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Nehemiah 9:6-37
New English Translation

6 You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens,[a] along with all their multitude of stars,[b] the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You impart life to them all, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

7 “You are the Lord God who chose Abram and brought him forth from Ur of the Chaldeans. You changed his name to Abraham. 8 When you perceived that his heart was faithful toward you, you established a[c] covenant with him to give his descendants[d] the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, and the Girgashites. You have fulfilled your promise,[e] for you are righteous.

9 “You saw the affliction of our ancestors in Egypt, and you heard their cry at the Red Sea.[f] 10 You performed awesome signs[g] against Pharaoh, against his servants, and against all the people of his land, for you knew that the Egyptians[h] had acted presumptuously[i] against them. You made for yourself a name that is celebrated to this day. 11 You split the sea before them, and they crossed through[j] the sea on dry ground. But you threw their pursuers[k] into the depths, like a stone into surging[l] waters. 12 You guided them with a pillar of cloud by day and with a pillar of fire by night to illumine for them the path they were to travel.

13 “You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You provided them with just judgments, true laws, and good statutes and commandments. 14 You made known to them your holy Sabbath; you issued commandments, statutes, and laws to them through[m] Moses your servant. 15 You provided bread from heaven for them in their time of hunger, and you brought forth water from the rock for them in their time of thirst. You told them to enter in order to possess the land that you had sworn[n] to give them.

16 “But they—our ancestors[o]—behaved presumptuously; they rebelled[p] and did not obey your commandments. 17 They refused to obey and did not recall your miracles that you had performed among them. Instead, they rebelled and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in Egypt.[q] But you are a God of forgiveness, merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and unfailing in your loyal love.[r] You did not abandon them, 18 even when they made a cast image of a calf for themselves and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up from Egypt,’ or when they committed atrocious[s] blasphemies.

19 “Due to your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud did not stop guiding them in the path by day,[t] nor did the pillar of fire stop illuminating for them by night the path on which they should travel. 20 You imparted your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths; you provided water for their thirst. 21 For forty years you sustained them. Even in the wilderness they never lacked anything. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

22 “You gave them kingdoms and peoples, and you allocated them to every corner of the land.[u] They inherited the land of King Sihon of Heshbon[v] and the land of King Og of Bashan. 23 You multiplied their descendants like the stars of the sky. You brought them to the land you had told their ancestors to enter in order to possess. 24 Their descendants[w] entered and possessed the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites who were the inhabitants of the land. You delivered them into their hand, together with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with as they pleased. 25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took possession of houses full of all sorts of good things—wells previously dug, vineyards, olive trees, and fruit trees in abundance. They ate until they were full[x] and grew fat. They enjoyed to the full your great goodness.

26 “Nonetheless they grew disobedient and rebelled against you; they disregarded your law.[y] They killed your prophets who had solemnly admonished them in order to cause them to return to you. They committed atrocious blasphemies. 27 Therefore you delivered them into the hand of their adversaries, who oppressed them. But in the time of their distress they called to you, and you heard from heaven. In your abundant compassion you provided them with deliverers to rescue them from[z] their adversaries.

28 “Then, when they were at rest again, they went back to doing evil before you. Then you abandoned them to[aa] their enemies, and they gained dominion over them. When they again cried out to you, in your compassion you heard from heaven and rescued them time and again. 29 And you solemnly admonished them in order to return them to your law, but they behaved presumptuously and did not obey your commandments. They sinned against your ordinances—those by which an individual, if he obeys them,[ab] will live. They boldly turned from you;[ac] they rebelled[ad] and did not obey. 30 You prolonged your kindness[ae] with them for many years, and you solemnly admonished them by your Spirit through your prophets. Still they paid no attention,[af] so you delivered them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.[ag] 31 However, due to your abundant mercy you did not do away with them altogether; you did not abandon them. For you are a merciful and compassionate God.

32 “So now, our God—the great, powerful, and awesome God, who keeps covenant fidelity[ah]—do not regard as inconsequential[ai] all the hardship that has befallen us—our kings, our leaders, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all your people—from the days of the kings of Assyria until this very day. 33 You are righteous with regard to all that has happened to us, for you have acted faithfully.[aj] It is we who have been in the wrong! 34 Our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our ancestors have not kept your law. They have not paid attention to your commandments or your testimonies by which you have solemnly admonished them. 35 Even when they were in their kingdom and benefiting from your incredible[ak] goodness that you had lavished[al] on them in the spacious and fertile land you had set[am] before them, they did not serve you, nor did they turn from their evil practices.

