Nehemiah 9:6-37
Christian Standard Bible
6 You,[a] Lord, are the only God.[b](A)
You created the heavens,
the highest heavens with all their stars,
the earth and all that is on it,
the seas and all that is in them.
You give life to all of them,(B)
and all the stars of heaven worship you.(C)
7 You, the Lord,
are the God who chose Abram
and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans,(D)
and changed his name to Abraham.(E)
8 You found his heart faithful in your sight,(F)
and made a covenant with him
to give the land of the Canaanites,
Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites,
Jebusites, and Girgashites—
to give it to his descendants.(G)
You have fulfilled your promise,
for you are righteous.
9 You saw the oppression of our ancestors in Egypt(H)
and heard their cry at the Red Sea.
10 You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
all his officials, and all the people of his land,(I)
for you knew how arrogantly they treated our ancestors.
You made a name for yourself
that endures to this day.
11 You divided the sea before them,
and they crossed through it on dry ground.(J)
You hurled their pursuers into the depths
like a stone into raging water.(K)
12 You led them with a pillar of cloud by day,
and with a pillar of fire by night,
to illuminate the way they should go.(L)
13 You came down on Mount Sinai,(M)
and spoke to them from heaven.
You gave them impartial ordinances, reliable instructions,
and good statutes and commands.
14 You revealed your holy Sabbath to them,
and gave them commands, statutes, and instruction
through your servant Moses.(N)
15 You provided bread from heaven(O) for their hunger;
you brought them water from the rock(P) for their thirst.
You told them to go in and possess the land
you had sworn[c] to give them.(Q)
16 But our ancestors acted arrogantly;
they became stiff-necked and did not listen to your commands.
17 They refused to listen
and did not remember your wonders
you performed among them.(R)
They became stiff-necked and appointed a leader
to return to their slavery in Egypt.[d](S)
But you are a forgiving God,
gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in faithful love,(T)
and you did not abandon them.
18 Even after they had cast an image of a calf
for themselves and said,
“This is your god who brought you out of Egypt,”(U)
and they had committed terrible blasphemies,
19 you did not abandon them in the wilderness
because of your great compassion.
During the day the pillar of cloud
never turned away from them,
guiding them on their journey.
And during the night the pillar of fire
illuminated the way they should go.(V)
20 You sent your good Spirit(W) to instruct them.
You did not withhold your manna(X) from their mouths,
and you gave them water for their thirst.(Y)
21 You provided for them in the wilderness forty years,(Z)
and they lacked nothing.
Their clothes did not wear out,
and their feet did not swell.(AA)
22 You gave them kingdoms and peoples
and established boundaries for them.
They took possession
of the land of King Sihon[e] of Heshbon
and of the land of King Og of Bashan.(AB)
23 You multiplied their descendants
like the stars of the sky(AC)
and brought them to the land
you told their ancestors to go in and possess.
24 So their descendants went in and possessed the land:
You subdued the Canaanites who inhabited the land before them
and handed their kings and the surrounding peoples over to them,(AD)
to do as they pleased with them.
25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land
and took possession of well-supplied houses,
cisterns cut out of rock, vineyards,
olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance.(AE)
They ate, were filled,
became prosperous, and delighted in your great goodness.
26 But they were disobedient and rebelled against you.
They flung your law behind their backs(AF)
and killed your prophets(AG)
who warned them
in order to turn them back to you.
They committed terrible blasphemies.
27 So you handed them over to their enemies,
who oppressed them.
In their time of distress, they cried out to you,
and you heard from heaven.
In your abundant compassion
you gave them deliverers, who rescued them
from the power of their enemies.
28 But as soon as they had relief,
they again did what was evil in your sight.
So you abandoned them to the power of their enemies,
who dominated them.
When they cried out to you again,
you heard from heaven and rescued them
many times in your compassion.(AH)
29 You warned them to turn back to your law,
but they acted arrogantly
and would not obey your commands.
They sinned against your ordinances,
which a person will live by if he does them.(AI)
They stubbornly resisted,[f]
stiffened their necks, and would not obey.
30 You were patient with them for many years,
and your Spirit warned them through your prophets,(AJ)
but they would not listen.
Therefore, you handed them over to the surrounding peoples.(AK)
31 However, in your abundant compassion,
you did not destroy them or abandon them,(AL)
for you are a gracious and compassionate God.(AM)
32 So now, our God—the great, mighty,
and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant(AN)—
do not view lightly all the hardships that have afflicted us,
our kings and leaders,
our priests and prophets,
our ancestors and all your people,
from the days of the Assyrian kings(AO) until today.
33 You are righteous concerning all that has happened to us,
because you have acted faithfully,
while we have acted wickedly.(AP)
34 Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors
did not obey your law
or listen to your commands
and warnings you gave them.
35 When they were in their kingdom,
with your abundant goodness that you gave them,
and in the spacious and fertile land you set before them,(AQ)
they would not serve you or turn from their wicked ways.
36 Here we are today,
slaves in the land you gave our ancestors
so that they could enjoy its fruit and its goodness.
Here we are—slaves in it!(AR)
37 Its abundant harvest goes to the kings
you have set over us,
because of our sins.
