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National Confession

Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the Israelites were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth and with earth on their heads.[a](A) Then those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors.(B) They stood up in their place and read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for a fourth part of the day, and for another fourth they made confession and worshiped the Lord their God.(C) Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the Lord their God.(D) 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. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.”(E)

And Ezra said,[b] “You are the Lord, you alone; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. To all of them you give life, and the host of heaven worships you.(F) You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham;(G) and you found his heart faithful before you and made with him a covenant to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, and you have fulfilled your promise, for you are righteous.(H)

“And you saw the distress of our ancestors in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea.[c](I) 10 You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted insolently against our ancestors. You made a name for yourself that remains to this day.(J) 11 And you divided the sea before them, so that they passed through the sea on dry land, but you threw their pursuers into the depths like a stone into mighty waters.(K) 12 Moreover, you led them by day with a pillar of cloud and by night with a pillar of fire, to give them light on the way in which they should go.(L) 13 You came down also upon Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments,(M) 14 and you made known your holy Sabbath to them and gave them commandments and statutes and a law through Moses your servant.(N) 15 For their hunger you gave them bread from heaven, and for their thirst you brought water for them out of the rock, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you swore to give them.(O)

16 “But they, our ancestors, acted presumptuously and stiffened their necks and did not obey your commandments;(P) 17 they refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and you did not forsake them.(Q) 18 Even when they had cast an image of a calf for themselves and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies,(R) 19 you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness; the pillar of cloud that led them in the way did not leave them by day nor the pillar of fire by night that gave them light on the way by which they should go.(S) 20 You gave your good spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouths and gave them water for their thirst.(T) 21 Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness so that they lacked nothing; their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell.(U) 22 And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner,[d] so they took possession of the land of King Sihon of Heshbon and the land of King Og of Bashan.(V) 23 You multiplied their descendants like the stars of heaven and brought them into the land that you had told their ancestors to enter and possess.(W) 24 So the descendants went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hands, with their kings and the peoples of the land, to do with them as they pleased.(X) 25 And they captured fortress cities and a rich land and took possession of houses filled with all sorts of goods, hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive orchards, and fruit trees in abundance; so they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness.(Y)

26 “Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their backs and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies.(Z) 27 Therefore you gave them into the hands of their enemies, who made them suffer. Then 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 saviors who saved them from the hands of their enemies. 28 But after they had rest, they again did evil before you, and you abandoned them to the hands of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them, yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you rescued them according to your mercies. 29 And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law, yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments but sinned against your ordinances, by the observance of which a person shall live. They turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. 30 Many years you were patient with them and warned them by 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 mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

32 “Now therefore, our God—the great and mighty and awesome God, keeping covenant and steadfast love—do not treat lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, upon our kings, our officials, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until today. 33 You have been just in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly; 34 our kings, our officials, our priests, and our ancestors have not kept your law or heeded the commandments and the warnings that you gave them. 35 Even in their own kingdom, and in the great goodness you bestowed on them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you and did not turn from their wicked works. 36 Here we are, slaves to this day, slaves in the land that you gave to our ancestors to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts.(AA) 37 Its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins; they have power also over our bodies and over our livestock at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.”(AB)

Those Who Signed the Covenant

38 [e]Because of all this we make a firm agreement in writing, and on that sealed document are inscribed the names of our officials, our Levites, and our priests.(AC)

Footnotes

  1. 9.1 Heb on them
  2. 9.6 Gk: Heb lacks And Ezra said
  3. 9.9 Or Sea of Reeds
  4. 9.22 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  5. 9.38 10.1 in Heb

Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.

And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the Lord their God.

Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the Lord their God.

Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;

And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous:

And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;

10 And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day.

11 And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters.

12 Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.

13 Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:

14 And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant:

15 And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.

16 But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,

17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

18 Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;

19 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.

20 Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.

21 Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.

22 Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.

23 Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.

24 So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

25 And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.

26 Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

27 Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.

