Nehemiah 9
1 On the twenty-fourth day of this same month, the Israelites met together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads.
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。
2 Those of Israelite ancestry separated themselves from the foreigners, and stood to confess their sins and those of their forefathers.
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。
3 They spent three hours standing there reading the Book of the Law of the Lord their God, and another three hours confessing their sins and worshiping the Lord their God.
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。
4 The Levites stood on the stage and called out loudly to the Lord their God. (Their names were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani.)
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。
5 Then the Levites announced: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God who lives eternally: ‘May who you are and your glory be blessed, and may you be lifted up above all blessing and praise.’” (The names of the Levites were Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah.)
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。
6 They prayed, “Only you are the Lord. It was you who made the sky, the heavens with all their stars, the land and everything on it, the seas and everything in them. You give life to all of them, and all the heavenly beings worship you.
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。
7 You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram, who led him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham.
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。
8 You knew he would be faithful to you, and made an agreement with him to give him and his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites. You kept your promise, because you do what is right.
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。
9 You saw how much our forefathers were suffering in Egypt. You heard their cries for help at the Red Sea.
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，
10 You performed miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all his people of his land, for you recognized how arrogantly they treated our forefathers. You created a wonderful reputation for yourself that people still recognize to this day.
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。
11 You split the sea apart in front of them so that they could walk through it on dry ground. But you threw their pursuers into the depths of the sea, like stones thrown into raging waters.
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。
12 You led them with a column of cloud during the day, and a column of fire at night, showing them the way which they should go.
日間你用雲柱領導，夜間你用火柱光照他們所走的路。
13 You descended on Mount Sinai. You spoke to them from heaven. You gave them right ways to live, true laws, and good regulations and commandments.
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；
14 You explained your holy Sabbath to them. You gave them commandments and regulations and laws through your servant Moses.
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。
15 When they were hungry you gave them bread from heaven, and when they were thirsty you brought water out of the rock for them. You told them to go and take ownership of the land which you had sworn to give them.
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。
16 But they and our forefathers acted arrogantly and became stubborn, and didn't pay attention to your commands.
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。
17 They refused to listen to you, and forgot about all the miracles you did for them. They became obstinate and decided to choose themselves a leader to take them back to slavery in Egypt. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and merciful, slow to get angry, and full of trustworthy love. You did not give up on them,
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；
18 even when they made themselves a metal calf and said, ‘This is your god who led you out of Egypt,’ and committed terrible blasphemies.
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，
19 But you because you are so merciful didn't abandon them in the desert. The column of cloud didn't stop guiding them during the day, and the column of fire continued to light their way at night.
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。
20 You gave your good Spirit to teach them. You did not stop feeding them with your manna, and you gave them water when they were thirsty.
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。
21 You took care of them for forty years in the desert. Their clothes didn't wear out, they didn't want for anything. Their feet didn't even swell up!
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。
22 You gave them kingdoms and nations; you assigned their borders. They took control of the land of Sihon, king of Heshbon, and of Og, king of Bashan.
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。
23 You made their descendants as countless as the stars of heaven, and led them to the land you had promised their fathers they would enter and possess.
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，
24 Their descendants went in and took over the land. Right in front of them you conquered the Canaanites who lived there, handing over their kings and people so they could do with them whatever they wanted.
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。
25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took over houses full of valuable things, water cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, and many fruit trees. They ate until they were full, and grew fat. They were so happy at how good you were to them.
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。
26 But they completely rebelled against you. They tossed your Law over their shoulders. They killed your prophets who warned them to try and bring them back to you, and they committed terrible blasphemies.
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，
27 So you handed them over to their enemies who treated them badly. In their suffering they cried out to you for help. But you heard their cries from heaven, and because you're so merciful you sent them leaders to save them from their enemies.
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；
28 However, as soon as they had peace, they went back to doing evil in your sight. So once more you handed them over to their enemies, who dominated them. They came back to you, and they cried out to you again. But you heard from heaven once more, and you saved them time and again because you are so merciful.
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。
29 You warned them to come back to your Law, but they were arrogant. They ignored your commands, and sinned against your rules, which, as you previously said, ‘If people obey they will live by them.’ They obstinately turned their backs on you and refused to listen.
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。
30 You were patient with them for many years. You warned them by your Spirit through your prophets, but they didn't listen, so you handed them over to the other nations.
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。
31 But because of your wonderful mercy you did not finish with them, and you did not abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.
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。
32 So now, our God, the great and powerful and awesome God who keeps his agreement of trustworthy love, please don't see as unimportant all the hardships that have happened to us, and to our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our forefather and all your people, from the time of the Assyrian kings of Assyria up till now.
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。
33 But you have done what is right regarding everything that has happened to us. You have always acted faithfully, while we have done so much evil.
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。
34 Our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our forefathers did not follow your Law, and they ignored your commands and regulations you ordered them to keep.
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。
35 But they, even during the time they had their own kingdom, with so many blessings you had given them in the wide and fertile land you had provided for them, even then they refused to serve you and would not turn from their evil ways.
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。
36 Look at us now, slaves in the land you gave our forefathers to enjoy its fruit and all its good things. Look at us slaves here!
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!
37 The rich harvests of this land go to the kings you have placed over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and our cattle, doing whatever they want. We are suffering so much!”
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! 」
38 In response the people declared, “Considering all this, we are making a solemn agreement, putting it in writing. It is sealed by our leaders, Levites, and priests.”
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。
