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Nehemiah 9
English Standard Version

The People of Israel Confess Their Sin

9 Now on the twenty-fourth day of (A)this month the people of Israel were assembled (B)with fasting (C)and in sackcloth, (D)and with earth on their heads. 2 (E)And the Israelites[a] separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 (F)And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the Lord their God. 4 On the stairs of the Levites stood (G)Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani; and they cried with a loud voice to the Lord their God. 5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting. (H)Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

6 [b] (I)“You are the Lord, you alone. (J)You have made heaven, (K)the heaven of heavens, (L)with all their host, (M)the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; (N)and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you. 7 You are the Lord, the God (O)who chose Abram and brought him out of (P)Ur of the Chaldeans (Q)and gave him the name Abraham. 8 (R)You found his heart faithful before you, (S)and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring (T)the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. (U)And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous.

9 (V)“And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard (W)their cry at the Red Sea, 10 (X)and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that (Y)they acted arrogantly against our fathers. And (Z)you made a name for yourself, as it is to this day. 11 (AA)And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the depths, (AB)as a stone into mighty waters. 12 By (AC)a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go. 13 (AD)You came down on Mount Sinai (AE)and spoke with them from heaven and gave them (AF)right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments, 14 (AG)and you made known to them your holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses your servant. 15 (AH)You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and (AI)brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and you (AJ)told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give them.

16 “But they and our fathers (AK)acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. 17 They refused to obey (AL)and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt.[c] But you are a God ready to forgive, (AM)gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. 18 Even (AN)when they had made for themselves a golden[d] calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ (AO)and had committed great blasphemies, 19 you (AP)in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. (AQ)The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, (AR)nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. 20 (AS)You gave your good Spirit to instruct them (AT)and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. 21 (AU)Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

22 “And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. (AV)So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon (AW)and the land of Og king of Bashan. 23 You multiplied their children (AX)as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess. 24 (AY)So the descendants went in and possessed the land, (AZ)and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would. 25 And they captured (BA)fortified cities and (BB)a rich land, and took possession of (BC)houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled (BD)and became fat and delighted themselves in (BE)your great goodness.

26 (BF)“Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you (BG)and cast your law behind their back (BH)and killed your prophets, who (BI)had warned them in order to turn them back to you, (BJ)and they committed great blasphemies. 27 (BK)Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. (BL)And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them (BM)saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies. 28 (BN)But after they had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, (BO)and many times you delivered them according to your mercies. 29 (BP)And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet (BQ)they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, (BR)which if a person does them, he shall live by them, (BS)and they turned a stubborn shoulder (BT)and stiffened their neck and would not obey. 30 Many years (BU)you bore with them (BV)and warned them (BW)by your Spirit through your prophets. (BX)Yet they would not give ear. (BY)Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. 31 Nevertheless, (BZ)in your great mercies (CA)you did not make an end of them or forsake them, (CB)for you are a gracious and merciful God.

32 “Now, therefore, our God, (CC)the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, (CD)since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. 33 (CE)Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully (CF)and we have acted wickedly. 34 Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them. 35 Even in their own kingdom, (CG)and amid your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and (CH)rich land that you set before them, (CI)they did not serve you or turn from their wicked works. 36 Behold, (CJ)we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves. 37 (CK)And its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress.

38 [e] “Because of all this (CL)we make a firm covenant in writing; on (CM)the sealed document are the names of[f] our princes, our Levites, and our priests.

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 9:2 Hebrew the offspring of Israel
  2. Nehemiah 9:6 Septuagint adds And Ezra said
  3. Nehemiah 9:17 Some Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts and in their rebellion appointed a leader to return to their slavery
  4. Nehemiah 9:18 Hebrew metal
  5. Nehemiah 9:38 Ch 10:1 in Hebrew
  6. Nehemiah 9:38 Hebrew lacks the names of
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Nehemiah 9
New Living Translation

The People Confess Their Sins

9 On October 31[a] the people assembled again, and this time they fasted and dressed in burlap and sprinkled dust on their heads. 2 Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners as they confessed their own sins and the sins of their ancestors. 3 They remained standing in place for three hours[b] while the Book of the Law of the Lord their God was read aloud to them. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God. 4 The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani—stood on the stairway of the Levites and cried out to the Lord their God with loud voices.