28 But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the land of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;

29 And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

30 Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.

31 Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.

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.

Nang ikadalawang pu't apat na araw nga ng buwang ito ay nagpupulong ang mga anak ni Israel na may pagaayuno, at may pananamit na magaspang, at may lupa sa ulo nila.

At ang binhi ni Israel ay nagsihiwalay sa lahat na taga ibang bayan, at nagsitayo at nangagpahayag ng kanilang mga kasalanan, at ng mga kasamaan ng kanilang mga magulang.

At sila'y nagsitayo sa kanilang dako, at bumasa sa aklat ng kautusan ng Panginoon nilang Dios ng isang ikaapat na bahagi ng araw; at ang isang ikaapat na bahagi ay nagpahayag ng kasalanan, at nagsisamba sa Panginoon nilang Dios.

Nang magkagayo'y nagsitayo sa mga baytang ng mga Levita, si Jesua, at si Bani, si Cadmiel, si Sebanias, si Bunni, si Serebias, si Bani at si Chenani, at nagsidaing ng malakas sa Panginoon nilang Dios.

Nang magkagayo'y ang mga Levita; si Jesua at si Cadmiel, si Bani, at si Hosabnias, si Serebias, si Odaias, si Sebanias, at si Pethaia, ay nagsipagsabi, Kayo'y magsitayo at magsipuri sa Panginoon ninyong Dios na mula sa walang pasimula hanggang sa walang hanggan: at purihin ang iyong maluwalhating pangalan, na nataas ng higit sa lahat ng pagpapala at pagpuri.

Ikaw ang Panginoon, ikaw lamang; ikaw ang lumikha ng langit, ng langit ng mga langit, pati ng lahat na natatanaw roon, ng lupa at ng lahat na bagay na nangaroon, ng mga dagat at ng lahat na nangaroon, at iyong pinamalaging lahat; at ang hukbo ng langit ay sumasamba sa iyo.

Ikaw ang Panginoon na Dios, na siyang pumili kay Abram, at naglabas sa kaniya sa Ur ng mga Caldeo, at nagbigay sa kaniya ng pangalang Abraham.

At nasumpungan mo ang kaniyang puso na tapat sa harap mo, at nakipagtipan ka sa kaniya, upang ibigay ang lupain ng Cananeo, ng Hetheo, at ng Amorrheo, at ng Pherezeo, at ng Jebuseo, at ng Gergeseo, upang ibigay sa kaniyang binhi, at tumupad ng iyong mga salita; sapagka't ikaw ay matuwid.

At iyong nakita ang kadalamhatian ng aming mga magulang sa Egipto, at iyong dininig ang kanilang daing sa tabi ng Dagat na Mapula:

10 At nagpakita ka ng mga tanda at mga kababalaghan kay Faraon, at sa lahat niyang mga lingkod, at sa buong bayan ng kaniyang lupain; sapagka't iyong nakilala na sila'y nagsigawa na may kapalaluan laban sa kanila; at ipinagimbot mo ikaw ng pangalan gaya sa araw na ito.

11 At iyong hinawi ang dagat sa harap nila na anopa't sila'y nagsidaan sa gitna ng dagat sa tuyong lupa; at ang mga manghahabol sa kanila ay iyong ibinulusok sa mga kalaliman na gaya ng isang bato sa malalim na tubig.

12 Bukod dito'y iyong pinatnubayan sila sa isang tila haliging ulap sa araw; at sa isang tila haliging apoy sa gabi, upang bigyan sila ng tanglaw sa daan na kanilang lalakaran.

