尼希米記 9
1 同月二十四日，以色列子民都聚集起來，守齋禁食，穿粗毛衣，頭上頂著灰土。
Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel assembled with fasting, and in sackcloths, and with ashes on their head.
2 以色列的苗裔，同一切外方人的子孫分開之後，便站起來，坦白承認自己的罪過。和祖先的罪惡。
And the children of Israel separated themselves from every stranger, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.
3 他們各站在自己的地方，三小時之久，誦讀他們天主的法律書；又三小時之久，承認了自己的罪過，跪拜了上主，他們的天主。
And they stood in their place, and read in the book of the law of the Lord their god: and they confessed [their sins] to the Lord, and worshipped the Lord their God.
4 肋未人耶叔亞、彼奴依、卡德米耳、舍巴尼雅、步尼、舍勒彼雅、巴尼、和革納尼，站在高處，大聲呼號上主，他們的天主。
[And] there stood upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jesus, and the sons of Cadmiel, Sechenia the son of Sarabia, sons of Choneni; and they cried with a loud voice to the Lord their God.
5 隨後肋未人耶叔亞、卡德米耳、巴尼、哈沙彼雅、曷狄雅、舍巴尼雅、培塔希雅說道：「起來! 你們應讚頌上主我們的天主，從永遠直到永遠! 」眾人便讚頌他光榮的聖名，因此名遠超一切稱頌和讚美。
And the Levites, Jesus and Cadmiel, said, Rise up, bless the Lord our God forever and ever: and let them bless your glorious name, and exalt it with all blessing and praise.
6 厄斯德拉祈禱說：「唯獨你是上主，是你創造了天，天上的天，和天上的一切軍旅，地和地上的一切，海和海中的一切，是你使一切生存；天上的軍旅常在你前跪拜。
And Esdras said, You are the only true Lord; you made the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, and all their array, the earth, and all things that are in it, the seas, and all things in them; and you quicken all things, and the hosts of heaven worship you.
7 上主，你就是那揀選亞巴郎，領他離開加色丁烏爾，給他起名叫阿貝辣罕的天主。
You are the Lord God, you did choose Abram, and brought him out of the land of the Chaldeans, and gave him the name of Abraam:
8 你見他的心對你忠實，就與他立約，把客納罕人、赫特人、阿摩黎人、培黎齊人、耶步斯人和基爾加士人的土地，賜給了他的後裔；你履行了你的諾言，因為你是正義的。
and you found his heart faithful before you, and did make a covenant with him to give to him and to his seed the land of the Chananites, and the Chettites, and Amorites, and Pherezites, and Jebusites, and Gergesites; and you have confirmed your words, for you [are] righteous.
9 你垂顧了我們祖先在埃及的困苦，俯聽了他們在紅海旁的呼聲，
And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and you heard their cry at the Red Sea.
10 遂對法郎和他所有的臣僕，以及他國內所有的民眾，行了奇蹟異能，因為你知道，他們怎樣任性傲慢地，對待了我們的祖先，因而你獲得了大名，直至今日。
And you showed signs and wonders in Egypt, on Pharao and all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for you know that they behaved insolently against them: and you made yourself a name, as at this day.
11 你在我們祖先面前，分開了海，使他們在海中乾地路過，卻把追趕他們的人，拋入深淵，有如把一塊石頭拋入怒潮。
And you did cleave the sea before them, and they passed through the midst of the sea on dry land; and you did cast into the deep them that were about to pursue them, as a stone in the mighty water.
12 日間你用雲柱領導，夜間你用火柱光照他們所走的路。
And you guided them by day by a pillar of cloud, and by night by a pillar of fire, to enlighten for them the way wherein they should walk.
13 你降臨西乃山上，從天上向他們施救，賜給了他們公正的條例、真理的法律、美好的規矩及誡命；
Also you came down upon mount Sina, and you spoke to them out of heaven, and gave them right judgements, and laws of truth, ordinances, and good commandments.
