Nehemiah 5:14-16

Common English Bible

Generous Governor Nehemiah

¹⁴ In addition, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah (that is, from the twentieth to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes for a total of twelve years), neither I nor my family ate from the governor’s food allowance. ¹⁵ The earlier governors who had come before me laid heavy burdens on the people. They took food and wine from them as well as^[a] forty shekels of silver. Even their servants oppressed the people. But because I was God-fearing, I didn’t behave in this way.

¹⁶ Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. We acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.