13 Ikaw rin naman ay bumaba sa bundok ng Sinai, at nagsalita ka sa kanila mula sa langit, at binigyan mo sila ng mga matuwid na kahatulan at mga tunay na kautusan, mga mabuting palatuntunan at mga utos:

14 At ipinakilala mo sa kanila ang iyong banal na sabbath, at nagutos ka sa kanila ng mga utos, at ng mga palatuntunan, at ng kautusan, sa pamamagitan ni Moises na iyong lingkod:

15 At nagbigay ka sa kanila ng tinapay na mula sa langit sa kanilang pagkagutom, at nilabasan mo sila ng tubig na mula sa malaking bato sa kanilang pagkauhaw, at inutusan mo sila na magsipasok na ariin ang lupain na iyong isinumpa upang ibigay sa kanila.

16 Nguni't sila at ang aming mga magulang ay nagsigawa na may kapalaluan, at nagpatigas ng kanilang leeg, at hindi dininig ang iyong mga utos.

17 At nagsitanggi na magsisunod, ni hindi man inalaala ang iyong mga kababalaghan na iyong ginawa sa gitna nila, kundi nagpatigas ng kanilang leeg, at sa kanilang panghihimagsik ay naghalal ng isang punong kawal upang magsibalik sa kanilang pagkabihag. Nguni't ikaw ay Dios na madaling magpatawad, mapagbiyaya at puspos ng kaawaan, banayad sa pagkagalit, at sagana sa kahabagan, at hindi mo pinabayaan sila.

18 Oo, nang sila'y magsigawa sa kanila ng isang guyang binubo, at magsabi, Ito ay iyong Dios na nagahon sa iyo mula sa Egipto, at sila'y nagsigawa ng malaking pamumungkahi;

19 Gayon ma'y ikaw sa iyong masaganang mga kaawaan ay hindi mo pinabayaan sila sa ilang: ang tila haliging ulap ay hindi humiwalay sa kanila sa araw, upang patnubayan sila sa daan; ni ang tila haliging apoy man sa gabi, upang pagpakitaan sila ng liwanag at ng daan na kanilang lalakaran.

20 Iyo rin namang ibinigay ang iyong mabuting Espiritu upang turuan sila, at hindi mo inaalis ang iyong mana sa kanilang bibig, at bigyan mo sila ng tubig sa kanilang pagkauhaw.

21 Oo apat na pung taon na iyong kinandili sila sa ilang, at hindi sila nagkulang ng anoman; ang kanilang mga suot ay hindi naluma, at ang kanilang mga paa ay hindi namaga.

22 Bukod dito'y binigyan mo sila ng mga kaharian at mga bayan, na iyong binahagi ayon sa kanilang mga bahagi: sa gayo'y kanilang inari ang lupain ng Sehon, sa makatuwid baga'y ang lupain ng hari sa Hesbon, at ang lupain ni Og na hari, sa Basan.

23 Ang kanila namang mga anak ay pinarami mo na gaya ng mga bituin sa langit, at mga ipinasok mo sila sa lupain, tungkol doon sa iyong sinabi sa kanilang mga magulang, na sila'y magsiparoon, upang ariin.

24 Sa gayo'y ang mga anak ay pumasok at inari ang lupain, at iyong pinasuko sa harap nila ang mga mananahan sa lupain, ang mga Cananeo, at ibinigay mo sa kanilang mga kamay, pati ng kanilang mga hari, at ang mga bayan ng lupain, upang magawa nila sa kanila kung ano ang kanilang ibigin.

25 At sila'y nagsisakop ng mga bayan na nakukutaan, at ng matabang lupain, at nangagari ng mga bahay na puno ng lahat na mabubuting bagay, ng mga balon na hinukay, ng mga ubasan, at ng mga olibohan, at ng mga punong kahoy na may bungang sagana: na anopa't sila'y nagsikain, at nangabusog, at naging mataba, at nangaaliw sa iyong malaking kagandahang loob.

26 Gayon ma'y naging manunuway sila at nanghimagsik laban sa iyo, at tinalikdan ang iyong kautusan, at pinatay ang iyong mga propeta na nangagpatotoo laban sa kanila na sila'y magsipanumbalik sa iyo, at sila'y nagsigawa ng malaking pamumungkahi.

