Nehemias 9

1 Og paa den fire og tyvende Dag i denne Maaned forsamledes Israels Børn med Faste og med Sæk og med Jord paa sig.

On October 31, the people gathered together again. They (fasted/abstained from eating food), they wore clothes made from rough cloth, and they put dirt on their heads [to show that they were sorry for their sins].

2 Og Israels Sæd adskilte sig fra alle de fremmede, og de stode og bekendte deres Synder og deres Fædres Misgerninger.

The Israeli people separated themselves from all the foreigners. They stood there and confessed their sins and the sins that their ancestors had committed.

3 Og de stode op paa deres Sted og læste i Herren deres Guds Lovbog Fjerdeparten af Dagen, og den anden Fjerdepart aflagde de Bekendelsen og tilbade Herren deres Gud.

The scroll that contained the laws of Yahweh, the God whom they [worshiped], was read to them for three hours. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and they worshiped Yahweh.

4 Og paa Leviternes Forhøjning gik Jesua og Bani, Kadmiel, Sebanja, Bunni, Serebja, Bani, Kenani op, og de raabte med høj Røst til Herren deres Gud.

[Some of] the descendants of Levi were standing on the stairs. They were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, [another] Bani, and Kenani.

5 Og Leviterne Jesua og Kadmiel, Bani, Hasabenja, Serebja, Hodija, Sebanja, Pethaja sagde: Staar op, lover Herren eders Gud fra Evighed til Evighed! Og man love din Herligheds Navn, du, som er ophøjet over al Velsignelse og Lov!

Then [the leaders of] the Levites called out to the people. They were Jeshua, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah. They said, “While you are standing there, praise Yahweh your God, who has always lived and will live forever!” [Then one of them continued by praying this to God], “Yahweh, we praise your glorious name! You are much greater than anything that we can think about or talk about!

6 Du er Herren, du alene, du har gjort Himmelen, ja Himlenes Himle og al deres Hær, Jorden, og alt det, som er derpaa, Havet og alt det, som er deri, og du holder alle disse Ting i Live, og Himmelens Hær tilbeder dig.

“You only are God. You made the sky and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and everything that is on it, and you made the seas/oceans and everything that is in them. You are the one who gives life to everything and helps them remain alive. All the angels who are in heaven worship you.

7 Du er den Herre Gud, som udvalgte Abram og førte ham ud fra Ur i Kaldæa, og du gav ham Navnet Abraham.

“Yahweh, you are God. You chose Abram and brought him out of Ur [city] in Chaldea [region]. You gave him a new name, Abraham.

8 Og du fandt hans Hjerte trofast for dit Ansigt og gjorde den Pagt med ham, at du vilde give, ja give hans Sæd Kananitens, Hethitens, Amoritens og Feresitens og Jebusitens og Girgasitens Land; og du har holdt dine Ord, thi du er retfærdig.

You saw that he was trustworthy. Then you made (an agreement with/a promise to) him, saying that you would give [to him and] to his descendants the land that the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Amor, Periz, Jebus, and Girgash lived in. And you have done what you promised, because you always do what is right.

9 Og du saa vore Fædres Elendighed i Ægypten og hørte deres Raab ved det røde Hav.

“You saw what our ancestors were suffering in Egypt. You heard them cry to you for help when they were at the Red Sea.

10 Og du gjorde Tegn og underlige Gerninger paa Farao og paa alle hans Tjenere og paa alt Folket i hans Land; thi du vidste, at de havde handlet hovmodigt imod dem, og du gjorde dig et Navn, som det er paa denne Dag.

Because you knew that the leaders of Egypt were treating our ancestors very arrogantly, you performed many kinds of miracles that caused the king and his officials and all his people to suffer. As a result, you became famous then, and you are still famous!

11 Og du adskilte Havet for deres Ansigt, at de gik midt igennem Havet paa det tørre, og du kastede deres Forfølgere i Dybene ligesom Sten i mægtige Vande.

You caused the Red Sea to divide, with the result that your people walked through it on the ground without [getting their feet] wet. [After they were all safely on the other side, ] you [caused the water to come back again], and you hurled into the deep water the [soldiers of the Egyptian army] that were pursuing our ancestors. Their soldiers sank into the deep sea like stones!

12 Og du ledte dem om Dagen ved en Skystøtte og om Natten ved en Ildstøtte til at lyse for dem paa Vejen, som de skulde gaa paa.

During each day you led our ancestors with a bright cloud that resembled a huge pillar, and each night you led them by a flaming cloud that gave them light to show them where to walk.

13 Og du kom ned over Sinaj Bjerg og talte med dem fra Himmelen, og du gav dem rette Befalinger og sande Love, gode Skikke og Bud.

“When our ancestors were at Sinai Mountain, you came down from heaven and spoke to them. You gave them many regulations and instructions that are just and reliable, and you gave them commands and laws that are good.

14 Og du kundgjorde dem din hellige Sabbat og bød dem Bud og Skikke og Lov ved Mose din Tjener.

You taught them about your holy (Sabbath/day of rest), and you gave many kinds of laws to your servant Moses for him to tell to the people.

