Indeed, I will no longer have compassion on the inhabitants of the land’ #– #this is the Lord’s declaration. ‘Instead, I will turn everyone over to his neighbour and his king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue it from their hand.’
The governors who preceded me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them food and wine as well as half a kilogram of silver. Their subordinates also oppressed the people, but because of the fear of God, I didn’t do this.
When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, ‘What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king? ’