5 Then the leaders of the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—called out to the people: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God, for he lives from everlasting to everlasting!” Then they prayed:

“May your glorious name be praised! May it be exalted above all blessing and praise!

6 “You alone are the Lord. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you.

7 “You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him from Ur of the Chaldeans and renamed him Abraham. 8 When he had proved himself faithful, you made a covenant with him to give him and his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites. And you have done what you promised, for you are always true to your word.

9 “You saw the misery of our ancestors in Egypt, and you heard their cries from beside the Red Sea.[c] 10 You displayed miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, his officials, and all his people, for you knew how arrogantly they were treating our ancestors. You have a glorious reputation that has never been forgotten. 11 You divided the sea for your people so they could walk through on dry land! And then you hurled their enemies into the depths of the sea. They sank like stones beneath the mighty waters. 12 You led our ancestors by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night so that they could find their way.

13 “You came down at Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and instructions that were just, and decrees and commands that were good. 14 You instructed them concerning your holy Sabbath. And you commanded them, through Moses your servant, to obey all your commands, decrees, and instructions.

15 “You gave them bread from heaven when they were hungry and water from the rock when they were thirsty. You commanded them to go and take possession of the land you had sworn to give them.

16 “But our ancestors were proud and stubborn, and they paid no attention to your commands. 17 They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt.[d] But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them, 18 even when they made an idol shaped like a calf and said, ‘This is your god who brought you out of Egypt!’ They committed terrible blasphemies.

19 “But in your great mercy you did not abandon them to die in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still led them forward by day, and the pillar of fire showed them the way through the night. 20 You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst. 21 For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell!

22 “Then you helped our ancestors conquer kingdoms and nations, and you placed your people in every corner of the land.[e] They took over the land of King Sihon of Heshbon and the land of King Og of Bashan. 23 You made their descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and brought them into the land you had promised to their ancestors.

24 “They went in and took possession of the land. You subdued whole nations before them. Even the Canaanites, who inhabited the land, were powerless! Your people could deal with these nations and their kings as they pleased. 25 Our ancestors captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took over houses full of good things, with cisterns already dug and vineyards and olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate until they were full and grew fat and enjoyed themselves in all your blessings.

26 “But despite all this, they were disobedient and rebelled against you. They turned their backs on your Law, they killed your prophets who warned them to return to you, and they committed terrible blasphemies. 27 So you handed them over to their enemies, who made them suffer. But in their time of trouble they cried to you, and you heard them from heaven. In your great mercy, you sent them liberators who rescued them from their enemies.

28 “But as soon as they were at peace, your people again committed evil in your sight, and once more you let their enemies conquer them. Yet whenever your people turned and cried to you again for help, you listened once more from heaven. In your wonderful mercy, you rescued them many times!

29 “You warned them to return to your Law, but they became proud and obstinate and disobeyed your commands. They did not follow your regulations, by which people will find life if only they obey. They stubbornly turned their backs on you and refused to listen. 30 In your love, you were patient with them for many years. You sent your Spirit, who warned them through the prophets. But still they wouldn’t listen! So once again you allowed the peoples of the land to conquer them. 31 But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are!

32 “And now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of unfailing love, do not let all the hardships we have suffered seem insignificant to you. Great trouble has come upon us and upon our kings and leaders and priests and prophets and ancestors—all of your people—from the days when the kings of Assyria first triumphed over us until now. 33 Every time you punished us you were being just. We have sinned greatly, and you gave us only what we deserved. 34 Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey your Law or listen to the warnings in your commands and laws. 35 Even while they had their own kingdom, they did not serve you, though you showered your goodness on them. You gave them a large, fertile land, but they refused to turn from their wickedness.

