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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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Nehemías 9
La Biblia de las Américas

Arrepentimiento y confesión

9 El día veinticuatro de este mes(A) se congregaron los hijos de Israel en ayuno(B), vestidos de cilicio y con polvo sobre sí(C). 2 Y los descendientes[a] de Israel se separaron de todos los extranjeros(D), y se pusieron en pie, confesando sus pecados y las iniquidades de sus padres(E). 3 Puestos de pie, cada uno en su lugar(F), leyeron en el libro de la ley del Señor su Dios por una cuarta parte del día; y por otra cuarta parte confesaron y adoraron al Señor su Dios. 4 Y sobre el estrado de los levitas se levantaron Jesúa, Bani, Cadmiel, Sebanías, Buni, Serebías, Bani(G) y Quenani, y clamaron en alta voz al Señor su Dios.

5 Entonces los levitas, Jesúa, Cadmiel, Bani, Hasabnías, Serebías, Hodías, Sebanías y Petaías, dijeron: Levantaos, bendecid al Señor vuestro Dios por siempre y para siempre.

Sea bendito tu glorioso nombre
y exaltado sobre toda bendición y alabanza.
6 Solo tú eres el Señor(H).
Tú hiciste los cielos,
los cielos de los cielos con todo su ejército,
la tierra y todo lo que en ella hay(I),
los mares y todo lo que en ellos hay.
Tú das vida a todos ellos(J)
y el ejército de los cielos se postra ante ti.
7 Tú eres el Señor Dios
que escogiste a Abram(K),
lo sacaste de Ur de los Caldeos(L)
y le diste por nombre Abraham(M).
8 Hallaste fiel su corazón delante de ti,
e hiciste con él un pacto
para darle la tierra del cananeo,
del hitita, del amorreo,
del ferezeo, del jebuseo y del gergeseo,
para darla a su descendencia[b](N).
Y has cumplido tu palabra(O), porque eres justo.

9 Tú viste la aflicción de nuestros padres en Egipto(P),
y escuchaste su clamor junto al mar Rojo[c](Q).
10 Entonces hiciste señales y maravillas contra Faraón(R),
contra todos sus siervos y contra todo el pueblo de su tierra;
pues supiste que ellos los trataban con soberbia,
y te hiciste un nombre(S) como el de hoy.
11 Dividiste el mar delante de ellos(T),
y pasaron por medio del mar sobre tierra firme;
y echaste en los abismos a sus perseguidores,
como a una piedra en aguas turbulentas[d](U).
12 Con columna de nube los guiaste de día,
y con columna de fuego de noche,
para alumbrarles el camino
en que debían andar(V).
13 Luego bajaste sobre el monte Sinaí(W),
y desde el cielo hablaste con ellos(X);
les diste ordenanzas justas y leyes verdaderas,
estatutos y mandamientos buenos(Y).
14 Les hiciste conocer tu santo día de reposo(Z),
y les prescribiste mandamientos, estatutos y la ley
por medio[e] de tu siervo Moisés.
15 Les proveíste pan del cielo para su hambre(AA),
les sacaste agua de la peña para su sed(AB),
y les dijiste que entraran a poseer
la tierra que tú habías jurado darles[f](AC).

16 Pero ellos, nuestros padres, obraron con soberbia(AD),
endurecieron su cerviz y no escucharon tus mandamientos(AE).
17 Rehusaron escuchar,
y no se acordaron de las maravillas que hiciste entre ellos(AF);
endurecieron su cerviz y eligieron un jefe para volver a su esclavitud en Egipto[g](AG).
Pero tú eres un Dios de perdón,
clemente y compasivo,
lento para la ira y abundante en misericordia(AH),
y no los abandonaste.
18 Ni siquiera cuando se hicieron
un becerro de metal fundido
y dijeron: «Este es tu Dios
que te sacó de Egipto»,
y cometieron grandes blasfemias[h](AI),
19 tú, en tu gran compasión,
no los abandonaste en el desierto(AJ);
la columna de nube no los dejó de día,
para guiarlos en el camino,
ni la columna de fuego de noche, para alumbrarles el camino por donde debían andar(AK).
20 Y diste tu buen Espíritu para instruirles(AL),
no retiraste tu maná de su boca,
y les diste agua para su sed.
21 Por cuarenta años proveíste para ellos en el desierto y nada les faltó(AM),
sus vestidos no se gastaron ni se hincharon sus pies.
22 También les diste reinos y pueblos,
y se los repartiste con sus límites[i].
Y tomaron posesión de la tierra de Sehón, rey[j] de Hesbón,
y la tierra de Og, rey de Basán(AN).
23 Y multiplicaste sus hijos como las estrellas del cielo(AO),
y los llevaste a la tierra
que habías dicho a sus padres que entraran a poseerla.
24 Y entraron los hijos y poseyeron la tierra(AP).
Y tú sometiste delante de ellos a los habitantes de la tierra, a los cananeos,
y los entregaste en su mano, con sus reyes y los pueblos de la tierra,
para hacer con ellos como quisieran(AQ).
25 Y capturaron ciudades fortificadas(AR) y una tierra fértil[k](AS).
Tomaron posesión de casas llenas de toda cosa buena,
cisternas excavadas, viñas y olivares,
y árboles frutales en abundancia(AT).
Y comieron, se saciaron, engordaron(AU)
y se deleitaron en tu gran bondad(AV).

