Nehemia 5:9-10

5:9 Then I ¹  said, “The thing that you are doing is wrong! ²  Should you not conduct yourselves ³  in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies? 5:10 Even I and my relatives ⁴  and my associates ⁵  are lending them money and grain. But let us abandon this practice of seizing collateral! ⁶ 

[5:9]  ¹ tc The translation reads with the Qere and the ancient versions וָאוֹמַר (va’omar, “and I said”) rather than the MT Kethib, וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyo’mer, “and he said”).

[5:9]  ² tn Heb “not good.” The statement “The thing…is not good” is an example of tapeinosis, a figurative expression which emphasizes the intended point (“The thing…is wrong!”) by negating its opposite.

[5:9]  ³ tn Heb “[should you not] walk.”

[5:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “brothers.”

[5:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “lads.”

[5:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “this debt.” This expression is a metonymy of association: “debt” refers to the seizure of the collateral of the debt.