Nehemiæ 9
1 In die autem vigesimoquarto mensis huius convenerunt filii Israel in ieiunio et in saccis, et humus super eos.
On the twenty-fourth day of this same month, the Israelites met together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads.
2 Et separatum est semen filiorum Israel ab omni filio alienigena: et steterunt, et confitebantur peccata sua, et iniquitates patrum suorum.
Those of Israelite ancestry separated themselves from the foreigners, and stood to confess their sins and those of their forefathers.
3 Et consurrexerunt ad standum: et legerunt in volumine Legis Domini Dei sui, quater in die, et quater confitebantur, et adorabant Dominum Deum suum.
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 Surrexerunt autem super gradum Levitarum Iosue, et Bani, et Cedmihel, Sabania, Bonni, Sarebias, Bani, et Chanani: et clamaverunt voce magna ad Dominum Deum suum.
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 Et dixerunt Levitae Iosue, et Cedmihel, Bonni, Hasebnia, Serebia, Odaia, Sebnia, Phathathia: Surgite, benedicite Domino Deo vestro ab aeterno usque in aeternum: et benedicant nomini gloriae tuae excelso in omni benedictione et laude.
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 Tu ipse, Domine, solus, tu fecisti caelum, et caelum caelorum, et omnem exercitum eorum: terram, et universa quae in ea sunt: maria, et omnia quae in eis sunt: et tu vivificas omnia haec, et exercitus caeli te adorat.
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 Tu ipse, Domine Deus, qui elegisti Abram, et eduxisti eum de igne Chaldaeorum, et posuisti nomen eius Abraham.
You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram, who led him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham.
8 Et invenisti cor eius fidele coram te: et percussisti cum eo foedus ut dares ei Terram Chananaei, Hethaei, et Hevaei, et Amorrhaei, et Pherezaei, et Iebusaei, et Gergesaei, ut dares semini eius: et implesti verba tua, quoniam iustus es.
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 Et vidisti afflictionem patrum nostrorum in Aegypto: clamoremque eorum audisti super Mare rubrum.
You saw how much our forefathers were suffering in Egypt. You heard their cries for help at the Red Sea.
10 Et dedisti signa atque portenta in Pharaone, et in universis servis eius, et in omni populo terrae illius: cognovisti enim quia superbe egerant contra eos: et fecisti tibi nomen, sicut et in hac die.
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 Et mare divisisti ante eos, et transierunt per medium maris in sicco: persecutores autem eorum proiecisti in profundum, quasi lapidem in aquas validas.
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 Et in columna nubis ductor eorum fuisti per diem, et in columna ignis per noctem, ut appareret eis via, per quam ingrediebantur.
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 Ad montem quoque Sinai descendisti, et locutus es cum eis de caelo, et dedisti eis iudicia recta, et legem veritatis, ceremonias, et praecepta bona:
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 et sabbatum sanctificatum tuum ostendisti eis, et mandata, et ceremonias, et legem praecepisti eis in manu Moysi servi tui.
You explained your holy Sabbath to them. You gave them commandments and regulations and laws through your servant Moses.
15 Panem quoque de caelo dedisti eis in fame eorum, et aquam de petra eduxisti eis sitientibus, et dixisti eis ut ingrederentur et possiderent terram, super quam levasti manum tuam ut traderes eis.
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 Ipsi vero et patres nostri superbe egerunt, et induraverunt cervices suas, et non audierunt mandata tua.
But they and our forefathers acted arrogantly and became stubborn, and didn't pay attention to your commands.
17 Et noluerunt audire, et non sunt recordati mirabilium tuorum quae feceras eis. Et induraverunt cervices suas, et dederunt caput ut converterentur ad servitutem suam, quasi per contentionem. Tu autem Deus propitius, clemens, et misericors, longanimis, et multae miserationis, non dereliquisti eos,
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 et quidem cum fecissent sibi vitulum conflatilem, et dixissent: Iste est deus tuus, qui eduxit te de Aegypto: feceruntque blasphemias magnas.
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 Tu autem in misericordiis tuis multis non dimisisti eos in deserto: columna nubis non recessit ab eis per diem ut duceret eos in viam, et columna ignis per noctem ut ostenderet eis iter per quod ingrederentur.
