Nehemias 9

1 Men paa den fire og tyvende Dag i samme Maaned samledes Israeliterne under Faste og i Sørgedragt med Jord paa Hovedet;

On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads.

2 og de, der var af Israels Slægt, skilte sig ud fra alle fremmede og traadte frem og bekendte deres Synder og deres Fædres Misgerninger.

Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all the foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

3 Saa rejste de sig paa deres Plads, og der blev læst op af Bogen med HERREN deres Guds Lov i en Fjerdedel af Dagen, og i en anden Fjerdedel bekendte de deres Synder og tilbad HERREN deres Gud.

While they stood in their places, they read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and they spent another quarter of the day in confession and worship of the LORD their God.

4 Og Jesua, Bani, Kadmiel, Sjebanja, Bunni, Sjerebja, Bani og Kenani traadte op paa Leviternes Forhøjning og raabte med høj Røst til HERREN deres Gud;

And the Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani—stood on the raised platform and cried out in a loud voice to the LORD their God.

5 og Leviterne Jesua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hasjabneja, Sjerebja, Hodija, Sjebanja og Petaja sagde: »Staa op og lov HERREN eders Gud fra Evighed til Evighed!« Da lovede de hans herlige Navn, som er ophøjet over al Lov og Pris.

Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting: Blessed be Your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.

6 Derpaa sagde Ezra: »Du, HERRE, er den eneste; du har skabt Himmelen, Himlenes Himle med al deres Hær, Jorden med alt, hvad der er paa den, Havene med alt, hvad der er i dem; du giver dem alle Liv, og Himmelens Hær tilbeder dig.

You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You.

7 Du er Gud HERREN, der udvalgte Abram og førte ham bort fra Ur-Kasdim og gav ham Navnet Abraham;

You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham.

8 og du fandt hans Hjerte fast i Troen for dit Aasyn og sluttede Pagt med ham om at give hans Afkom Kana'anæernes, Hetiternes, Amoriternes, Perizziternes, Jebusiternes og Girgasjiternes Land; og du holdt dit Ord; thi du er retfærdig.

You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites and Hittites, of the Amorites and Perizzites, of the Jebusites and Girgashites— to give it to his descendants. You have kept Your promise, because You are righteous.

9 Og da du saa vore Fædres Nød i Ægypten og hørte deres Raab ved det røde Hav,

You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt; You heard their cry at the Red Sea.

10 udførte du Tegn og Undere paa Farao og alle hans Tjenere og alt Folket i hans Land, fordi du vidste, at de havde handlet overmodigt med dem. Og saaledes skabte du dig et Navn, som du har den Dag i Dag.

You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew they had acted with arrogance against our fathers. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day.

11 Du kløvede Havet for deres Øjne, saa de vandrede midt igennem Havet paa tør Bund, og dem, der forfulgte dem, styrtede du i Dybet som Sten i vældige Vande.

You divided the sea before them, and they crossed through it on dry ground. You hurled their pursuers into the depths like a stone into raging waters.

12 I en Skystøtte førte du dem om Dagen og i en Ildstøtte om Natten, saa den lyste for dem paa Vejen, de skulde vandre.

You led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they should travel.

13 Du steg ned paa Sinaj Bjerg, du talede med dem fra Himmelen og gav dem retfærdige Lovbud og tilforladelige Love, gode Anordninger og Bud.

You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them just ordinances, true laws, and good statutes and commandments.

14 Du kundgjorde dem din hellige Sabbat og paalagde dem Bud, Anordninger og Love ved din Tjener Moses.

You revealed to them Your holy Sabbath and gave them commandments and statutes and laws through Your servant Moses.

15 Du gav dem Brød fra Himmelen til at stille deres Sult og lod Vand springe ud af Klippen til at slukke deres Tørst. Og du bød dem drage hen og tage det Land i Besiddelse, som du med løftet Haand havde lovet dem.

In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land which You had sworn to give them.

16 Men vore Fædre blev overmodige og halsstarrige og hørte ikke paa dine Bud;

But they and our fathers became arrogant and stiff-necked and did not obey Your commandments.

17 de vægrede sig ved at lyde og ihukom ikke dine Undergerninger, som du havde gjort iblandt dem; de blev halsstarrige og satte sig i Hovedet at vende tilbage til Trældommen i Ægypten. Men du er Forladelsens Gud, naadig og barmhjertig, langmodig og rig paa Miskundhed, og du svigtede dem ikke.

They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them.

18 Selv da de lavede sig et støbt Billede af en Kalv og sagde: Der er din Gud, som førte dig ud af Ægypten! og gjorde sig skyldige i svare Gudsbespottelser,

Even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and when they committed terrible blasphemies,

19 svigtede du dem i din store Barmhjertighed ikke i Ørkenen; Skystøtten veg ikke fra dem om Dagen, men ledede dem paa Vejen, ej heller Ildstøtten om Natten, men lyste for dem paa Vejen, de skulde vandre.

You in Your great compassion did not forsake them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud never turned away from guiding them on their path; and by the night the pillar of fire illuminated the way they should go.

20 Du gav dem din gode Aand for at give dem Indsigt og forholdt ikke deres Mund din Manna, og du gav dem Vand til at slukke deres Tørst.

You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold Your manna from their mouths, and You gave them water for their thirst.

21 I fyrretyve Aar sørgede du for dem i Ørkenen, saa de ingen Nød led; deres Klæder sledes ikke op, og deres Fødder hovnede ikke.

For forty years You sustained them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

22 Du gav dem Riger og Folkeslag; som du uddelte Stykke for Stykke. De tog Kong Sihon af Hesjbons Land og Kong Og af Basans Land i Besiddelse.

You gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner of the land. So they took the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and of Og king of Bashan.

23 Du gjorde deres Børn talrige som Himmelens Stjerner og førte dem ind i det Land, du havde lovet deres Fædre, at de skulde komme ind i og tage i Besiddelse;

You multiplied their descendants like the stars of heaven and brought them to the land You had told their fathers to enter and possess.

24 og Børnene kom og tog Landet i Besiddelse, og du underlagde dem Landets Indbyggere, Kana'anæerne, og gav dem i deres Haand, baade deres Konger og Folkene i Landet, saa de kunde handle med dem, som de fandt for godt.

So their descendants went in and possessed the land; You subdued before them the Canaanites dwelling in the land. You delivered into their hands the kings and peoples of the land, to do with them as they wished.

25 De indtog befæstede Byer og frugtbart Land, og Huse, fulde af alle Slags Goder, tog de i Besiddelse og udhugne Cisterner, Vingaarde, Oliventræer og Frugttræer i Mængde; og de spiste sig mætte og blev fede og gjorde sig til gode med dine store Rigdomme.

They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took houses full of all goods, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled; they grew fat and delighted in Your great goodness.

26 Men de var genstridige og satte sig op imod dig; de kastede din Lov bag deres Ryg, dræbte dine Profeter, som talte dem alvorligt til for at lede dem tilbage til dig, og gjorde sig skyldige i svare Gudsbespottelser.

But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies.

27 Da gav du dem i deres Fjenders Haand, og de bragte Trængsel over dem. Men naar de da i deres Trængsel raabte til dig, hørte du dem i Himmelen og sendte dem i din store Barmhjertighed Befriere, som friede dem af deres Fjenders Haand.

So You delivered them into the hands of enemies who oppressed them, and in their time of distress they cried out to You. From heaven You heard them, and in Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hands of their enemies.

28 Men naar de fik Ro, handlede de atter ilde for dit Aasyn. Da overlod du dem i deres Fjenders Haand, og de undertvang dem. Men naar de atter raabte til dig, hørte du dem i Himmelen og udfriede dem i din Barmhjertighed Gang paa Gang.

But as soon as they had rest, they again did evil in Your sight. So You abandoned them to the hands of their enemies, who had dominion over them. When they cried out to You again, You heard from heaven, and You delivered them many times in Your compassion.

29 Du talede dem alvorligt til for at lede dem tilbage til din Lov, men de var overmodige og vilde ikke høre paa dine Bud, og de syndede mod dine Lovbud, som dog holder det Menneske i Live, der gør efter dem; de vendte i Genstridighed Ryggen til og var halsstarrige og vilde ikke lyde.

You admonished them to turn back to Your law, but they were arrogant and disobeyed Your commandments. They sinned against Your ordinances, by which a man will live if he practices them. They stubbornly shrugged their shoulders; they stiffened their necks and would not obey.

30 I mange Aar var du langmodig imod dem og talede dem alvorligt til ved din Aand gennem dine Profeter; men da de ikke vilde høre, gav du dem til Pris for Hedningefolkene.

You were patient with them for many years, and Your Spirit admonished them through Your prophets. Yet they would not listen, so You gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.

31 Dog har du i din store Barmhjertighed ikke helt tilintetgjort dem eller forladt dem, thi du er en naadig og barmhjertig Gud!

But in Your great compassion, You did not put an end to them; nor did You forsake them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.

32 Og nu, vor Gud, du store, vældige, frygtelige Gud, som holder fast ved Pagten og Miskundheden! Lad ikke alle de Lidelser, der har ramt os, vore Konger, Øverster, Præster, Profeter, vore Fædre og hele dit Folk fra Assyrerkongernes Dage indtil i Dag, synes ringe for dine Øjne!

So now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God who keeps His gracious covenant, do not view lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, and upon our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today.

33 I alt, hvad der er kommet over os, staar du retfærdig, thi du har vist dig trofast, men vi var ugudelige.

You are just in all that has befallen us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.

34 Vore Konger, Øverster og Præster og vore Fædre handlede ikke efter din Lov og lyttede ikke til dine Bud og de Vidnesbyrd, du lod dem blive til Del.

Our kings and leaders and priests and fathers did not obey Your law or listen to Your commandments and warnings that You gave them.

35 Da de var i Besiddelse af deres Rige og de store Rigdomme, du gav dem, og af det vidtstrakte, frugtbare Land, du oplod for dem, tjente de dig ikke, og de omvendte sig ikke fra deres onde Gerninger.

For even while they were in their kingdom, with the abundant goodness that You had given them, and in the spacious and fertile land that You had set before them, they would not serve You or turn from their wicked ways.

36 Se, derfor er vi nu Trælle; i det Land, du gav vore Fædre, for at de skulde nyde dets Frugter og Rigdom, er vi Trælle;

So here we are today as slaves in the land You gave our fathers to enjoy its fruit and goodness— here we are as slaves!

37 dets rige Afgrøde tilfalder de Konger, du for vore Synders Skyld har øvet Magten over os, og de gør, hvad de lyster, med vore Kroppe og vort Kvæg. Vi er i stor Nød!«

Its abundant harvest goes to the kings You have set over us because of our sins. And they rule over our bodies and our livestock as they please. We are in great distress.

38 I Henhold til alt dette indgaar vi med Navns Underskrift en urokkelig Pagt, og den beseglede Skrivelse er underskrevet af vore Øverster, Leviter og Præster.

In view of all this, we make a binding agreement, putting it in writing and sealing it with the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.”