch8" data-usfm="2CO.8.9">
         <div class="p"><span class="verse v9" data-usfm="2CO.8.9"><span class="label">9</span><span class="content">For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v9" data-usfm="2CO.8.9"></span></div>
      </div>
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On Purpose: Nehemiah and EstherSample

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