The People Confess Their Sin

Now on the twenty-fourth day of (A)this month the sons of Israel assembled (B)with fasting, in sackcloth and with (C)dirt upon them. The [a](D)descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and they stood and (E)confessed their sins and the wrongdoings of their fathers. While (F)they stood in their place, they read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God. (G)Now on the Levites’ platform stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and they cried out with a loud voice to the Lord their God.

Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, “Arise, bless the Lord your God forever and ever!

May Your glorious name be blessed
And exalted above all blessing and praise!
(H)You alone are the Lord.
(I)You have made the heavens,
The heaven of heavens with all their [b]lights,
The earth and everything that is on it,
The seas and everything that is in them.
(J)You give life to all of them,
And the heavenly [c]lights bow down before You.
You are the Lord God,
(K)Who chose Abram
And brought him out from (L)Ur of the Chaldees,
And (M)gave him the name Abraham.
You found (N)his heart faithful before You,
And made a covenant with him
To give him the land of the Canaanite,
Of the Hittite and the Amorite,
Of the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite—
To give it to his [d]descendants.
And You (O)have fulfilled Your [e]promise,
Because You are righteous.

(P)You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt,
And (Q)heard their cry by the [f]Red Sea.
10 Then You performed (R)signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
Against all his servants and all the people of his land;
For You knew that (S)they acted arrogantly toward them,
And You (T)made a name for Yourself as it is this day.
11 (U)You divided the sea before them,
So they passed through the midst of the sea on dry ground;
And You hurled (V)their pursuers into the depths,
Like a stone into [g]raging waters.
12 And with a pillar of cloud (W)You led them by day,
And with a pillar of fire by night
To light for them the way
In which they were to go.
13 Then (X)You came down on Mount Sinai,
And (Y)spoke with them from heaven;
You gave them (Z)just ordinances and true laws,
Good statutes and commandments.
14 So You made known to them (AA)Your holy Sabbath,
And gave them commandments, statutes, and law,
Through Your servant Moses.
15 You (AB)provided bread from heaven for them for their hunger,
You (AC)brought out water from a rock for them for their thirst,
And You (AD)told them to enter in order to take possession of
The land which You [h]swore to give them.

16 “But they, our fathers, (AE)acted arrogantly;
They [i](AF)became stubborn and would not listen to Your commandments.
17 They refused to listen,
And (AG)did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You performed among them;
So they became stubborn and (AH)appointed a leader to return to their slavery in [j]Egypt.
But You are a God (AI)of forgiveness,
Gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger and abounding in [k]mercy;
And You did not abandon them.
18 Even when they (AJ)made for themselves
A calf of cast metal
And said, ‘This is your [l]god
Who brought you up from Egypt,’
And committed great blasphemies,
19 (AK)You, in Your great compassion,
Did not abandon them in the wilderness;
(AL)The pillar of cloud did not leave them by day,
To guide them on their way,
Nor the pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they were to go.
20 Instead, (AM)You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,
You did not withhold Your manna from their mouth,
And You gave them water for their thirst.
21 Indeed, for (AN)forty years You provided for them in the wilderness and they were not lacking;
Their clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell up.
22 You also gave them kingdoms and peoples,
And allotted them to them as a [m]boundary.
(AO)They took possession of the land of Sihon [n]the king of Heshbon
And the land of Og the king of Bashan.
23 You made their sons as numerous as (AP)the stars of heaven,
And You brought them into the land
Which You had told their fathers to enter and possess.
24 (AQ)So their sons entered and took possession of the land.
And (AR)You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites,
And You handed them over to them, with their kings and the peoples of the land,
To do with them [o]as they desired.
25 (AS)They captured fortified cities and a [p](AT)fertile land.
They took possession of (AU)houses full of every good thing,
Carved out cisterns, vineyards, olive groves,
Fruit trees in abundance.
So they ate, were filled and (AV)put on fat,
And (AW)lived luxuriously in Your great goodness.