14 你令他們知道，你神聖的安息日，藉著你的僕人梅瑟，向他們頒佈了規矩、誡命和法律。
And you did make known to them your holy sabbath; you did enjoin upon them commandments, and ordinances, and a law, by the hand of your servant Moses.
15 你從天上賜下食物，給他們充飢；使岩石中流出清泉，給他們解渴；命令他們去佔領，。你曾舉手誓許賜與他們的土地。
And you gave them bread from heaven for their food, and you brought them forth water from a rock for their thirst; and you bade them go in to inherit the land over which you stretched out your hand to give [it] them.
16 但是他們，我們的祖先，任性妄為，硬著脖子，不肯聽從你的命令。
But they and our fathers behaved proudly, and hardened their neck, and did not listen to your commandments,
17 他們拒絕聽命，忘卻了你在他們中間所行的奇蹟，硬著脖子，立了首領，要回到埃及去當奴隸。但你是寬大為懷，仁愛慈悲，緩於忿怒，富於慈愛的天主，並未拋棄他們；
and refused to listen, and remembered not your wonders which you wrought with them; and they hardened their neck, and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt: but you, O God, [are] merciful and compassionate, longsuffering, and abundant in mercy, and you did not forsake them.
18 甚至連他們鑄了一個牛犢說：「這是領你出埃及的天主! 」犯了褻瀆的大罪時，
And still farther they even made to themselves a molten calf, and said, These [are] the gods that brought us up out of Egypt: and they wrought great provocations.
19 你因你無限的仁慈，也沒有將他們拋棄在曠野中；日間在路上領導他們的雲柱，夜間為他們光照道路的火柱，仍沒有離開他們。
Yet you in your great compassions did not forsake them in the wilderness: you did not turn away from them the pillar of the cloud by day, to guide them in the way, nor the pillar of fire by night, to enlighten for them the way wherein they should walk.
20 你賜下你溫和的風，使他們甦醒，並沒有將「瑪納」扣住，不給他們充飢，仍賜下了水為他們解渴。
And you gave your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not withhold your manna from their mouth, and gave them water in their thirst.
21 四十年之久，你在曠野照顧他們，使他們一無所缺；他們的衣服沒有穿破，他們的腳也沒有腫脹。
And you did sustain them forty years in the wilderness; you did not allow anything to fail them: their garments did not wax old, and their feet were not bruised.
22 你將各國和眾民交給了他們，將各個角落分給了他們，他們遂佔領了赫市朋王息紅，和巴商王敖格的土地。
Moreover, you gave them kingdoms, and did divide nations to them: and they inherited the land of Seon king of Esebon, and the land of Og king of Basan.
23 你使他們的子孫繁衍，有如天上的繁星，領他們道你誓許與他們的祖先，要去佔領的土地，
And you did multiply their children as the stars of heaven, and brought them into the land of which you spoke to their fathers;
24 他們的子孫便去佔領了那地方；你使那地方的居民客納罕人，屈服在他們面前，將他們的君王和地方上的人民，交在他們的手中，任他們隨意處置。
And they inherited it: and you did destroy from before them the dwellers in the land of the Chananites, and you gave into their hands them and their kings, and the nations of the land, to do to them as it pleased them.
25 他們攻取了堅固的城池，和肥沃的土地，奪得了滿藏寶物的房舍、掘好的井、葡萄園、橄欖園和豐富的果林；他們都吃得飽滿，身體肥胖，安逸享樂，這都是因你無量的慈善。
And they took lofty cities, and inherited houses full of all good things, wells dug, vineyards, and olive yards, and every fruit tree in abundance: so they ate, and were filled, and grew fat, and rioted in your great goodness.
26 但是，他們竟抗命背叛了你，將你的法律置諸背後，殺了那些警戒他們，勸他們歸順於你的先知；他們竟犯了這褻瀆的大罪，
But they turned, and revolted from you, and cast your law behind their backs; and they killed your prophets, who testified against them to turn them back to you, and they wrought great provocations.
