Nehemiah 9

1 Now in the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackcloth, and earth upon them.

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

2 And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

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

3 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of Jehovah their God a fourth part of the day, and another fourth part they confessed, and worshiped Jehovah their God.

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.

4 Then Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, stood up upon the stairs of the Levites, and cried with a loud voice to Jehovah their God.

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

5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless Jehovah your God from everlasting to everlasting. And blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

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.

6 Thou are Jehovah, even thou alone, thou have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all things that are on it, the seas and all that is in them, and thou preserve them all. And the host of heaven worships thee.

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.

7 Thou are Jehovah, the God who chose Abram, and brought him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name of Abraham,

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

8 and found his heart faithful before thee, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, to give it to his seed, and have performed thy words, for thou are righteous.

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.

9 And thou saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heard their cry by the Red Sea,

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

10 and showed signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land, for thou knew that they dealt proudly against them, and got thee a name, as it is this day.

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.

11 And thou divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land. And thou cast their pursuers into the depths as a stone into the mighty waters.

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.

12 Moreover in a pillar of cloud thou led them by day, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light in the way in which they should go.

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

13 Thou also came down upon mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments,

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

14 and made known to them thy holy sabbath, and commanded them commandments, and statutes, and a law, by Moses thy servant.

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

15 And thou gave them bread from heaven for their hunger, and brought forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and commanded them that they should go in to possess the land which thou had sworn to give them.

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.

16 But they and our fathers dealt proudly and stiffened their neck, and did not hearken to thy commandments,

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

17 and refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou did among them, but stiffened their neck. And in their rebellion they appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But thou are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and did not forsake them.

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.

18 Yea, when they had made a molten calf for them, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations,

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,

19 yet thou in thy manifold mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud did not depart from over them by day to lead them in the way, neither the pillar of fire by night to show them light, and the way in which they should go.

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.

20 Thou also gave thy good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold thy manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst.

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.

21 Yea, forty years thou sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing; their clothes did not grow old, and their feet did not swell.

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

22 Moreover thou gave them kingdoms and peoples, which thou allotted after their portions. So they possessed the land of Sihon, even the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.

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.

23 Their sons thou also multiplied as the stars of heaven, and brought them into the land concerning which thou said to their fathers that they should go in to possess it.

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;

24 So the sons went in and possessed the land. And thou subdued the inhabitants of the land before them, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hands, with their kings, and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

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.

25 And they took fortified cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all good things, cisterns hewn out, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.

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.

26 Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their back, and killed thy prophets who testified against them to turn them again to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

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.

27 Therefore thou delivered them into the hand of their adversaries, who distressed them. And in the time of their trouble, when they cried to thee, thou heard from heaven, and according to thy manifold mercies thou gave them saviors who saved them out of the hand of their adversaries.

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.

28 But after they had rest, they again did evil before thee. Therefore thou left them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them. Yet when they returned, and cried to thee, thou heard from heaven, and many times thou delivered them according to thy mercies,

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.

29 and testified against them, that thou might bring them again to thy law. Yet they dealt proudly, and did not hearken to thy commandments, but sinned against thine ordinances (which if a man does, he shall live in them), and withdrew the shoulder, and stiffened their neck, and would not hear.

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.

30 Yet many years thou bore with them, and testified against them by thy Spirit through thy prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore thou gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

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.

31 Nevertheless in thy manifold mercies thou did not make a full end of them, nor forsake them, for thou are a gracious and merciful God.

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

32 Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness, let not all the travail seem little before thee, that has come upon us, on our kings, on our rulers, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria to this day.

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!

33 However thou are just in all that has come upon us, for thou have dealt truly, but we have done wickedly,

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

34 neither have our kings, our rulers, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened to thy commandments and thy testimonies with which thou testified against them.

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.

35 For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gave them, and in the large and fat land which thou gave before them, neither did they turn from their wicked works.

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.

36 Behold, we are servants this day, and as for the land that thou gave to our fathers to eat the fruit of it and the good of it, behold, we are servants in it.

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;

37 And it yields much increase to the kings whom thou have set over us because of our sins. Also they have power over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.

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!«

38 And yet for all this we make a sure covenant, and write it, and our rulers, our Levites, and our priests, seal to it.

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.