36 “So now today we are slaves in the land of plenty that you gave our ancestors for their enjoyment! We are slaves here in this good land. 37 The lush produce of this land piles up in the hands of the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They have power over us and our livestock. We serve them at their pleasure, and we are in great misery.”

The People Agree to Obey

38 [f]The people responded, “In view of all this,[g] we are making a solemn promise and putting it in writing. On this sealed document are the names of our leaders and Levites and priests.”

Footnotes

  1. 9:1 Hebrew On the twenty-fourth day of that same month, the seventh month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was October 31, 445 B.c.; also see notes on 1:1 and 8:2.
  2. 9:3 Hebrew for a quarter of a day.
  3. 9:9 Hebrew sea of reeds.
  4. 9:17 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads in their rebellion.
  5. 9:22 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  6. 9:38a Verse 9:38 is numbered 10:1 in Hebrew text.
  7. 9:38b Or In spite of all this.
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Nehemiah 9
Holman Christian Standard Bible

National Confession of Sin

9 On the twenty-fourth day of this month(A) the Israelites assembled; they were fasting, wearing sackcloth, and had put dust on their heads.(B) 2 Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners,(C) and they stood(D) and confessed their sins and the guilt of their fathers.(E) 3 While they stood in their places,(F) they read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for a fourth of the day and spent another fourth of the day(G) in confession(H) and worship of the Lord their God. 4 Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the raised platform built for the Levites(I) and cried out loudly to the Lord their God. 5 Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah(J)—said, “Stand up. Praise Yahweh your God from everlasting to everlasting.”(K)

Praise Your glorious name,(L)
and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.
6 You[a] alone are Yahweh.(M)
You created the heavens,
the highest heavens with all their host,
the earth and all that is on it,
the seas and all that is in them.
You give life to all of them,(N)
and the heavenly host worships You.(O)
7 You are Yahweh,
the God who chose Abram
and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans,(P)
and changed his name to Abraham.(Q)
8 You found his heart faithful in Your sight,(R)
and made a covenant with him
to give the land of the Canaanites,
Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites,
Jebusites, and Girgashites—
to give it to his descendants.(S)
You have kept Your promise,
for You are righteous.

9 You saw the oppression of our ancestors in Egypt(T)
and heard their cry at the Red Sea.
10 You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
all his officials, and all the people of his land,(U)
for You knew how arrogantly they treated our ancestors.
You made a name for Yourself
that endures to this day.
11 You divided the sea before them,
and they crossed through it on dry ground.(V)
You hurled their pursuers into the depths
like a stone into churning waters.(W)
12 You led them with a pillar of cloud by day,
and with a pillar of fire by night,
to illuminate the way they should go.(X)
13 You came down on Mount Sinai,(Y)
and spoke to them from heaven.
You gave them impartial ordinances, reliable instructions,
and good statutes and commands.
14 You revealed Your holy Sabbath to them,
and gave them commands, statutes, and instruction
through Your servant Moses.(Z)
15 You provided bread from heaven(AA) for their hunger;
You brought them water from the rock(AB) for their thirst.
You told them to go in and possess the land
You had sworn[b] to give them.(AC)

16 But our ancestors acted arrogantly;
they became stiff-necked and did not listen to Your commands.
17 They refused to listen
and did not remember Your wonders
You performed among them.(AD)
They became stiff-necked and appointed a leader
to return to their slavery in Egypt.[c](AE)
But You are a forgiving God,
gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in faithful love,(AF)
and You did not abandon them.
18 Even after they had cast an image of a calf
for themselves and said,
“This is your God who brought you out of Egypt,”(AG)
and they had committed terrible blasphemies,
19 You did not abandon them in the wilderness
because of Your great compassion.
During the day the pillar of cloud
never turned away from them,
guiding them on their journey.
And during the night the pillar of fire
illuminated the way they should go.(AH)
20 You sent Your good Spirit(AI) to instruct them.
You did not withhold Your manna(AJ) from their mouths,
and You gave them water for their thirst.(AK)
21 You provided for them in the wilderness 40 years(AL)
and they lacked nothing.
Their clothes did not wear out,
and their feet did not swell.(AM)

