Nehemiah 9:13-22

Common English Bible

¹³ You came down upon Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven.
        You gave them proper judgments and true Instruction,
            good statutes and commandments.
¹⁴         You made known to them your holy Sabbath,
            and gave them commandments, statutes, and Instruction through your servant Moses.
¹⁵ When they were hungry, you gave them bread from heaven;
        when they were thirsty, you brought water out of the rock for them.
You told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give them.

¹⁶ But our ancestors acted arrogantly.
        They were stubborn and wouldn’t obey your commandments.
¹⁷         They refused to obey,
            and didn’t remember the wonders that you accomplished in their midst.
        They acted arrogantly and decided to return to their slavery in Egypt.
But you are a God ready to forgive, merciful and compassionate,
        very patient, and truly faithful.
        You didn’t forsake them.
¹⁸ Even when they had cast an image of a calf for themselves,
        saying, “This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,”
            and holding you in great contempt,
¹⁹     you, in your great mercy, didn’t abandon them in the wilderness.
        The column of cloud continued to guide them on their journey during the day,
            and the column of lightning lit their path during the night.
²⁰ You gave your good spirit to teach them.
        You didn’t withhold your manna from them,
        and you gave them water for their thirst.
²¹ You kept them alive for forty years—
        they lacked nothing in the wilderness!
        Their clothes didn’t wear out,
            and their feet didn’t swell.

²² You gave them kingdoms and peoples,
            and assigned to them every side.^[a]
        They took possession of the land of King Sihon of Heshbon
            and the land of King Og of Bashan.