Nehemiah’s Example

¹⁴ Moreover, from the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my relatives have eaten the governor’s food allowance. ¹⁵ But the former governors who were [in office] before me put heavy burdens on the people and took food and wine from them in addition to forty shekels of silver [as an excessive monthly salary]; even their servants assumed authority over the people. But I did not do so because of the [reverent] fear of God. ¹⁶ I also applied myself to the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered together there for the work. ¹⁷ Moreover, there were at my table a hundred and fifty Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. ¹⁸ Now the following were prepared for each day: one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls (poultry) were prepared for me; and in intervals of ten days all sorts of wine was provided in abundance. Yet for all this, I did not demand the governor’s food allowance, because the servitude was heavy on this people. ¹⁹ Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all I have done for this people.