Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.
I also shook out my robe and said, 'May God shake out from his house and work every person who doesn't keep this promise, may he be shaken out and left with nothing.' And all the people said, 'Amen,' and praised the LORD. The people kept their promise.
Nehemiah made a dramatic gesture to emphasize that God would judge anyone who broke their promise to help their fellow Jews, and the people agreed and kept their word.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Nehemiah, the Jews had returned from exile in Babylon and were focused on rebuilding Jerusalem's walls amid various challenges. Internal conflicts arose when the wealthy were exploiting the poor through high-interest loans and seizing their lands, leading Nehemiah, as governor, to confront the nobles and demand reform. He used a dramatic symbolic act of shaking his lap to curse anyone who broke their promise to treat the poor fairly, which the people affirmed with an "Amen."
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