e that sounded the trumpet was by me.

"And I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the
people, 'The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the
wall, one far from another: in what place soever ye hear the sound of
the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us; our God shall fight for us.'

"So we wrought in the work: and half of them held the spears from the
rising of the morning till the stars appeared. Likewise at the same time
said I unto the people, 'Let everyone with his servant lodge within
Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in
the day.'

"So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the {221} men of
the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, everyone
went with his weapon to the water."

_Statesman as Well as Soldier_.

"Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against
their brethren the Jews. For there were that said, 'We, our sons and
our daughters, are many: let us get corn, that we may eat and live.'
Some also there were that said, 'We are mortgaging our fields, and our
vineyards, and our houses: let us get corn, because of the dearth.'

"There were also that said, 'We have borrowed money for the king's
tribute upon our fields and our vineyards. Yet now our flesh is as the
flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we
bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some
of our daughters are brought into bondage already: neither is it in
our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our
vineyards.'

"And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. Then I
consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers,
and said unto them, 'Ye exact usury, everyone of his brother.'

"And I held a great assembly against them. And I said to them, 'We
after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold
unto the heathen; and would ye even sell your brethren, and should
they be sold unto us?'

{222}

"Then held they their peace, and found never a word. Also I said, 'The
thing that ye do is not good: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our
God, because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies? And I
likewise, my brethren and my servants, do lend them money and corn on
usury. I pray you, let us leave off this usury. Restore, I pray you,
to them, even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their
oliveyards, and thei