27 Kaya't iyong ibinigay sila sa kamay ng kanilang mga kalaban, na siyang nangagpapanglaw sa kanila: at sa panahon ng kanilang kabagabagan, nang sila'y magsidaing sa iyo, iyong dininig mula sa langit; at ayon sa iyong saganang mga kaawaan ay iyong binigyan sila ng mga tagapagligtas, na nangagligtas sa kanila sa kamay ng kanilang mga kalaban.

28 Nguni't pagkatapos ng kanilang kapahingahan, sila'y nagsigawa uli ng kasamaan sa harap mo: kaya't pinabayaan mo sila sa kamay ng kanilang mga kaaway, na anopa't mga napapanginoon sa kanila: gayon ma'y nang sila'y magsipanumbalik, at magsidaing sa iyo, iyong dininig mula sa langit; at madalas na iyong iniligtas sila ayon sa iyong mga kaawaan.

29 At sumaksi ka laban sa kanila, upang mangaibalik mo sila sa iyong kautusan. Gayon ma'y nagsigawa sila na may kapalaluan, at hindi dininig ang iyong mga utos, kundi nangagkasala laban sa iyong mga kahatulan, (na kung gawin ng isang tao, siya'y mabubuhay sa kanila,) at iniurong ang balikat at nagpatigas ng kanilang leeg, at hindi nangakinig.

30 Gayon ma'y tiniis mong malaon sila, at sumaksi ka laban sa kanila ng iyong Espiritu sa pamamagitan ng iyong mga propeta: gayon ma'y hindi sila nangakinig: kaya't ibinigay mo sila sa kamay ng mga bayan ng mga lupain.

31 Gayon ma'y sa iyong masaganang mga kaawaan ay hindi mo lubos na niwakasan sila, o pinabayaan man sila; sapagka't ikaw ay mapagbiyaya at maawaing Dios.

32 Ngayon nga, aming Dios, na dakila, na makapangyarihan at kakilakilabot na Dios, na nagiingat ng tipan at kaawaan, huwag mong ariing munting bagay sa harap mo ang hirap na dumating sa amin, sa aming mga hari, sa aming mga prinsipe, at sa aming mga saserdote, at sa aming mga propeta, at sa aming mga magulang, at sa iyong buong bayan, mula sa kapanahunan ng mga hari sa Asiria hanggang sa araw na ito.

33 Gayon ma'y banal ka sa lahat na dumating sa amin; sapagka't gumawa kang may pagtatapat, nguni't nagsigawa kaming may kasamaan:

34 Kahit ang aming mga hari, ang aming mga pangulo, ang aming mga saserdote, o ang aming mga magulang man, hindi nangagingat ng iyong kautusan, o nakinig man sa iyong mga utos at sa iyong mga patotoo, na iyong ipinatotoo laban sa kanila.

35 Sapagka't sila'y hindi nangaglingkod sa iyo sa kanilang kaharian, at sa iyong dakilang kagandahang loob na iyong ipinakita sa kanila, at sa malaki at mabungang lupain na iyong ibinigay sa harap nila, o nagsihiwalay man sila sa kanilang mga masamang gawa.

36 Narito, kami ay mga alipin sa araw na ito, at tungkol sa lupain na iyong ibinigay sa aming mga magulang upang kanin ang bunga niyaon, at ang buti niyaon, narito, kami ay mga alipin doon.

37 At ang lupain ay nagbubunga ng marami sa ganang mga hari na iyong inilagay sa amin dahil sa aming mga kasalanan: sila nama'y may kapangyarihan din sa aming mga katawan, at sa aming hayop sa ikapagsasaya nila, at kami ay nangasa malaking kapanglawan.

38 At gayon ma'y dahil sa lahat na ito ay tapat na nangakikipagtipan kami, at isinusulat namin; at tinatakdaan ng aming mga prinsipe, ng aming mga Levita, at ng aming mga saserdote.

The People Confess Their Sins

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. 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. 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.

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. 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!
(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.

“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;
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.

“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