Nehemiah 9
1 And on day twenty and four of the month this they gathered [the] people of Israel with fasting and in sackcloth and earth [was] on them.
On the twenty-fourth day of this same month, the Israelites met together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads.
2 And they separated themselves [the] offspring of Israel from all sons of foreignness and they stood and they confessed on sins their and [the] iniquities of ancestors their.
Those of Israelite ancestry separated themselves from the foreigners, and stood to confess their sins and those of their forefathers.
3 And they stood at place their and they read aloud in [the] scroll of [the] law of Yahweh God their [the] fourth of the day and a fourth [they were] confessing and [they were] bowing down to Yahweh God their.
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.
4 And he stood on [the] platform of the Levites Jeshua and Bani Kadmiel Shebaniah Bunni Sherebiah Bani Kenani and they cried out with a voice great to Yahweh God their.
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.)
5 And they said the Levites Jeshua and Kadmiel Bani Hashabneiah Sherebiah Hodiah Shebaniah Pethahiah arise bless Yahweh God your from antiquity until perpetuity and may people bless [the] name of glory your and [may it] be exalted above all blessing and praise.
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.)
6 You he [are] Yahweh to alone you (you *Q(K)*) you made the heavens [the] heavens of the heavens and all host their the earth and all that [is] on it the seas and all that [is] in them and you [are] preserving alive all of them and [the] host of the heavens to you [are] bowing down.
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.
7 You he [are] Yahweh God who you chose Abram and you brought out him from Ur of [the] Chaldeans and you made name his Abraham.
You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram, who led him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham.
8 And you found heart his faithful before you and you made with him the covenant to give [the] land of the Canaanite[s] the Hittite[s] the Amorite[s] and the Perizzite[s] and the Jebusite[s] and the Girgashite[s] to give to offspring his and you fulfilled words your for [are] righteous you.
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.
9 And you saw [the] affliction of ancestors our in Egypt and outcry their you heard at [the] sea of reed[s].
You saw how much our forefathers were suffering in Egypt. You heard their cries for help at the Red Sea.
10 And you gave signs and wonders on Pharaoh and on all servants his and on all [the] people of land his for you knew that they had acted presumptuously on them and you made for yourself a name as the day this.
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.
11 And the sea you split open before them and they passed in [the] middle of the sea on the dry ground and pursuers their you threw in [the] depths like a stone in waters mighty.
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.
12 And in a pillar of cloud you led them by day and in a pillar of fire night to light up for them the way which they walked in it.
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.
13 And on [the] mountain of Sinai you came down and you spoke with them from heaven and you gave to them judgments upright and laws of faithfulness statutes and commandments good.
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.
14 And [the] sabbath of holiness your you made known to them and commandments and statutes and [the] law you commanded to them by [the] hand of Moses servant your.
You explained your holy Sabbath to them. You gave them commandments and regulations and laws through your servant Moses.
15 And bread from heaven you gave to them for hunger their and water from a rock you brought forth for them for thirst their and you said to them to go to take possession of the land which you had lifted hand your to give to them.
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.
16 And they and ancestors our they acted presumptuously and they stiffened neck their and not they listened to commandments your.
But they and our forefathers acted arrogantly and became stubborn, and didn't pay attention to your commands.
17 And they refused to listen and not they remembered wonders your which you had done with them and they stiffened neck their and they appointed a leader to return to servitude their in rebellion their and you [are] a God forgiveness gracious and compassionate long of anger and great (of covenant loyalty *Q(K)*) and not you abandoned them.
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,
18 Even for they had made for themselves a calf of molten metal and they had said this [is] god your who he brought up you from Egypt and they had done blasphemies great.
even when they made themselves a metal calf and said, ‘This is your god who led you out of Egypt,’ and committed terrible blasphemies.
19 And you in compassion your great not you abandoned them in the wilderness [the] pillar of cloud not it departed from over them in daytime their to lead them in the way and [the] pillar of fire at night to light up for them and the way which they walked in it.
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.
20 And spirit your good you gave to instruct them and manna your not you withheld from mouth their and water you gave to them for thirst their.
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.
21 And forty year[s] you sustained them in the wilderness not they were lacking clothes their not they wore out and feet their not they became swollen.
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!
22 And you gave to them kingdoms and peoples and you apportioned them to a corner and they took possession of [the] land of Sihon and [the] land of [the] king of Heshbon and [the] land of Og [the] king of Bashan.
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.
23 And children their you increased like [the] stars of the heavens and you brought them into the land which you had said to ancestors their to go to take possession of.
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.
24 And they went the children and they took possession of the land and you subdued before them [the] inhabitants of the land the Canaanites and you gave them in hand their and kings their and [the] peoples of the land to do with them according to will their.
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.
25 And they captured cities fortified and ground fertile and they took possession of houses full every good thing wells dug out vineyards and olive trees and tree[s] of food to abundance and they ate and they were satisfied and they grew fat and they luxuriated in goodness your great.
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.
26 And they were disobedient and they rebelled against you and they threw law your behind back their and prophets your they killed who they had warned them to bring back them to you and they did blasphemies great.
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.
27 And you gave them in [the] hand of opponents their and they caused distress to them and in [the] time of distress their they cried out to you and you from heaven you heard and according to compassion your great you gave to them deliverers and they delivered them from [the] hand of opponents their.
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.
28 And just as was rest to them they returned to do evil before you and you abandoned them in [the] hand of enemies their and they ruled over them and they returned and they cried out to you and you from heaven you heard and you rescued them according to compassion your many times.
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.
29 And you warned them to bring back them to law your and they they acted presumptuously and not they listened to commandments your and in judgments your they sinned in them which he will do anyone and he will live by them and they gave a shoulder stubborn and neck their they stiffened and not they listened.
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.
30 And you prolonged towards them years many and you warned them by spirit your by [the] hand of prophets your and not they gave ear and you gave them in [the] hand of [the] peoples of the lands.
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.
31 And in compassion your great not you made them complete destruction and not you abandoned them for [are] a God gracious and compassionate you.
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.
32 And therefore O God our God great mighty and awesome [the] keeper of the covenant and covenant loyalty may not it be small before you all the hardship which it has come upon us to kings our to leaders our and to priests our and to prophets our and to ancestors our and to all people your since [the] days of [the] kings of Assyria until the day this.
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.
33 And you [are] righteous on every [thing which] has come on us for faithfulness you have acted and we we have acted wickedly.
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.
34 And kings our leaders our priests our and ancestors our not they did law your and not they paid attention to commandments your and to testimonies your which you admonished them.
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.
35 And they in own kingdom their and in goodness your great which you had given to them and in [the] land broad and fertile which you had set before them not they served you and not they turned back from deeds their evil.
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.
36 Here! we this day [are] slaves and the land which you gave to ancestors our to eat fruit its and good thing[s] its here! we [are] slaves on it.
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!
37 And produce its [is] increasing for the kings whom you have appointed over us in sins our and over bodies our [they are] ruling and over cattle our according to will their and [are] in distress great we.
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!”
38 And in all this we [are] making a trustworthy arrangement and writing and [are] on the sealed [document] leaders our Levites our priests our.
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.”