22 You gave them kingdoms and peoples
and assigned them to be a boundary.
They took possession
of the land of Sihon[d] king of Heshbon
and of the land of Og king of Bashan.(AN)
23 You multiplied their descendants
like the stars of heaven(AO)
and brought them to the land
You told their ancestors to go in and take possession of it.
24 So their descendants went in and possessed the land:
You subdued the Canaanites who inhabited the land before them
and handed their kings and the surrounding peoples over to them,(AP)
to do as they pleased with them.
25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land
and took possession of well-supplied houses,
cisterns cut out of rock, vineyards,
olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance.(AQ)
They ate, were filled,
became prosperous, and delighted in Your great goodness.

26 But they were disobedient and rebelled against You.
They flung Your law behind their backs(AR)
and killed Your prophets(AS)
who warned them
in order to turn them back to You.
They committed terrible blasphemies.
27 So You handed them over to their enemies,
who oppressed them.
In their time of distress, they cried out to You,
and You heard from heaven.
In Your abundant compassion
You gave them deliverers, who rescued them
from the power of their enemies.
28 But as soon as they had relief,
they again did what was evil in Your sight.
So You abandoned them to the power of their enemies,
who dominated them.
When they cried out to You again,
You heard from heaven and rescued them
many times in Your compassion.(AT)
29 You warned them to turn back to Your law,
but they acted arrogantly
and would not obey Your commands.
They sinned against Your ordinances,
which a person will live by if he does them.(AU)
They stubbornly resisted,[e]
stiffened their necks, and would not obey.
30 You were patient with them for many years,
and Your Spirit warned them through Your prophets,(AV)
but they would not listen.
Therefore, You handed them over to the surrounding peoples.(AW)
31 However, in Your abundant compassion,
You did not destroy them or abandon them,(AX)
for You are a gracious and compassionate God.(AY)

32 So now, our God—the great, mighty,
and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant(AZ)—
do not view lightly all the hardships that have afflicted us,
our kings and leaders,
our priests and prophets,
our ancestors and all Your people,
from the days of the Assyrian kings(BA) until today.
33 You are righteous concerning all that has come on us,
because You have acted faithfully,
while we have acted wickedly.(BB)
34 Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors
did not obey Your law
or listen to Your commands
and warnings You gave them.
35 When they were in their kingdom,
with Your abundant goodness that You gave them,
and in the spacious and fertile land You set before them,(BC)
they would not serve You or turn from their wicked ways.

36 Here we are today,
slaves in the land You gave our ancestors
so that they could enjoy its fruit and its goodness.
Here we are—slaves in it!(BD)
37 Its abundant harvest goes to the kings
You have set over us,
because of our sins.
They rule over our bodies
and our livestock as they please.(BE)
We are in great distress.

Israel’s Vow of Faithfulness

38 [f]In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement(BF) in writing on a sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.(BG)

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 9:6 LXX reads And Ezra said: You
  2. Nehemiah 9:15 Lit lifted Your hand
  3. Nehemiah 9:17 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read in their rebellion
  4. Nehemiah 9:22 One Hb ms, LXX; other Hb mss, Vg read Sihon, even the land of the
  5. Nehemiah 9:29 Lit They gave a stubborn shoulder
  6. Nehemiah 9:38 Neh 10:1 in Hb
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Nehemiah 9
New International Version

The Israelites Confess Their Sins

9 On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads.(A) 2 Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners.(B) They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors.(C) 3 They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God. 4 Standing on the stairs of the Levites(D) were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani. They cried out with loud voices to the Lord their God. 5 And the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah—said: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God,(E) who is from everlasting to everlasting.[a]”

“Blessed be your glorious name,(F) and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. 6 You alone are the Lord.(G) You made the heavens,(H) even the highest heavens, and all their starry host,(I) the earth(J) and all that is on it, the seas(K) and all that is in them.(L) You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven(M) worship you.

