The merchants use theses question to emphasize that want to start selling their items again. This can be stated as an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: "They are always asking when the new moon will be over or when the Sabbath will be over so that can sell their grain and wheat again." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-quotations]])
# We will make the measure small and increase the price, as we cheat with false scales
The merchants would use false scales that showed that the amount of grain they were giving was greater than it really was and that the weight of the payment was less than it really was.