36 “So today we are slaves! In the very land you gave to our ancestors to eat its fruit and to enjoy[an] its good things—we are slaves. 37 Its abundant produce goes to the kings you have placed over us due to our sins. They rule over our bodies and our livestock as they see fit,[ao] and we are in great distress!

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 9:6 tn Heb “the heavens of the heavens.”
  2. Nehemiah 9:6 tn Heb “all their host.”
  3. Nehemiah 9:8 tn Heb “the” (so NAB).
  4. Nehemiah 9:8 tn Heb “seed.”
  5. Nehemiah 9:8 tn Heb “your words.”
  6. Nehemiah 9:9 tn Heb “the Sea of Reeds.” Traditionally this is identified as the Red Sea, and the modern designation has been used in the translation for clarity.
  7. Nehemiah 9:10 tn Heb “signs and wonders.” This phrase is a hendiadys. The second noun functions adjectivally, while the first noun retains its full nominal sense: “awesome signs” or “miraculous signs.”
  8. Nehemiah 9:10 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Egyptians) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  9. Nehemiah 9:10 tn Or “arrogantly” (so NASB); NRSV “insolently.”
  10. Nehemiah 9:11 tn Heb “in the midst of.”
  11. Nehemiah 9:11 tn Heb “those who pursued them.”
  12. Nehemiah 9:11 tn Heb “mighty.”
  13. Nehemiah 9:14 tn Heb “by the hand of.”
  14. Nehemiah 9:15 tn Heb “had lifted your hand.”
  15. Nehemiah 9:16 tn Heb “and our fathers.” The ו (vav) is explicative.
  16. Nehemiah 9:16 tn Heb “they stiffened their neck” (so also in the following verse).
  17. Nehemiah 9:17 tc The present translation follows a few medieval Hebrew mss and the LXX in reading בְּמִצְרָיִם (bemitsrayim, “in Egypt”; so also NAB, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT) rather than the MT reading בְּמִרְיָם (bemiryam, “in their rebellion”).
  18. Nehemiah 9:17 tc The translation follows the Qere reading חֶסֶד (khesed, “loyal love”) rather than the Kethib reading וְחֶסֶד (vekhesed, “and loyal love”) of the MT.
  19. Nehemiah 9:18 tn Heb “great.”
  20. Nehemiah 9:19 tn Heb “did not turn from them by day to guide them in the path.”
  21. Nehemiah 9:22 tn The words “of the land” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
  22. Nehemiah 9:22 tc Most Hebrew mss read “the land of Sihon and the land of the king of Heshbon.” The present translation (along with NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, CEV, NLT) follows the reading of one Hebrew ms, the LXX, and the Vulgate.
  23. Nehemiah 9:24 tn Heb “the sons.”
  24. Nehemiah 9:25 tn Heb “they ate and were sated.” This expression is a hendiadys. The first verb retains its full verbal sense, while the second functions adverbially: “they ate and were filled” = “they ate until they were full.”
  25. Nehemiah 9:26 tn Heb “they cast your law behind their backs.”
  26. Nehemiah 9:27 tn Heb “from the hand of” (so NASB, NIV); NAB “from the power of.”
  27. Nehemiah 9:28 tn Heb “in the hand of” (so KJV, ASV); NAB “to the power of.”
  28. Nehemiah 9:29 tn Heb “if a man keep.” See note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.
  29. Nehemiah 9:29 tn Heb “they gave a stubborn shoulder.”
  30. Nehemiah 9:29 tn Heb “they stiffened their neck.”
  31. Nehemiah 9:30 tn The Hebrew expression here is elliptical. The words “your kindness” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  32. Nehemiah 9:30 tn Heb “did not give ear to.”
  33. Nehemiah 9:30 tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”
  34. Nehemiah 9:32 tn Heb “the covenant and loyal love.” The expression is a hendiadys. The second noun retains its full nominal sense, while the first functions adjectivally: “the covenant and loyalty” = covenant fidelity.
  35. Nehemiah 9:32 tn Heb “do not let it seem small in your sight.”
  36. Nehemiah 9:33 tn Heb “you have done truth.”
  37. Nehemiah 9:35 tn Heb “great.”
  38. Nehemiah 9:35 tn Heb “given them.”
  39. Nehemiah 9:35 tn Heb “given.”
  40. Nehemiah 9:36 tn The expression “to enjoy” is not included in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  41. Nehemiah 9:37 tn Heb “according to their desire.”
Close EXB

Nehemiah 9:6-37
Expanded Bible

6 You ·are the only [alone are the] Lord.
    You made the ·heavens [sky], even the ·highest [L heavens of the] heavens,
    with all ·the stars [L their hosts].
You made the earth and everything on it,
    the seas and everything in them;
    you give life to everything.
The heavenly ·army [host] worships you.