26 Pero fueron desobedientes y se rebelaron contra ti(AW),
echaron tu ley a sus espaldas(AX),
mataron a tus profetas(AY) que los amonestaban[l]
para que se volvieran a ti(AZ),
y cometieron grandes blasfemias[m](BA).
27 Entonces los entregaste en mano de sus enemigos, que los oprimieron(BB),
pero en el tiempo de su angustia clamaron a ti,
y tú escuchaste desde el cielo, y conforme a tu gran compasión(BC)
les diste libertadores que los libraron de mano de sus opresores(BD).
28 Pero cuando tenían descanso(BE), volvían a hacer lo malo delante de ti;
por eso tú los abandonabas en mano de sus enemigos para que los dominaran;
y cuando clamaban de nuevo a ti, tú oías desde el cielo
y muchas veces los rescataste conforme a tu compasión(BF).
29 Los amonestaste[n] para que volvieran a tu ley(BG),
pero ellos obraron con soberbia y no escucharon tus mandamientos(BH), sino que pecaron contra tus ordenanzas,
las cuales si el hombre las cumple, por ellas vivirá(BI).
Y dieron la espalda en rebeldía, endurecieron su cerviz y no escucharon(BJ).
30 Sin embargo, tú los soportaste por muchos años(BK),
y los amonestaste[o](BL) con tu Espíritu(BM) por medio[p] de tus profetas,
pero no prestaron oído.
Entonces los entregaste en mano de los pueblos de estas[q] tierras.
31 Pero en tu gran compasión no los
exterminaste(BN) ni los abandonaste,
porque tú eres un Dios clemente y compasivo(BO).

32 Ahora pues, Dios nuestro, Dios grande, poderoso y temible, que guardas el pacto y la misericordia(BP),
no parezca insignificante ante ti toda la aflicción
que nos ha sobrevenido, a nuestros reyes, a nuestros príncipes, a nuestros sacerdotes, a nuestros profetas, a nuestros padres y a todo tu pueblo,
desde los días de los reyes de Asiria(BQ) hasta el día de hoy.
33 Mas tú eres justo en todo lo que ha venido sobre nosotros,
porque tú has obrado fielmente(BR),
pero nosotros perversamente.
34 Nuestros reyes, nuestros jefes, nuestros sacerdotes y nuestros padres no han observado tu ley
ni han hecho caso a tus mandamientos ni a tus amonestaciones[r] con que los amonestabas[s].
35 Pero ellos en su propio reino,
con los[t] muchos bienes que tú les diste,
con la espaciosa y rica tierra[u] que pusiste delante de ellos(BS),
no te sirvieron ni se convirtieron de sus malas obras(BT).
36 He aquí, hoy somos esclavos,
y en cuanto a la tierra que diste a nuestros padres
para comer de sus frutos y de sus bienes,
he aquí, somos esclavos en ella(BU).
37 Y su abundante fruto es para los reyes
que tú pusiste sobre nosotros(BV) a causa de nuestros pecados,
los cuales dominan nuestros cuerpos
y nuestros ganados como les place,
y en gran angustia estamos.

38 [v]A causa de todo esto, nosotros hacemos un pacto fiel por escrito(BW); y en el documento sellado están los nombres de nuestros jefes(BX), nuestros levitas y nuestros sacerdotes.