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 Et spiritum tuum bonum dedisti qui doceret eos, et manna tuum non prohibuisti ab ore eorum, et aquam dedisti eis in siti.
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 Quadraginta annis pavisti eos in deserto, nihilque eis defuit: vestimenta eorum non inveteraverunt, et pedes eorum non sunt attriti.
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 Et dedisti eis regna, et populos, et partitus es eis sortes: et possederunt terram Sehon, et terram regis Hesebon, et terram Og regis Basan.
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 Et multiplicasti filios eorum sicut stellas caeli, et adduxisti eos ad terram, de qua dixeras patribus eorum ut ingrederentur et possiderent.
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 Et venerunt filii, et possederunt terram, et humiliasti coram eis habitatores terrae Chananaeos, et dedisti eos in manu eorum et reges eorum et populos terrae ut facerent eis sicut placebant illis.
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 Ceperunt itaque urbes munitas et humum pinguem, et possederunt domos plenas cunctis bonis: cisternas ab aliis fabricatas, vineas, et oliveta, et ligna pomifera multa: et comederunt, et saturati sunt, et impinguati sunt, et abundaverunt deliciis in bonitate tua magna.
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 Provocaverunt autem te ad iracundiam, et recesserunt a te, et proiecerunt legem tuam post terga sua: et prophetas tuos occiderunt, qui contestabantur eos ut reverterentur ad te: feceruntque blasphemias grandes.
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 Et dedisti eos in manu hostium suorum, et afflixerunt eos. Et in tempore tribulationis suae clamaverunt ad te, et tu de caelo audisti, et secundum miserationes tuas multas dedisti eis salvatores, qui salvarent eos de manu hostium suorum.
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 Cumque requievissent, reversi sunt ut facerent malum in conspectu tuo: et dereliquisti eos in manu inimicorum suorum, et possederunt eos. Conversique sunt, et clamaverunt ad te: tu autem de caelo exaudisti, et liberasti eos in misericordiis tuis, multis temporibus.
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 Et contestatus es eos ut reverterentur ad Legem tuam. Ipsi vero superbe egerunt, et non audierunt mandata tua, et in iudiciis tuis peccaverunt, quae faciet homo, vivet in eis: et dederunt humerum recedentem, et cervicem suam induraverunt, nec audierunt.
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 Et protraxisti super eos annos multos, et contestatus es eos in spiritu tuo per manum prophetarum tuorum: et non audierunt, et tradidisti eos in manu populorum terrarum.
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 In misericordiis autem tuis plurimis non fecisti eos in consumptionem, nec dereliquisti eos: quoniam Deus miserationum, et clemens es tu.
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 Nunc itaque Deus noster magne, fortis, et terribilis, custodiens pactum et misericordiam, ne avertas a facie tua omnem laborem, qui invenit nos, reges nostros, et principes nostros, et sacerdotes nostros, et prophetas nostros, et patres nostros, et omnem populum tuum a diebus regis Assur usque in diem hanc.
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 Et tu iustus es in omnibus, quae venerunt super nos: quia veritatem fecisti, nos autem impie egimus.
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 Reges nostri, principes nostri, sacerdotes nostri, et patres nostri non fecerunt legem tuam, et non attenderunt mandata tua, et testimonia tua quae testificatus es in eis.
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 Et ipsi in regnis suis, et in bonitate tua multa, quam dederas eis, et in terra latissima et pingui, quam tradideras in conspectu eorum, non servierunt tibi, nec reversi sunt a studiis suis pessimis.
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 Ecce nosipsi hodie servi sumus: et terra, quam dedisti patribus nostris ut comederent panem eius, et quae bona sunt eius, et nosipsi servi sumus in ea.
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 Et fruges eius multiplicantur regibus, quos posuisti super nos propter peccata nostra, et corporibus nostris dominantur, et iumentis nostris secundum voluntatem suam, et in tribulatione magna sumus.
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 Super omnibus ergo his nosipsi percutimus foedus, et scribimus, et signant principes nostri, Levitae nostri, et Sacerdotes nostri.
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.”