7 “You are the ·Lord,
    the God [or Lord God,] who chose Abram
and brought him ·out of [forth from] Ur ·in Babylonia [L of the Chaldeans; Gen. 12:1–3]
    and named [C renamed] him Abraham [Gen. 17:5].
8 You found ·him [L his heart] faithful to you,
    so you made an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with him
to give his ·descendants [L seed] the land of the Canaanites,
    Hittites, Amorites,
    Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites.
You have ·kept [fulfilled] your ·promise [word],
    because you ·do what is right [are righteous].

9 “You saw our ·ancestors [fathers] ·suffering [miserable; afflicted; in distress] in Egypt
    and heard them cry out ·at [beside] the ·Red Sea [L Sea of Reeds; Ex. 14–15].
10 You ·did [performed; displayed] signs and ·miracles [wonders] against ·the king of Egypt [L Pharaoh],
    and against all his ·officers [officials; servants] and all the people of his land,
    because you knew how ·proud [arrogant; insolent] they were to them [C Israel’s ancestors].
You ·became as famous [L made a name for yourself] ·as you are today [which remains to this day].
11 You ·divided [split; opened] the sea in front of ·our ancestors [L them];
    they ·walked [passed] through the sea on dry ground [Ex. 14–15].
But you threw ·the people chasing them into the deep water [their pursuers into the depths],
    like a stone thrown into ·mighty [raging; surging] waters.
12 You ·led [guided] ·our ancestors [L them] with a ·pillar [column] of cloud by day
    and with a ·pillar [column] of fire at night [Ex. 13:21].
It lit the way
    they were supposed to go.
13 You came down ·to [on; at] Mount Sinai
    and spoke from heaven to ·our ancestors [L them].
You gave them ·fair [just] ·rules [judgments] and true ·teachings [laws; instructions; L Torah],
    good ·orders [statutes; ordinances; requirements] and commands.
14 You ·told [revealed; made known to] them about your holy Sabbath [Ex. 20:8–11; Deut. 5:12–15]
    and gave them commands, ·orders [statutes; ordinances; requirements], and ·teachings [laws; instructions; L Torah]
    through your servant Moses.
15 When they were hungry, you gave them bread from heaven [C the manna; Ex. 16:31].
    When they were thirsty, you brought them water from ·the [a] rock [Ex. 17:1–7; Num. 20:1–13].
You told them to enter and ·take over [possess]
    the land you had ·promised [sworn; L raised your hand] to give them.

16 “But ·our ancestors [L they, our fathers,] were ·proud [arrogant; insolent] and ·stubborn [rebellious; L stiff-necked]
    and did not ·obey [listen/pay attention to] your commands.
17 They refused to ·listen [obey];
    they ·forgot [L did not remember/recall] the ·miracles [wonders] you ·did [performed] ·for [among] them.
So they became ·stubborn [rebellious; L stiff-necked],
    ·choosing [appointing] a leader to take them back to slavery in Egypt.[a]
But you are a forgiving God.
    You are ·kind [gracious] and ·full of mercy [compassionate].
You ·do not become angry quickly [T are slow to anger], and ·you have great [abounding in unfailing/steadfast] love [compare Ex. 34:6; Num. 14:18; Ps. 86:15, 145:8; Joel 2:13]
    So you did not ·leave [abandon; desert; forsake] them.
18 ·Our ancestors [L They] even ·made [cast] a calf [C as an idol] for themselves.
    They said, ‘This is your god
    who brought you up out of Egypt [Ex. 32].’
They ·spoke against you [L committed great blasphemies].

19 “You have great ·mercy [compassion],
    so you did not ·leave [abandon; desert; forsake] them in the ·desert [wilderness].
The pillar of cloud ·guided them by day [L did not turn from them by day in guiding them in the path],
    ·and the pillar of fire led them at night,
    lighting the way they were to go [nor did the pillar of fire stop illuminating for them by night the path on which they should travel].
20 You ·gave [sent; imparted] your good Spirit to ·teach [instruct] them.
    You ·gave them manna to eat [L did not withhold manna from their mouth]
    and gave them water when they were thirsty.
21 You ·took care of [sustained; provided for] them for forty years in the ·desert [wilderness];
    they ·needed [lacked] nothing.
Their clothes did not wear out,
    and their feet did not swell.