Footnotes

  1. Nehemías 9:2 Lit., la simiente
  2. Nehemías 9:8 Lit., simiente
  3. Nehemías 9:9 Lit., mar de Cañas
  4. Nehemías 9:11 Lit., poderosas
  5. Nehemías 9:14 Lit., mano
  6. Nehemías 9:15 Lit., levantaste tu mano para darles
  7. Nehemías 9:17 Así en algunos mss. y en la versión gr. (sept.); en el T.M., en su rebelión
  8. Nehemías 9:18 Lit., provocaciones
  9. Nehemías 9:22 Lit., lado
  10. Nehemías 9:22 Así en un ms. y en la versión gr. (sept.); en el T.M., y la tierra del rey
  11. Nehemías 9:25 Lit., de grosura
  12. Nehemías 9:26 O, les testificaban
  13. Nehemías 9:26 Lit., provocaciones
  14. Nehemías 9:29 O, Les testificaste
  15. Nehemías 9:30 O, les testificaste
  16. Nehemías 9:30 Lit., mano
  17. Nehemías 9:30 Lit., las
  18. Nehemías 9:34 Lit., testimonios
  19. Nehemías 9:34 O, testificabas
  20. Nehemías 9:35 Lit., tus
  21. Nehemías 9:35 Lit., tierra de grosura
  22. Nehemías 9:38 En el texto heb., cap. 10:1
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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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Nehemiah 9
New King James Version

The People Confess Their Sins

9 Now on the twenty-fourth day of (A)this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, (B)and with [a]dust on their heads. 2 Then (C)those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and (D)confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 And they stood up in their place and (E)read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God.

4 Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the [b]stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the Lord their God. 5 And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said:

“Stand up and bless the Lord your God
Forever and ever!

“Blessed be (F)Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
6 (G)You alone are the Lord;
(H)You have made heaven,
(I)The heaven of heavens, with (J)all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You (K)preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You.

7 “You are the Lord God,
Who chose (L)Abram,
And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans,
And gave him the name (M)Abraham;
8 You found his heart (N)faithful before You,
And made a (O)covenant with him
To give the land of the Canaanites,
The Hittites, the Amorites,
The Perizzites, the Jebusites,
And the Girgashites—
To give it to his descendants.
You (P)have performed Your words,
For You are righteous.

9 “You(Q) saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt,
And (R)heard their cry by the Red Sea.
10 You (S)showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
Against all his servants,
And against all the people of his land.
For You knew that they (T)acted [c]proudly against them.
So You (U)made a name for Yourself, as it is this day.
11 (V)And You divided the sea before them,
So that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land;
And their persecutors You threw into the deep,
(W)As a stone into the mighty waters.
12 Moreover You (X)led them by day with a cloudy pillar,
And by night with a pillar of fire,
To give them light on the road
Which they should travel.

13 “You(Y) came down also on Mount Sinai,
And spoke with them from heaven,
And gave them (Z)just ordinances and true laws,
Good statutes and commandments.
14 You made known to them Your (AA)holy Sabbath,
And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws,
By the hand of Moses Your servant.
15 You (AB)gave them bread from heaven for their hunger,
And (AC)brought them water out of the rock for their thirst,
And told them to (AD)go in to possess the land
Which You had [d]sworn to give them.

16 “But(AE) they and our fathers acted [e]proudly,
(AF)Hardened[f] their necks,
And did not heed Your commandments.
17 They refused to obey,
And (AG)they were not mindful of Your wonders
That You did among them.
But they hardened their necks,
And [g]in their rebellion
They appointed (AH)a leader
To return to their bondage.
But You are God,
Ready to pardon,
(AI)Gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger,
Abundant in kindness,
And did not forsake them.

18 “Even (AJ)when they made a molded calf for themselves,
And said, ‘This is your god
That brought you up out of Egypt,’
And worked great provocations,
19 Yet in Your (AK)manifold mercies
You did not forsake them in the wilderness.
The (AL)pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day,
To lead them on the road;
Nor the pillar of fire by night,
To show them light,
And the way they should go.
20 You also gave Your (AM)good Spirit to instruct them,
And did not withhold Your (AN)manna from their mouth,
And gave them (AO)water for their thirst.
21 (AP)Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness;
They lacked nothing;
Their (AQ)clothes did not wear out
And their feet did not swell.

