Nehemías 9
La Palabra (España)
Confesión del pueblo de Israel
9 El vigésimo cuarto día de ese mes se reunieron los israelitas y ayunaron vestidos de sayal y cubiertos de polvo. 2 Se separaron los del linaje de Israel de todos los extranjeros y, en pie, confesaron sus pecados y las culpas de sus antepasados. 3 Durante una cuarta parte del día, estando de pie en su sitio, leyeron el Libro de la Ley del Señor, su Dios; durante otra cuarta parte del día reconocieron sus pecados y adoraron al Señor, su Dios. 4 Luego subieron al estrado los levitas Josué, Baní, Cadmiel, Sebanías, Bunní, Serebías, Baní y Quenaní e invocaron en alta voz al Señor, su Dios. 5 Esto es lo que dijeron los levitas Josué, Cadmiel, Baní, Jasabnías, Serebías, Hodías, Sebanías y Petaías:
— Decidíos a bendecir al Señor vuestro Dios:
Desde siempre y para siempre
sea bendito tu nombre glorioso,
que sobrepasa toda bendición y alabanza.
6 Tú eres el Señor, sólo tú.
Tú hiciste los cielos,
lo más alto de los cielos
y todos sus ejércitos;
la tierra y cuanto hay en ella,
los mares y todo cuanto hay en ellos.
A todas las cosas das vida
y te adoran los ejércitos del cielo.
7 Tú eres el Señor,
el Dios que escogió a Abrán,
a quien sacaste de Ur de los Caldeos
y pusiste por nombre Abrahán.
8 Viste que te era fiel
e hiciste alianza con él,
para darle a él y a su linaje
la tierra del cananeo, del hitita,
del amorreo, del ferezeo,
del jebuseo y del guirgaseo.
Y siendo como eres leal,
has cumplido tu palabra.
9 Tú viste cómo sufrían
nuestros antepasados en Egipto,
escuchaste en el mar de las Cañas su clamor.
10 Hiciste señales y prodigios
contra el faraón y todos sus siervos,
contra todo el pueblo de su tierra,
porque pudiste comprobar
con cuánta insolencia los trataban.
Así te labraste una fama
que hoy todavía perdura.
11 Abriste el mar ante ellos
y lo cruzaron a pie enjuto.
Arrojaste a sus perseguidores
al abismo como se lanza una piedra
a las aguas turbulentas.
12 Durante el día los guiaste
mediante una columna de nube;
por la noche los alumbrabas
mediante una columna de fuego
para que prosiguieran su camino.
13 Descendiste al monte Sinaí
y hablaste con ellos desde el cielo.
Les diste normas justas,
leyes verdaderas,
buenos preceptos y estatutos.
14 Les hiciste saber que el sábado
es día consagrado a ti.
Por medio de tu siervo Moisés
les procuraste mandamientos,
unos estatutos y una ley.
15 Para su hambre, les diste pan del cielo;
para su sed, agua brotada de la peña.
Les dijiste que entraran a poseer la tierra,
que habías jurado solemnemente regalarles.
16 Pero nuestros antepasados
actuaron con soberbia
y desoyeron, tercos, tus mandatos.
17 No quisieron escucharte,
no se acordaron de las maravillas
que hiciste en su favor;
rebeldes y tozudos,
se empeñaron en regresar
a su situación de esclavitud.
Pero tú eres un Dios que perdona,
un Dios clemente y compasivo,
lento a la ira y rico en amor.
Así que no los abandonaste,
18 ni siquiera cuando se hicieron
un becerro fundido y proclamaron:
“Este es el dios que te sacó de Egipto”,
cometiendo así un tremendo pecado.
19 Tú, por tu inmensa ternura,
no los abandonaste en el desierto.
No les faltó la columna de nube
para guiarlos por el camino durante el día,
ni la columna de fuego,
para alumbrar por la noche
la senda que debían recorrer.
20 Les diste tu buen espíritu
y de esa manera los instruiste;
no retiraste tu maná de su boca,
y para su sed los abasteciste de agua.
21 Los sustentaste en el desierto
y nada echaron en falta:
no envejecieron sus vestidos,
ni se hincharon sus pies.
