3. Others said, “During the famine we even had to mortgage our fields, vineyards, and homes to them in order to buy grain.”
4. Then others said, “We had to borrow money from those in power to pay the government tax on our fields and vineyards.
5. We are Jews just as they are, and our children are as good as theirs. But we still have to sell our children as slaves, and some of our daughters have already been raped. We are completely helpless; our fields and vineyards have even been taken from us.”
6. When I heard their complaints and their charges, I became very angry.
7. So I thought it over and said to the leaders and officials, “How can you charge your own people interest?”Then I called a public meeting and accused the leaders