Nehemías 9

1 El día veinticuatro de este mismo mes, los israelitas se reunieron, ayunando y vistiendo de cilicio, con polvo en la cabeza.

And in the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel have been gathered with fasting, and with sackcloth, and earth on them;

2 Los de ascendencia israelita se separaron de los extranjeros y se pusieron de pie para confesar sus pecados y los de sus antepasados.

and the seed of Israel are separated from all sons of a stranger, and stand and confess concerning their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers,

3 Pasaron tres horas de pie leyendo el Libro de la Ley del Señor su Dios, y otras tres horas confesando sus pecados y adorando al Señor su Dios.

and rise up on their station, and read in the Scroll of the Law of their God YHWH a fourth of the day, and a fourth they are confessing and bowing themselves to their God YHWH.

4 Los levitas se pusieron de pie en el estrado y clamaron en voz alta al Señor su Dios. (Sus nombres eran Jesúa, Baní, Cadmiel, Sebanías, Buní, Serebías, Baní y Chenani).

And there stand up on the ascent, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, Chenani, and they cry with a loud voice to their God YHWH.

5 Entonces los levitas anunciaron: “Pónganse de pie y alaben al Señor, su Dios, que vive eternamente: ‘Que sean bendecidos quienes son y su gloria, y que sean elevados por encima de toda bendición y alabanza’”. (Los nombres de los levitas eran Jesúa, Cadmiel, Bani, Hasabneías, Serebías, Hodías, Sebanías y Petaías).

And the Levites say, [even] Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, Pethahiah, “Rise, bless your God YHWH, From age to age, And they bless the Name of Your glory That [is] exalted above all blessing and praise.

6 Ellos oraron: “Sólo tú eres el Señor. Tú hiciste el cielo, los cielos con todas sus estrellas, la tierra y todo lo que hay en ella, los mares y todo lo que hay en ellos. Tú les das vida a todos ellos, y todos los seres celestiales te adoran.

You [are] He, O YHWH, Yourself—You have made the heavens, The heavens of the heavens, and all their host, The earth and all that [are] on it, The seas and all that [are] in them, And You are keeping all of them alive, And the host of the heavens are bowing themselves to You.

7 “Tú eres el Señor, el Dios que eligió a Abram, que lo sacó de Ur de los caldeos y le dio el nombre de Abraham.

You [are] He, O YHWH God, Who fixed on Abraham, And brought him out from Ur of the Chaldeans, And made his name Abraham,

8 Tú sabías que te sería fiel, e hiciste un acuerdo con él para darle a él y a su descendencia la tierra de los cananeos, hititas, amorreos, ferezeos, jebuseos y gergeseos. Cumpliste tu promesa, porque haces lo que es justo.

And found his heart steadfast before You, So as to make with him the covenant, 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 You establish Your words, For You [are] righteous,

9 “Viste cuánto sufrían nuestros antepasados en Egipto. Oíste sus gritos de auxilio en el Mar Rojo.

And see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, And their cry have heard by the Sea of Suph,

10 Te manifestaste con señales y milagros contra el Faraón, todos sus funcionarios y todo el pueblo de su tierra, porque reconociste la arrogancia con que trataron a nuestros antepasados. Te creaste una maravillosa fama que la gente sigue reconociendo hasta el día de hoy.

And give signs and wonders on Pharaoh, And on all his servants, And on all the people of his land, For You have known that they have acted proudly against them, And You make to Yourself a name as [at] this day.

11 Dividiste el mar delante de ellos para que pudieran atravesarlo en seco. Pero arrojaste a sus perseguidores a las profundidades del mar, como piedras arrojadas a las aguas embravecidas.

And You have cleaved the sea before them, And they pass over into the midst of the sea on the dry land, And their pursuers You have cast into the depths, As a stone, into the strong waters.

12 “Los guiaste con una columna de nube durante el día y con una columna de fuego durante la noche, mostrándoles el camino que debían seguir.

And by a pillar of cloud You have led them by day, And by a pillar of fire by night, To lighten to them the way in which they go.

13 Descendiste en el monte Sinaí. Les hablaste desde el cielo. Les diste caminos correctos para vivir, leyes verdaderas, y buenos reglamentos y mandamientos.

And on Mount Sinai You have come down, Even to speak with them from the heavens, And You give to them right judgments, And true laws, good statutes and commands.

14 Les explicaste tu santo sábado. Les diste mandamientos, reglamentos y leyes por medio de tu siervo Moisés.

And Your holy Sabbath You have made known to them, And commands, and statutes, and law, You have commanded for them, By the hand of Your servant Moses;

15 Cuando tuvieron hambre les diste pan del cielo, y cuando tuvieron sed les sacaste agua de la roca. Les dijiste que fueran a tomar posesión de la tierra que habías jurado darles.

And bread from the heavens You have given to them for their hunger, And water from a rock have brought out to them for their thirst, And say to them to go in to possess the land That You have lifted up Your hand to give to them.

16 “Pero ellos y nuestros antepasados actuaron con arrogancia y se volvieron obstinados, y no prestaron atención a tus mandatos.