15 Og du gav dem Brød af Himmelen for deres Hunger og udførte dem Vand af en Klippe folderes Tørst; og du sagde til dem, at de skulde gaa ind at indtage til Ejendom det Land, over hvilket du havde opløftet din Haand for at give dem det.

When they were hungry, you gave them manna from the sky; and when they were thirsty, you gave them water from a rock. You commanded them to go and take, from the people who lived there, the land which you had promised to give to them.

16 Men de og vore Fædre handlede hovmodigt, og de forhærdede deres Nakke og hørte ikke dine Bud.

“But our ancestors were very proud and stubborn [IDM], and they did not do what you commanded them to do.

17 Og de vægrede sig ved at høre dem og kom ikke dine underlige Ting i Hu, som du havde gjort med dem, men forhærdede deres Nakke og satte sig en Høvedsmand for i deres Genstridighed at vende tilbage til deres Trældom; men du er Forladelsens Gud, naadig og barmhjertig, langmodig og af megen Miskundhed, og du forlod dem ikke.

They refused to heed you, and they forgot about all the miracles that you had performed for them. Instead, they became stubborn [IDM], and they appointed someone to lead them back to Egypt, where they would be slaves again! But you are a God who forgives us and who is kind and merciful [to us]. You do not quickly become angry. You always faithfully love us.

18 De gjorde sig endogen støbt Kalv og sagde: Det er din Gud, som opførte dig af Ægypten; og de tillode sig store Bespottelser.

So, even though their [leaders] made an idol that resembled a calf and insulted you by saying [about the idol], ‘This is our god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ you did not desert them.

19 Og du forlod dem ikke i Ørken efter din megen Barmhjertighed; Skystøtten veg ikke fra dem om Dagen, at den jo ledte dem paa Vejen, eller Ildstøtten om Natten, at den jo lyste for dem paa Vejen, som de skulde gaa paa.

“Because you always act mercifully, you did not abandon them when they were in the desert. The bright cloud which was like a huge pillar continued to lead them during the daytime, and the fiery cloud showed them where to walk at night.

20 Og du gav din gode Aand til at undervise dem og nægtede ikke dit Man for deres Mund og gav dem Vand for deres Tørst.

You sent your good Spirit to instruct them. You continued to provide water when they were thirsty.

21 Saa forsørgede du dem i fyrretyve Aar i Ørken, at dem fattedes intet; deres Klæder blev ikke gamle, og deres Fødder hovnede ikke.

For 40 years you took care of them in the desert. During all that time, they had everything [that they needed]. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell up [even though they were continually walking].

22 Og du gav dem Riger og Folk og fordelte dem til alle Sider; og de ejede Sihons Land, nemlig Hesbons Konges Land, og Ogs, Kongen af Basans, Land.

“You helped our ancestors to defeat armies of great kings who ruled many people-groups. By doing that, you enabled our ancestors to (occupy/live in) even the most distant places in this land. They occupied the land over which King Sihon ruled from Heshbon [city] and the land over which King Og ruled in [the] Bashan [area].

23 Og du gjorde deres Børn mangfoldige som Stjernerne paa Himmelen og førte dem til det Land, som du havde tilsagt deres Fædre, at de skulde komme og indtage det til Ejendom.

You caused our ancestors’ descendants to become as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into this land, the land that you told their fathers to enter and occupy.

24 Og Sønnerne kom og indtoge Landet til Ejendom, og du ydmygede Landets Indbyggere, Kananiterne, for deres Ansigt, og gav dem i deres Haand tillige med deres Konger og Folket i Landet, at de kunde gøre med dem efter deres Villie.

Their sons went in and took the land [from the people that lived there]. You enabled them to defeat the descendants of Canaan who lived here in this land. You enabled them to conquer the descendants of Canaan and their kings and the people whom they ruled. You enabled our ancestors to do to those people whatever they wanted to do.

25 Og de indtoge faste Stæder og et fedt Land og ejede Huse, fulde af alle Haande Gods, udhugne Brønde, Vingaarde og Oliegaarde og Frugttræer i Mangfoldighed; og de aade og bleve mætte og bleve fede og levede i Vellyst ved din store Godhed.

Our ancestors captured cities that had walls around them, and they took possession of fertile land. They took possession of houses that were full of good things, where there were wells that were already dug. They took possession of many vineyards and groves of olive trees and fruit trees. They ate all that they wanted to and became fat. They were delighted in all these good things that you gave to them.

26 Men de bleve genstridige og satte sig op imod dig og kastede din Lov bag deres Ryg og ihjelsloge dine Profeter, som vidnede for dem, for at omvende dem til dig, og de tillode sig store Bespottelser.

“But they disobeyed you and rebelled against you. They (turned their backs on/rejected) your laws. They killed the prophets who warned them that they should return to you. They badly insulted you.

