Wealthy ones were exacting heavy interest, and their poorer brothers, in order to pay debts as well as the Persian tax, had to give up their land and even sell their children into slavery.
Bagātie jūdi prasīja augstus procentus par aizdevumiem, tāpēc nabadzīgajiem jūdiem bija jāatdod sava zeme un pat jāpārdod bērni verdzībā, lai viņi varētu atdot parādus un samaksāt nodokļus, ko prasīja persieši. ( Nehemijas 5: 1 — 10.)