22 “You gave them kingdoms and ·nations [peoples; C to conquer];
    you ·gave them more land [put them in every corner; L allotted/allocated to them every corner/frontier].
They ·took over [took possession of; inherited] the country of Sihon king of Heshbon
    and the country of Og king of Bashan [Num. 21:21–33].
23 You made their ·children [descendants; sons] as ·many [numerous] as the stars ·in the sky [of heaven; Gen. 15:5; 22:17; 26:4],
    and you brought them into the land
    that you told their ·ancestors [fathers] to enter and ·take over [possess].
24 So their ·children [descendants; sons] went into the land and took ·over [possession].
    The Canaanites lived there, but you ·defeated them for [subdued them before] our ancestors.
You handed over to them the Canaanites, their kings, and the ·people [peoples] of the land.
    ·Our ancestors [L They] could ·do what they wanted with them [deal with them as they pleased].
25 They captured ·strong, walled [fortified] cities and fertile land.
    They took over houses full of good things,
    ·wells [cisterns] that were already dug,
    vineyards, olive ·trees [groves], and ·many [abundant] fruit trees.
They ate until they were full and grew fat;
    they ·enjoyed [reveled; delighted themselves in] your great goodness.

26 “But they were disobedient and ·turned [rebelled] against you
    and ·ignored [turned their backs on] your ·teachings [laws; instructions; L Torah].
Your prophets ·warned [admonished] them to come back to you,
    but they killed those prophets
    and ·spoke against you [L committed great blasphemies].
27 So you handed them over to their ·enemies [oppressors],
    and their ·enemies treated them badly [oppressors oppressed them].
But in this time of ·trouble [distress; suffering; misery] ·our ancestors [L they] cried out to you,
    and you heard from heaven.
You had great ·mercy [compassion]
    and gave them ·saviors [liberators; T deliverers] who ·saved [rescued] them from the ·power [hand] of their ·enemies [oppressors].
28 But as soon as they had ·rest [peace],
    they again ·did what was [committed] evil.
So you ·left [abandoned; deserted; forsook] them to [L the hand of] their ·enemies [oppressors]
    who ·ruled over [conquered; oppressed] them.
When they cried out to you again,
    you heard from heaven.
    Because of your ·mercy [compassion], you ·saved them again [rescued them time] and again.
29 You ·warned [admonished] them to return to your ·teachings [laws; instructions; L Torah],
    but they were ·proud [arrogant; insolent] and did not ·obey [listen to] your commands.
If someone ·obeys [observes] your ·laws [judgments], he will live,
    but they sinned against ·your laws [L them].
They ·were stubborn [L turned a stubborn shoulder], ·unwilling [rebellious; L stiff-necked], and ·disobedient [rebellious].
30 You ·were patient [T bore] with them for many years
    and ·warned [admonished] them by your Spirit through ·the [your] prophets,
but they did not ·pay attention [L give ear].
    So you handed them over to ·other countries [L the peoples of the lands].
31 But because your ·mercy [compassion] is great, you did not ·kill [destroy; L make an end of] them all or ·leave [abandon; desert; forsake] them.
    You are a ·kind [gracious] and ·merciful [compassionate] God.

32 “And so, our God, you are the great and ·mighty [powerful] and ·wonderful [awesome] God.
    You keep your ·agreement [covenant/treaty] of ·love [faithful/steadfast/unfailing love; lovingkindness].
    Do not let all our ·trouble [hardship] seem ·unimportant [inconsequential; L small] ·to you [L in your sight].
This trouble has come to us, to our kings and our ·leaders [officials],
    to our priests and prophets,
    to our ·ancestors [fathers] and all your people
from the days of the kings of Assyria ·until today [to this very day].
33 You have been ·fair [just; righteous] in everything that has happened to us;
    you have ·been loyal [been faithful; L done truth], but we have ·been wicked [acted wickedly/wrongly].
34 Our kings, ·leaders [officials], priests, and ·ancestors [fathers] did not obey your ·teachings [laws; instructions; L Torah];
    they did not pay attention to the commands and ·warnings [decrees; testimonies] you gave them.
35 Even when ·our ancestors [L they] were living in their kingdom,
    ·enjoying [benefiting from] all the good things you ·had given [lavished/bestowed on] them,
    ·enjoying [benefiting from] the land that was ·fertile and full of room [rich and spacious],
    they did not ·stop [serve you and turn from] their evil ·ways [deeds; practices].

36 “·Look [T Behold], we are slaves today
    in the land you gave our ·ancestors [fathers].
·They were to enjoy [L …to eat] its fruit and its good things,
    but ·look [T behold], we are slaves here.
37 The land’s ·great [abundant] ·harvest [produce] belongs to the kings you have ·put [set; placed] over us
    because of our sins.
Those kings rule over ·us [L our bodies] and our cattle as they please,
    so we are in ·much trouble [great distress/misery].

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 9:17 in Egypt Greek copies read “in Egypt.” Hebrew copies read “in their rebellion.” See Num. 14:4.
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Nehemiah 8
Nehemiah 10
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