26 (AX)But they became rebellious and revolted against You,
And (AY)threw Your Law behind their backs
And (AZ)killed Your prophets who had (BA)admonished them
In order to bring them back to You,
And (BB)they committed great blasphemies.
27 Therefore You (BC)handed them over to their enemies who oppressed them,
But when they cried out to You (BD)in the time of their distress,
You heard from heaven, and according to Your great compassion
You (BE)gave them [q]people who saved them from the hand of their enemies.
28 But (BF)as soon as they had rest, they did evil again before You;
Therefore You abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they ruled over them.
When they cried out again to You, You heard from heaven,
And (BG)many times You rescued them according to Your compassion,
29 And (BH)admonished them in order to turn them back to Your Law.
Yet (BI)they acted arrogantly and did not listen to Your commandments but sinned against Your ordinances,
(BJ)Which, if a person [r]follows them, then he will live by them.
And they [s](BK)turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck, and would not listen.
30 (BL)However, You remained patient with them for many years,
And (BM)admonished them by (BN)Your Spirit through Your prophets,
Yet they would not listen.
Therefore You handed them over to the peoples of the lands.
31 Nevertheless, in Your great compassion You (BO)did not make an end of them or abandon them,
For You are (BP)a gracious and compassionate God.

32 “Now then, our God, (BQ)the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps His covenant and faithfulness,
Do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before You,
Which has happened to us, our kings, our leaders, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and to all Your people,
(BR)From the days of the kings of Assyria to this day.
33 However, (BS)You are righteous in everything that has happened to us;
For You have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly.
34 For our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our fathers have not kept Your Law
Or paid attention to Your commandments and Your [t]admonitions with which You have [u]admonished them.
35 But (BT)they, in their own kingdom,
(BU)With Your great goodness which You gave them,
With the broad and rich land which You placed before them,
Did not serve You or turn from their evil deeds.
36 Behold, (BV)we are slaves today,
And as for the land which You gave to our fathers to eat its fruit and its bounty,
Behold, we are slaves on it.
37 And (BW)its abundant produce is for the kings
Whom You have set over us because of our sins;
They also rule over our bodies
And over our cattle as they please,
So we are in great distress.

A Covenant Results

38 [v]Now because of all this
(BX)We are making an agreement in writing;
And on the (BY)sealed document are the names of our leaders, our Levites, and our priests.”

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 9:2 Lit seed
  2. Nehemiah 9:6 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.
  3. Nehemiah 9:6 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.
  4. Nehemiah 9:8 Lit seed
  5. Nehemiah 9:8 Lit words
  6. Nehemiah 9:9 Lit Sea of Reeds
  7. Nehemiah 9:11 Lit strong, mighty
  8. Nehemiah 9:15 Lit lifted up Your hand
  9. Nehemiah 9:16 Lit stiffened their neck; so also v 17
  10. Nehemiah 9:17 As in LXX and some Heb mss; MT their rebellion
  11. Nehemiah 9:17 Or faithfulness
  12. Nehemiah 9:18 Or God; i.e., an idol intended to represent God
  13. Nehemiah 9:22 Lit side, corner
  14. Nehemiah 9:22 As in LXX and Lat; MT and the land of the king of Heshbon
  15. Nehemiah 9:24 Lit according to their desire
  16. Nehemiah 9:25 Lit fat
  17. Nehemiah 9:27 Lit deliverers
  18. Nehemiah 9:29 Lit does them
  19. Nehemiah 9:29 Lit gave
  20. Nehemiah 9:34 Lit testimonies
  21. Nehemiah 9:34 Or testified to
  22. Nehemiah 9:38 Ch 10:1 in Heb

The Israelites Confess Their Sins

On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads.(A) 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) 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. 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. 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. 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.

“You are the Lord God, who chose Abram(N) and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans(O) and named him Abraham.(P) 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)

“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.

10 Then he said to them, “Go, eat the festival foods, drink the sweet drinks, and (A)send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your [a]refuge.”

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 8:10 Or stronghold

10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing(A) prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy(B) of the Lord is your strength.”

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A Contrite Sinner’s Prayer for Pardon.

For the music director. A Psalm of David, when [a]Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

51 (A)Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithfulness;
According to the greatness of (B)Your compassion, (C)wipe out my wrongdoings.
(D)Wash me thoroughly from my guilt
And (E)cleanse me from my sin.
For I (F)know my wrongdoings,
And my sin is constantly before me.
(G)Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is (H)evil in Your sight,
So that (I)You [b]are justified [c]when You speak
And [d]blameless when You judge.