7 “You are the Lord God, who chose Abram(N) and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans(O) and named him Abraham.(P) 8 You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites.(Q) You have kept your promise(R) because you are righteous.(S)

9 “You saw the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt;(T) you heard their cry at the Red Sea.[b](U) 10 You sent signs(V) and wonders(W) against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name(X) for yourself,(Y) which remains to this day. 11 You divided the sea before them,(Z) so that they passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the depths,(AA) like a stone into mighty waters.(AB) 12 By day(AC) you led(AD) them with a pillar of cloud,(AE) and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take.

13 “You came down on Mount Sinai;(AF) you spoke(AG) to them from heaven.(AH) You gave them regulations and laws that are just(AI) and right, and decrees and commands that are good.(AJ) 14 You made known to them your holy Sabbath(AK) and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. 15 In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven(AL) and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock;(AM) you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand(AN) to give them.(AO)

16 “But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked,(AP) and they did not obey your commands.(AQ) 17 They refused to listen and failed to remember(AR) the miracles(AS) you performed among them. They became stiff-necked(AT) and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery.(AU) But you are a forgiving God,(AV) gracious and compassionate,(AW) slow to anger(AX) and abounding in love.(AY) Therefore you did not desert them,(AZ) 18 even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf(BA) and said, ‘This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies.(BB)

19 “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon(BC) them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud(BD) did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. 20 You gave your good Spirit(BE) to instruct(BF) them. You did not withhold your manna(BG) from their mouths, and you gave them water(BH) for their thirst. 21 For forty years(BI) you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing,(BJ) their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.(BK)

22 “You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon[c](BL) king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan.(BM) 23 You made their children as numerous as the stars in the sky,(BN) and you brought them into the land that you told their parents to enter and possess. 24 Their children went in and took possession of the land.(BO) You subdued(BP) before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you gave the Canaanites into their hands, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased. 25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land;(BQ) they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things,(BR) wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished;(BS) they reveled in your great goodness.(BT)

26 “But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they turned their backs on your law.(BU) They killed(BV) your prophets,(BW) who had warned them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies.(BX) 27 So you delivered them into the hands of their enemies,(BY) who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion(BZ) you gave them deliverers,(CA) who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.

28 “But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight.(CB) Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion(CC) you delivered them(CD) time after time.

29 “You warned(CE) them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant(CF) and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, ‘The person who obeys them will live by them.’(CG) Stubbornly they turned their backs(CH) on you, became stiff-necked(CI) and refused to listen.(CJ) 30 For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets.(CK) Yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.(CL) 31 But in your great mercy you did not put an end(CM) to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful(CN) God.

32 “Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty(CO) and awesome,(CP) who keeps his covenant of love,(CQ) do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes—the hardship(CR) that has come on us, on our kings and leaders, on our priests and prophets, on our ancestors and all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today. 33 In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous;(CS) you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly.(CT) 34 Our kings,(CU) our leaders, our priests and our ancestors(CV) did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands or the statutes you warned them to keep. 35 Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness(CW) to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you(CX) or turn from their evil ways.

36 “But see, we are slaves(CY) today, slaves in the land you gave our ancestors so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. 37 Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress.(CZ)

The Agreement of the People

38 “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement,(DA) putting it in writing,(DB) and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.”[d]

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 9:5 Or God for ever and ever
  2. Nehemiah 9:9 Or the Sea of Reeds
  3. Nehemiah 9:22 One Hebrew manuscript and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts Sihon, that is, the country of the
  4. Nehemiah 9:38 In Hebrew texts this verse (9:38) is numbered 10:1.
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