27 因此你把他們交在仇人的手中，受人迫害。他們遭遇迫害時，一呼求你，你就由天上俯聽了他們，照你無限的仁慈，打發救援者，由仇人手中救出他們；
Then you gave them into the hand of them that afflicted them, and they did afflict them: and they cried to you in the time of their affliction, and you did hear them from your heaven, and in your great compassions gave them deliverers, and did save them from the hand of them that afflicted them.
28 然而他們一享平安，便又去做惡背叛你，因此你又把他們拋在他們敵人手中，受他們的管轄；幾時他們再回心轉意呼號你，你就再由天上俯聽他們，照你無限的仁慈拯救他們。
But when they rested, they did evil again before you: so you left them in the hands of their enemies, and they ruled over them: and they cried again to you, and you heard [them] from heaven, and did deliver them in your great compassions.
29 你曾警告他們轉向你的法律，但是他們仍恣意妄行，不聽從你的命令，違反你的典章，－人若遵行，必因此而生活，－扭轉倔強的肩膀，硬著脖子，不願服從。
And you did testify against them, to bring them back to your law: but they listened not, but sinned against your commandments and your judgements, which if a man do, he shall live in them; and they turned their back, and hardened their neck, and heard not.
30 你多年來容忍他們，藉先知和以你的精神，警戒他們，但他們仍不聽從，所以你將他們交在異方人民手中。
Yet you did bear long with them many years, and did testify to them by your Spirit by the hand of your prophets: but they listened not; so you gave them into the hand of the nations of the land.
31 但因你無限的仁慈，你沒有消滅他們，也沒有拋棄他們，因為你是博愛仁慈的天主。
But you in your many mercies did not appoint them to destruction, and did not forsake them; for you are strong, and merciful, and pitiful.
32 現在，我們的天主! 遵守信約，保持仁愛，偉大、全能和可畏的天主! 請不要把我們、我們的君王、我們的首長、我們的司祭、我們的先知、我們的祖先和你的全民眾，從亞述王時代直到今日所遭遇的一切迫害，看作小事。
And now, O our God, the powerful, the great, the mighty, and the terrible, keeping your covenant and your mercy, let not all the trouble seem little in your sight which has come upon us, and our kings, and our princes, and our priests, and our prophets, and our fathers, and upon all your people, from the days of the kings of Assur even to this day.
33 你使這一切降在我們身上，是公義的，因為你所行的是忠義，而我們所行的是邪惡。
But you [are] righteous in all the things that come upon us; for you have wrought faithfully, but we have greatly sinned.
34 我們的君王、我們的首領、我們的司祭和我們的祖先，實在都沒有遵行你的法律，也沒有聽從你的命令和你警戒他們的勸告。
And our kings, and our princes, and our priests, and our fathers, have not performed your law, and have not given heed to your commandments, and [have not kept] your testimonies which you did testify to them.
35 他們在你賜給他們的國土上和許多幸福中，在你擺在他們面前的廣大而肥沃的土地上，並沒有侍奉你，也沒有放棄他們的惡行。
And they did not serve you in your kingdom, and in your great goodness which you gave to them, and in the large and fat land which you did furnish before them, and they turned not from their evil devices.
36 我們今天竟成了奴隸! 看，我們在你賞給我們祖先吃那裏的果實和出產的土地上，作了奴隸!
Behold, we are servants this day, and [as for] the land which you gave to our fathers to eat the fruit of it and the good things of it, behold, we are servants upon it:
37 為了我們的罪過，那豐富的出產歸於你派定來管轄我們的君王，他們隨意處置了我們的肉體和我們的牲畜；我們實在是處在極大的困苦中! 」
and its produce [is] abundant for the kings whom you did appoint over us because of our sins; and they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, as it pleases them, and we are in great affliction.
38 鑑於這一切，我們立了盟約，也寫了出來；我們的族長、我們的肋未人和司祭，也在上面蓋了印。
And in regard to all these circumstances we make a covenant, and write [it], and our princes, our Levites, [and] our priests, set their seal to [it].