Behold, I was (J)brought forth in guilt,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire (K)truth in the [e]innermost being,
And in secret You will (L)make wisdom known to me.
[f]Purify me (M)with hyssop, and I will be clean;
[g]Cleanse me, and I will be (N)whiter than snow.
[h]Let me hear (O)joy and gladness,
Let the (P)bones You have broken rejoice.
(Q)Hide Your face from my sins
And wipe out all my guilty deeds.

10 (R)Create [i]in me a (S)clean heart, God,
And renew a (T)steadfast spirit within me.
11 (U)Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your (V)Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the (W)joy of Your salvation,
And sustain me with a (X)willing spirit.
13 Then I will (Y)teach wrongdoers Your ways,
And sinners will [j]be (Z)converted to You.

14 Save me from (AA)the guilt of bloodshed, God, (AB)the God of my salvation;
Then my (AC)tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
15 Lord, [k](AD)open my lips,
So that my mouth may (AE)declare Your praise.
16 For You (AF)do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You do not take pleasure in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a (AG)broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.

18 (AH)By Your favor do good to Zion;
[l](AI)Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You will delight in [m](AJ)righteous sacrifices,
In (AK)burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then [n]bulls will be offered on Your altar.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 51 Title 2 Sam 12:1
  2. Psalm 51:4 Or may be in the right
  3. Psalm 51:4 Many mss in Your words
  4. Psalm 51:4 Lit pure
  5. Psalm 51:6 Or inward parts
  6. Psalm 51:7 Or May You purify...that I may be clean
  7. Psalm 51:7 Or May You cleanse
  8. Psalm 51:8 Or May You cause
  9. Psalm 51:10 Lit for
  10. Psalm 51:13 Or turn back
  11. Psalm 51:15 Or may You open
  12. Psalm 51:18 Or May You build
  13. Psalm 51:19 Or sacrifices of righteousness
  14. Psalm 51:19 Lit they will offer bulls

Psalm 51[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.(A)

Have mercy(B) on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;(C)
according to your great compassion(D)
    blot out(E) my transgressions.(F)
Wash away(G) all my iniquity
    and cleanse(H) me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.(I)
Against you, you only, have I sinned(J)
    and done what is evil in your sight;(K)
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.(L)
Surely I was sinful(M) at birth,(N)
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom(O) in that secret place.(P)

Cleanse(Q) me with hyssop,(R) and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.(S)
Let me hear joy and gladness;(T)
    let the bones(U) you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins(V)
    and blot out(W) all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart,(X) O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.(Y)
11 Do not cast me(Z) from your presence(AA)
    or take your Holy Spirit(AB) from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation(AC)
    and grant me a willing spirit,(AD) to sustain me.(AE)

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,(AF)
    so that sinners(AG) will turn back to you.(AH)
14 Deliver me(AI) from the guilt of bloodshed,(AJ) O God,
    you who are God my Savior,(AK)
    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.(AL)
15 Open my lips, Lord,(AM)
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice,(AN) or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice,(AO) O God, is[b] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart(AP)
    you, God, will not despise.

18 May it please you to prosper Zion,(AQ)
    to build up the walls of Jerusalem.(AR)
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,(AS)
    in burnt offerings(AT) offered whole;
    then bulls(AU) will be offered on your altar.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 51:1 In Hebrew texts 51:1-19 is numbered 51:3-21.
  2. Psalm 51:17 Or The sacrifices of God are

10 For if while we were (A)enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved [a](B)by His life. 11 (C)And not only this, but [b]we also celebrate in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received (D)the reconciliation.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 5:10 Or in
  2. Romans 5:11 Lit also boasting

10 For if, while we were God’s enemies,(A) we were reconciled(B) to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!(C) 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.(D)

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31 (A)Hurl away from you all your offenses which you have committed and make yourselves a (B)new heart and a new spirit! For why should you die, house of Israel?

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31 Rid(A) yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart(B) and a new spirit. Why(C) will you die, people of Israel?(D)

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By faith he lived as a stranger in (A)the land of promise, as in a foreign land, (B)living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, (C)fellow heirs of the same promise;

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By faith he made his home in the promised land(A) like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents,(B) as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.(C)

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