They rule over our bodies
and our livestock as they please.(AS)
We are in great distress.
Nehemiah 9:6-37
New American Standard Bible
6 (A)You alone are the Lord.
(B)You have made the heavens,
The heaven of heavens with all their [a]lights,
The earth and everything that is on it,
The seas and everything that is in them.
(C)You give life to all of them,
And the heavenly [b]lights bow down before You.
7 You are the Lord God,
(D)Who chose Abram
And brought him out from (E)Ur of the Chaldees,
And (F)gave him the name Abraham.
8 You found (G)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 [c]descendants.
And You (H)have fulfilled Your [d]promise,
Because You are righteous.
9 “(I)You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt,
And (J)heard their cry by the [e]Red Sea.
10 Then You performed (K)signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
Against all his servants and all the people of his land;
For You knew that (L)they acted arrogantly toward them,
And You (M)made a name for Yourself as it is this day.
11 (N)You divided the sea before them,
So they passed through the midst of the sea on dry ground;
And You hurled (O)their pursuers into the depths,
Like a stone into [f]raging waters.
12 And with a pillar of cloud (P)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 (Q)You came down on Mount Sinai,
And (R)spoke with them from heaven;
You gave them (S)just ordinances and true laws,
Good statutes and commandments.
14 So You made known to them (T)Your holy Sabbath,
And gave them commandments, statutes, and law,
Through Your servant Moses.
15 You (U)provided bread from heaven for them for their hunger,
You (V)brought out water from a rock for them for their thirst,
And You (W)told them to enter in order to take possession of
The land which You [g]swore to give them.
16 “But they, our fathers, (X)acted arrogantly;
They [h](Y)became stubborn and would not listen to Your commandments.
17 They refused to listen,
And (Z)did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You performed among them;
So they became stubborn and (AA)appointed a leader to return to their slavery in [i]Egypt.
But You are a God (AB)of forgiveness,
Gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger and abounding in [j]mercy;
And You did not abandon them.
18 Even when they (AC)made for themselves
A calf of cast metal
And said, ‘This is your [k]god
Who brought you up from Egypt,’
And committed great blasphemies,
19 (AD)You, in Your great compassion,
Did not abandon them in the wilderness;
(AE)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, (AF)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 (AG)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 [l]boundary.
(AH)They took possession of the land of Sihon [m]the king of Heshbon
And the land of Og the king of Bashan.
23 You made their sons as numerous as (AI)the stars of heaven,
And You brought them into the land
Which You had told their fathers to enter and possess.
24 (AJ)So their sons entered and took possession of the land.
And (AK)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 [n]as they desired.
25 (AL)They captured fortified cities and a [o](AM)fertile land.
They took possession of (AN)houses full of every good thing,
Carved out cisterns, vineyards, olive groves,
Fruit trees in abundance.
So they ate, were filled and (AO)put on fat,
And (AP)lived luxuriously in Your great goodness.
26 “(AQ)But they became rebellious and revolted against You,
And (AR)threw Your Law behind their backs
And (AS)killed Your prophets who had (AT)admonished them
In order to bring them back to You,
And (AU)they committed great blasphemies.
27 Therefore You (AV)handed them over to their enemies who oppressed them,
But when they cried out to You (AW)in the time of their distress,
You heard from heaven, and according to Your great compassion
You (AX)gave them [p]people who saved them from the hand of their enemies.
28 But (AY)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 (AZ)many times You rescued them according to Your compassion,
29 And (BA)admonished them in order to turn them back to Your Law.
Yet (BB)they acted arrogantly and did not listen to Your commandments but sinned against Your ordinances,
(BC)Which, if a person [q]follows them, then he will live by them.
And they [r](BD)turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck, and would not listen.
30 (BE)However, You remained patient with them for many years,
And (BF)admonished them by (BG)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 (BH)did not make an end of them or abandon them,
For You are (BI)a gracious and compassionate God.
32 “Now then, our God, (BJ)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,
(BK)From the days of the kings of Assyria to this day.
33 However, (BL)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 [s]admonitions with which You have [t]admonished them.
35 But (BM)they, in their own kingdom,
(BN)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, (BO)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 (BP)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.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 9:6 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.
- Nehemiah 9:6 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.
- Nehemiah 9:8 Lit seed
- Nehemiah 9:8 Lit words
- Nehemiah 9:9 Lit Sea of Reeds
- Nehemiah 9:11 Lit strong, mighty
- Nehemiah 9:15 Lit lifted up Your hand
- Nehemiah 9:16 Lit stiffened their neck; so also v 17
- Nehemiah 9:17 As in LXX and some Heb mss; MT their rebellion
- Nehemiah 9:17 Or faithfulness
- Nehemiah 9:18 Or God; i.e., an idol intended to represent God
- Nehemiah 9:22 Lit side, corner
- Nehemiah 9:22 As in LXX and Lat; MT and the land of the king of Heshbon
- Nehemiah 9:24 Lit according to their desire
- Nehemiah 9:25 Lit fat
- Nehemiah 9:27 Lit deliverers
- Nehemiah 9:29 Lit does them
- Nehemiah 9:29 Lit gave
- Nehemiah 9:34 Lit testimonies
- Nehemiah 9:34 Or testified to
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