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.

Now on the twenty-fourth day of the same month the people of Israel were assembled and they were fasting, and they were wearing sackcloth, and they put 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.

The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all the foreigners. They stood and confessed their own sins and the evil actions of their ancestors.

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 stood up in their places, and for one-fourth of the day they read from the book of the law of Yahweh their God. For another fourth of the day they were confessing and bowing down before Yahweh 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, Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani, stood on the stairs and they called out with a loud voice to Yahweh their God.

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, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, “Stand up and give praise to Yahweh your God forever and ever.” “May they bless your glorious name, and may it be exalted above every blessing and praise.

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.

You are Yahweh. You alone. You have made heaven, the highest heavens, with all their host, and the earth and everything on it, and the seas and all that is in them. You give life to them all, and the host of heaven 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 Yahweh, the God who chose Abram, and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name 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 found his heart was faithful before you, and you made with him the covenant to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, and the Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous.

9 And you saw [the] affliction of ancestors our in Egypt and outcry their you heard at [the] sea of reed[s].

You saw the affliction of our forefathers in Egypt and you heard their cry by the Sea of Reeds.

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 gave signs and wonders against Pharaoh, and all his servants, and on all the people of his land, for you knew that the Egyptians acted with arrogance against them. But you made a name for yourself which stands 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.

Then you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the middle of the sea on the dry land; and threw those who pursued them into the depths, as a stone into deep 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 by a pillar of cloud during by day, and by a pillar of fire during the night to light the way for them to 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.

On Mount Sinai you came down and you spoke with them from heaven and gave to them righteous decrees and true laws, good statutes 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 made your holy Sabbath known to them, and you gave them commandments and statutes and a law through Moses your servant.

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.

You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger, and water from a rock for their thirst, and you said to them to go in to possess the land you swore on oath 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 ancestors acted disrespectfully, and they were stubborn, and did not listen to your commandments.

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, and they did not think about the wonders that you had done among them, but became stubborn, and in their rebellion they appointed a leader to return to their slavery. But you are a God who is full of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. You did not abandon 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 had cast a calf out of molten metal and said, 'This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,' and had committed great 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.

you, in your compassion, did not abandon them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them on the way did not leave them during day, neither did the pillar of fire by night to light the way for them to go.

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.

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

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.

For forty years you provided for them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

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 peoples, assigning to them every corner of the land. Then they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land 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 children as numerous as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you told their ancestors to go in 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.

So the people went in and possessed the land and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites. You gave them into their hands, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that Israel might do with them as they pleased.

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 the fortified cities and a productive land, and they captured houses full of all good things, cisterns already cut out, vineyards and olive orchards, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were satisfied and grew fat and enjoyed themselves in your great goodness.

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.

Then they became disobedient and they rebelled against you. They threw your law behind their backs. They murdered your prophets who had warned them to turn back to you, and they committed great 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 gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. In the time of their suffering, they cried out to you, and you heard them from heaven, and because of your great mercies you sent them rescuers who rescued them out of the hand of 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.

But after they had rest, they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so their enemies ruled over them. Yet when they returned and cried out to you, you heard from heaven, and many times because of your compassion you rescued them.

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 so they might turn back to your law. Yet they acted arrogantly and did not listen to your commands. They sinned against your decrees which give life to anyone who obeys them. They gave the stubborn shoulder-blade and stiffened their neck 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.

For many years you put up with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they did not listen. So you gave them into the hand of the neighboring peoples.

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 in your great mercies you did not make a complete end of them, or forsake 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.

Now therefore, our God—you great, mighty, and awesome God who keep your covenant and steadfast love—do not let all this hardship seem little to you that has come on us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our ancestors, and on all your people from the days of the kings of Assyria until today.

33 And you [are] righteous on every [thing which] has come on us for faithfulness you have acted and we we have acted wickedly.

You are just in everything that has come on us, for you have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly.

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 princes, our priests, and our ancestors have not kept your law, nor paid attention to your commandments or your covenant decrees by which you warned them.

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.

Even in their own kingdom, while they enjoyed your great goodness to them, in the large and productive land you set before them, they did not serve you or turn away 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.

Now we are slaves in the land you gave our ancestors to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, and behold, we are slaves in it!

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 yield from our land goes to the kings you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please. We are in great distress.

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.

Because of all this, we make a firm covenant in writing. On the sealed document are the names of our princes, Levites, and priests.”