27 Derfor gav du dem i deres Fjenders Haand, og disse trængte dem; men der de raabte til dig i deres Trængsels Tid, da hørte du fra Himmelen, og efter din megen Barmhjertighed gav du dem Frelsere, og disse frelste dem af deres Fjenders Haand.

So you allowed their enemies to defeat them. But when their enemies caused them to suffer, they called out to you. You heard them from heaven, and because you are very merciful, you sent them people to help them, and those leaders rescued them from their enemies.

28 Men der de havde Rolighed, vendte de tilbage til at gøre ondt for dit Ansigt; saa overlod du dem i deres Fjenders Haand, at disse regerede over dem; og naar de omvendte sig og raabte til dig, da hørte du fra Himmelen og reddede dem efter din Barmhjertighed mange Gange.

“But after there was a time of peace again, our ancestors again did things that displeased you. So again you allowed their enemies to conquer them. But whenever they cried out to you again [to help them], you heard them from heaven, and because you act mercifully, you rescued them many times.

29 Og du lod vidne for dem for at omvende dem til din Lov; men de handlede hovmodigt og hørte ikke dine Bud, men syndede imod dine Befalinger, hvilke et Menneske skal gøre, at han maa leve ved dem; og de vendte modvilligt Skuldrene bort, og de forhærdede deres Nakke og hørte ikke.

“You warned them that they should again [obey] your laws, but they became proud and stubborn, and they disobeyed your commands. They sinned by disobeying what you commanded them to do, the things that would enable them to live a good long life [if they obeyed them]. They stubbornly refused [IDM] to listen to you and continued sinning.

30 Og du lod det gaa hen med dem i mange Aar og lod vidne for dem ved din Aand ved dine Profeter, men de vendte ikke Øren dertil; derfor gav du dem i Folkenes Haand i Landene.

You were patient with them for many years. You warned them trough [the messages] your Spirit gave to the prophets. But they did not (heed/pay attention to) those messages. So again you allowed [the armies of] other nations to defeat them.

31 Men efter din megen Barmhjertighed gjorde du ikke aldeles Ende paa dem og forlod dem ikke; thi du er en naadig og barmhjertig Gud.

But because you act very mercifully, you did not get rid of them completely or abandon them [forever]. You are a very gracious/kind and merciful God!

32 Og nu, vor Gud! du store, mægtige og forfærdelige Gud, som holder Pagten og Miskundheden, lad ikke al den Møje være agtet ringe for dit Ansigt, den, som har ramt os, vore Konger, vore Fyrster og vore Præster og vore Profeter og vore Fædre og dit ganske Folk fra Kongerne af Assyriens Dage og indtil denne Dag!

“Our God, you are great! You are mighty! You are awesome! You faithfully love us as [you promised in] your agreement with us that you would do! But now we are experiencing great difficulties/hardships. Great troubles have come to us, to our kings, to our [other] leaders, to our priests, and to our prophets. We have been experiencing these troubles since [the armies of] the kings of Assyria [conquered us], and we are still experiencing them. We ask that you sincerely think about [LIT] all these things.

33 Og du er retfærdig i alt det, som er kommet over os; thi du handlede trolig, men vi, vi handlede ugudeligt.

[We know that] you acted justly each time that you punished us. We have sinned greatly, but you have treated us fairly.

34 Og vore Konger, vore Fyrster, vore Præster og vore Fædre have ikke gjort efter din Lov, ikke heller givet Agt paa dine Bud og dine Vidnesbyrd, som du lod vidne for dem.

Our kings and other leaders and our priests and our other ancestors did not obey your laws. They did not heed your commands or the warnings that you gave to them.

35 Thi de tjente dig ikke, medens de vare et Rige, og under din store Velsignelse, som du gav dem, og i det vide og fede Land, som du gav for deres Ansigt, og de omvendte sig ikke fra deres onde Gerninger.

Even when they had their own kings, and they enjoyed the good things that you did for them in this large and fertile land that you gave to them, they did not serve you. They refused to quit doing what was evil.

36 Vi ere Tjenere i Dag, ja, i det Land, som du gav vore Fædre at æde Frugten af og det gode af, se, derudi ere vi Tjenere.

“So now we are [like] slaves here in this land that you gave to our ancestors, the land that you gave to them in order that they could enjoy all the good things that grow here.

37 Og sin Afgrøde bringer det rigeligt for de Konger, hvilke du satte over os for vore Synders Skyld, og de herske over vore Legemer og over vore Dyr efter deres Villie, og vi ere i stor Nød.

Because we have sinned, [we cannot eat the things that grow here]. The kings that now rule over us are enjoying the things that grow here. They rule us and [take] our cattle. We have to serve them and do the things that please them. We are experiencing great misery/distress.

38 Og efter alt dette sluttede vi en fast Pagt og affattede den skriftligt, og paa den forseglede Skrift underskreve vore Fyrster, vore Leviter, vore Præster.

“However, we [Israeli] people now are making an agreement/promise [to obey you], and we are writing this agreement/promise [on a scroll]. We will write on it the names of our leaders and the names of the Levites and the names of the priests, and then we will seal it.”