and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose(A) Israel, I swore with uplifted hand(B) to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the Lord your God.(C) On that day I swore(D) to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey,(E) the most beautiful of all lands.(F) And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images(G) you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols(H) of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.(I)

“‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me;(J) they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.(K) So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt.(L) But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt.(M) I did it to keep my name from being profaned(N) in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites. 10 Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.(O) 11 I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live.(P) 12 Also I gave them my Sabbaths(Q) as a sign(R) between us,(S) so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.(T)

13 “‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled(U) against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws(V)—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths.(W) So I said I would pour out my wrath(X) on them and destroy(Y) them in the wilderness.(Z) 14 But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned(AA) in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.(AB) 15 Also with uplifted hand I swore(AC) to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands(AD) 16 because they rejected my laws(AE) and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts(AF) were devoted to their idols.(AG) 17 Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy(AH) them or put an end to them in the wilderness. 18 I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents(AI) or keep their laws or defile yourselves(AJ) with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God;(AK) follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.(AL) 20 Keep my Sabbaths(AM) holy, that they may be a sign(AN) between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.(AO)

21 “‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws,(AP) of which I said, “The person who obeys them will live by them,” and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger(AQ) against them in the wilderness.(AR) 22 But I withheld(AS) my hand, and for the sake of my name(AT) I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter(AU) them through the countries, 24 because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees(AV) and desecrated my Sabbaths,(AW) and their eyes lusted after(AX) their parents’ idols.(AY) 25 So I gave(AZ) them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live;(BA) 26 I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice(BB) of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.(BC)

Read full chapter

Standing on the stairs of the Levites(A) were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani. They cried out with loud voices to the Lord their God. And the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah—said: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God,(B) who is from everlasting to everlasting.[a]

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

“You are the Lord God, who chose Abram(K) and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans(L) and named him Abraham.(M) 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.(N) You have kept your promise(O) because you are righteous.(P)

“You saw the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt;(Q) you heard their cry at the Red Sea.[b](R) 10 You sent signs(S) and wonders(T) 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(U) for yourself,(V) which remains to this day. 11 You divided the sea before them,(W) so that they passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the depths,(X) like a stone into mighty waters.(Y) 12 By day(Z) you led(AA) them with a pillar of cloud,(AB) 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;(AC) you spoke(AD) to them from heaven.(AE) You gave them regulations and laws that are just(AF) and right, and decrees and commands that are good.(AG) 14 You made known to them your holy Sabbath(AH) and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. 15 In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven(AI) and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock;(AJ) you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand(AK) to give them.(AL)

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

19 “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon(AZ) them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud(BA) 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(BB) to instruct(BC) them. You did not withhold your manna(BD) from their mouths, and you gave them water(BE) for their thirst. 21 For forty years(BF) you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing,(BG) their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.(BH)

22 “You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon[c](BI) king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan.(BJ) 23 You made their children as numerous as the stars in the sky,(BK) 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.(BL) You subdued(BM) 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;(BN) they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things,(BO) wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished;(BP) they reveled in your great goodness.(BQ)

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

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

32 “Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty(CL) and awesome,(CM) who keeps his covenant of love,(CN) do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes—the hardship(CO) 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;(CP) you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly.(CQ) 34 Our kings,(CR) our leaders, our priests and our ancestors(CS) 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(CT) to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you(CU) or turn from their evil ways.

36 “But see, we are slaves(CV) 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.(CW)

The Agreement of the People

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

Read full chapter

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.

Bible Gateway Recommends