22 Les diste reinos y pueblos
que se repartieron por distritos.
Se apoderaron del país de Sejón, rey de Jesbón,
de la tierra de Og, rey de Basán.
23 Multiplicaste sus hijos
como las estrellas del cielo;
los introdujiste en la tierra
que habías jurado dar a sus antepasados.
24 Vinieron sus hijos y conquistaron el país:
les sometiste sus habitantes,
pusiste a los cananeos en sus manos,
tanto a los reyes como a la gente del país,
para que dispusieran de ellos a su antojo.
25 Conquistaron ciudades fortificadas
y también la tierra fértil.
Se hicieron con casas repletas de bienes,
con cisternas excavadas,
con viñas y olivares,
con gran cantidad de árboles frutales.
Comieron, se saciaron, engordaron;
y gracias a tu bondad
disfrutaron de una vida deliciosa.
26 Pero no te obedecieron
y se rebelaron contra ti
dando la espalda a tu ley.
Mataron a tus profetas,
que les reprendían
para que se convirtieran a ti,
y te ofendieron gravemente.
27 Así que los entregaste a sus enemigos
y estos los oprimieron.
Entonces angustiados, clamaron a ti
y tú los escuchaste desde el cielo:
lleno de compasión
les procuraste libertadores
que los salvasen de sus enemigos.
28 Pero apenas se sentían en paz,
otra vez volvían a ofenderte,
y otra vez los entregabas
en manos de sus enemigos
que volvían a oprimirlos.
De nuevo clamaban a ti
y tú los escuchabas desde el cielo.
Así fue como los libraste muchas veces
conforme a tu gran misericordia.
29 No cesabas de amonestarlos
para que se convirtieran a tu ley;
ellos, sin embargo, fueron soberbios
y no escucharon tus mandatos.
Pecaron contra tus normas
que dan vida a quien las cumple;
rebeldes, te dieron la espalda
y, tercos, no quisieron escuchar.
30 Los soportaste durante años,
tu espíritu los amonestó
por medio de tus profetas,
pero ellos no quisieron escuchar;
por eso los entregaste
a gentes de [otros] países.
31 Pero en tu gran misericordia
no los abandonaste ni aniquilaste,
tú que eres un Dios clemente y compasivo.
32 Ahora, pues, Dios nuestro,
Dios grande, poderoso y terrible,
que eres misericordioso
y te mantienes fiel a la alianza:
¡No tengas en poco todo el dolor
que sufrieron nuestros reyes,
nuestros príncipes y sacerdotes,
nuestros profetas y todo tu pueblo
desde los tiempos de los reyes asirios
hasta el día de hoy!
33 Te has portado justamente
en cuanto nos ha sucedido;
tú has actuado rectamente,
nosotros hemos sido los perversos.
34 Nuestros reyes y nuestros jefes,
nuestros sacerdotes y antepasados
incumplieron tu ley:
no atendieron tus mandamientos
ni las advertencias que les hiciste.
35 Les habías concedido un reino
y una gran prosperidad
en una tierra fértil y espaciosa;
pero no te sirvieron
ni se apartaron del mal.
36 Pues bien, hoy vivimos como esclavos
en la tierra que diste a nuestros antepasados
para que comieran sus frutos
y gozaran de sus bienes.
¡Hoy vivimos en ella como esclavos!
37 Produce frutos abundantes,
pero son para los soberanos
que has puesto sobre nosotros
a causa de nuestros pecados.
Disponen a su capricho
tanto de personas como de ganados,
mientras una tremenda angustia
ha hecho presa en nosotros.
Nehemiah 9
New International Version
The Israelites Confess Their Sins
9 On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads.(A) 2 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) 3 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. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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.
7 “You are the Lord God, who chose Abram(N) and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans(O) and named him Abraham.(P) 8 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)
9 “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
- Nehemiah 9:5 Or God for ever and ever
- Nehemiah 9:9 Or the Sea of Reeds
- Nehemiah 9:22 One Hebrew manuscript and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts Sihon, that is, the country of the
- Nehemiah 9:38 In Hebrew texts this verse (9:38) is numbered 10:1.
La Palabra, (versión española) © 2010 Texto y Edición, Sociedad Bíblica de España
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
