32 “Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty(A) and awesome,(B) who keeps his covenant of love,(C) do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes—the hardship(D) 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;(E) you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly.(F) 34 Our kings,(G) our leaders, our priests and our ancestors(H) 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(I) to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you(J) or turn from their evil ways.

36 “But see, we are slaves(K) 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.(L)

The Agreement of the People

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

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 9:38 In Hebrew texts this verse (9:38) is numbered 10:1.

32 Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.

33 Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:

34 Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.

35 For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.

36 Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it:

37 And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.

38 And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.

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