22 “Moreover You gave them kingdoms and nations,
And divided them into [h]districts.
So they took possession of the land of (AR)Sihon,
[i]The land of the king of Heshbon,
And the land of Og king of Bashan.
23 You also multiplied (AS)their children as the stars of heaven,
And brought them into the land
Which You had told their fathers
To go in and possess.
24 So (AT)the [j]people went in
And possessed the land;
(AU)You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land,
The Canaanites,
And gave them into their hands,
With their kings
And the people of the land,
That they might do with them as they wished.
25 And they took strong cities and a (AV)rich land,
And possessed (AW)houses full of all goods,
Cisterns already dug, vineyards, olive groves,
And [k]fruit trees in abundance.
So they ate and were filled and (AX)grew fat,
And delighted themselves in Your great (AY)goodness.

26 “Nevertheless they (AZ)were disobedient
And rebelled against You,
(BA)Cast Your law behind their backs
And killed Your (BB)prophets, who [l]testified against them
To turn them to Yourself;
And they worked great provocations.
27 (BC)Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies,
Who oppressed them;
And in the time of their trouble,
When they cried to You,
You (BD)heard from heaven;
And according to Your abundant mercies
(BE)You gave them deliverers who saved them
From the hand of their enemies.

28 “But after they had rest,
(BF)They again did evil before You.
Therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies,
So that they had dominion over them;
Yet when they returned and cried out to You,
You heard from heaven;
And (BG)many times You delivered them according to Your mercies,
29 And [m]testified against them,
That You might bring them back to Your law.
Yet they acted [n]proudly,
And did not heed Your commandments,
But sinned against Your judgments,
(BH)‘Which if a man does, he shall live by them.’
And they shrugged their shoulders,
[o]Stiffened their necks,
And would not hear.
30 Yet for many years You had patience with them,
And [p]testified (BI)against them by Your Spirit (BJ)in Your prophets.
Yet they would not listen;
(BK)Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
31 Nevertheless in Your great mercy
(BL)You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them;
For You are God, gracious and merciful.

32 “Now therefore, our God,
The great, the (BM)mighty, and awesome God,
Who keeps covenant and mercy:
Do not let all the [q]trouble seem small before You
That has come upon us,
Our kings and our princes,
Our priests and our prophets,
Our fathers and on all Your people,
(BN)From the days of the kings of Assyria until this day.
33 However (BO)You are just in all that has befallen us;
For You have dealt faithfully,
But (BP)we have done wickedly.
34 Neither our kings nor our princes,
Our priests nor our fathers,
Have kept Your law,
Nor heeded Your commandments and Your testimonies,
With which You testified against them.
35 For they have (BQ)not served You in their kingdom,
Or in the many good things that You gave them,
Or in the large and rich land which You set before them;
Nor did they turn from their wicked works.

36 “Here (BR)we are, servants today!
And the land that You gave to our fathers,
To eat its fruit and its bounty,
Here we are, servants in it!
37 And (BS)it yields much increase to the kings
You have set over us,
Because of our sins;
Also they have (BT)dominion over our bodies and our cattle
At their pleasure;
And we are in great distress.

38 “And because of all this,
We (BU)make a sure covenant and write it;
Our leaders, our Levites, and our priests (BV)seal it.”

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 9:1 Lit. earth on them
  2. Nehemiah 9:4 Lit. ascent
  3. Nehemiah 9:10 presumptuously or insolently
  4. Nehemiah 9:15 Lit. raised Your hand to
  5. Nehemiah 9:16 presumptuously
  6. Nehemiah 9:16 Stiffened their necks, became stubborn
  7. Nehemiah 9:17 So with MT, Vg.; LXX in Egypt
  8. Nehemiah 9:22 Lit. corners
  9. Nehemiah 9:22 So with MT, Vg.; LXX omits The land of
  10. Nehemiah 9:24 Lit. sons
  11. Nehemiah 9:25 Lit. trees for eating
  12. Nehemiah 9:26 admonished or warned them
  13. Nehemiah 9:29 admonished them
  14. Nehemiah 9:29 presumptuously
  15. Nehemiah 9:29 Became stubborn
  16. Nehemiah 9:30 admonished or warned them
  17. Nehemiah 9:32 hardship
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Nehemiah 8
Nehemiah 10
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