And they and our fathers have acted proudly, And harden their neck, And have not listened to Your commands,

17 Se negaron a escucharte y se olvidaron de todos los milagros que hiciste por ellos. Se obstinaron y decidieron elegir ellos mismos un líder que los llevara de vuelta a la esclavitud en Egipto. “Pero tú eres un Dios que perdona, clemente y misericordioso, lento para enojarse y lleno de amor confiable. No los abandonaste,

Indeed, they refuse to listen, And have not remembered Your wonders that You have done with them, And harden their neck and appoint a head, To turn back to their service, in their rebellion; And You [are] a God of pardons, Gracious, and merciful, long-suffering, and abundant in kindness, And have not forsaken them.

18 ni siquiera cuando se hicieron un becerro de metal y dijeron: ‘Este es su dios que los sacó de Egipto’, y cometieron terribles blasfemias.

Also, when they have made to themselves a molten calf, And say, This [is] your god That brought you up out of Egypt, And do great despisings,

19 “Pero tú, por ser tan misericordioso, no los abandonaste en el desierto. La columna de nube no dejó de guiarlos durante el día, y la columna de fuego siguió iluminando su camino por la noche.

and You, in Your abundant mercies, Have not forsaken them in the wilderness—The pillar of the cloud has not turned aside from off them by day, To lead them in the way, And the pillar of the fire by night, To give light to them and the way in which they go.

20 Les diste tu buen Espíritu para enseñarles. No dejaste de alimentarlos con tu maná, y les diste agua cuando tuvieron sed.

And Your good Spirit You have given, To cause them to act wisely; And Your manna You have not withheld from their mouth, And water You have given to them for their thirst,

21 Cuidaste de ellos durante cuarenta años en el desierto. Sus ropas no se desgastaron, no les faltó nada. Ni siquiera se les hincharon los pies.

And forty years You have nourished them in a wilderness; They have not lacked; Their garments have not worn out, And their feet have not swelled.

22 “Les diste reinos y naciones; les asignaste sus fronteras. Se apoderaron de la tierra de Sehón, rey de Hesbón, y de Og, rey de Basán.

And You give to them kingdoms, and peoples, And apportion them to the corner, And they possess the land of Sihon, And the land of the king of Heshbon, And the land of Og king of Bashan.

23 Hiciste que sus descendientes fueran tan innumerables como las estrellas del cielo, y los condujiste a la tierra que habías prometido a sus padres que entrarían y poseerían.

And You have multiplied their sons as the stars of the heavens, And bring them into the land That You have said to their fathers to go in to possess.

24 Sus descendientes entraron y se apoderaron de la tierra. Delante de ellos conquistaste a los cananeos que vivían allí, entregándoles sus reyes y su pueblo para que hicieran con ellos lo que quisieran.

And the sons come in, and possess the land, And You humble the inhabitants of the land—the Canaanites—before them, And give them into their hand, and their kings, And the peoples of the land, To do with them according to their pleasure.

25 Capturaron ciudades fortificadas y tierras fértiles. Se apoderaron de casas llenas de cosas valiosas, cisternas de agua, viñedos, olivares y muchos árboles frutales. Comieron hasta saciarse y engordaron. Estaban muy contentos de lo buenos que eran con ellos.

And they capture fortified cities, and fat ground, And possess houses full of all good, Dug-wells, vineyards, and olive-yards, And fruit-trees in abundance, And they eat, and are satisfied, And become fat, And delight themselves in Your great goodness.

26 “Pero se rebelaron por completo contra ti. Arrojaron tu Ley tras sus espaldas. Mataron a tus profetas que les advertían para que intentaran volver a ti, y cometieron terribles blasfemias.

And they are disobedient, And rebel against You, And cast Your law behind their back, And Your prophets they have slain, Who testified against them, To bring them back to You, And they do great despisings,

27 Por eso los entregaste a sus enemigos, que los trataron mal. En su sufrimiento clamaron a ti por ayuda. “Pero tú oíste sus gritos desde el cielo y, como eres tan misericordioso, les enviaste líderes para salvarlos de sus enemigos.

And You give them into the hand of their adversaries, And they distress them, And in the time of their distress they cry to You, And You, from the heavens, hear, And according to Your abundant mercies, Give saviors to them, And they save them out of the hand of their adversaries.

28 “Sin embargo, en cuanto tuvieron paz, volvieron a hacer el mal ante tus ojos. Así que una vez más los entregaste a sus enemigos, que los dominaron. Volvieron a ti, y te gritaron de nuevo. “Pero tú oíste desde el cielo una vez más, y los salvaste una y otra vez porque eres muy misericordioso.

And when they have rest, They turn back to do evil before You, And You leave them in the hand of their enemies, And they rule over them; And they return, and call You, And You hear from the heavens, And deliver them many times, According to Your mercies,

29 Les advertiste que volvieran a tu Ley, pero fueron arrogantes. Ignoraron tus mandatos y pecaron contra tus reglas, que, como ya dijiste, ‘Si la gente obedece vivirá por ellos’. Se obstinaron en darte la espalda y se negaron a escuchar.

And testify against them, To bring them back to Your law; And they have acted proudly, And have not listened to Your commands, And against Your judgments have sinned—Which man does and has lived in them—And they give a stubborn shoulder, And have hardened their neck, And have not listened.

30 Tuviste paciencia con ellos durante muchos años. Les advertiste con tu Espíritu por medio de tus profetas, pero no te escucharon, así que los entregaste a las demás naciones.

And You draw over them many years, And testify against them by Your Spirit, By the hand of Your prophets, And they have not given ear, And You give them into the hand of peoples of the lands,

31 Pero por tu maravillosa misericordia no terminaste con ellos y no los abandonaste, porque eres un Dios clemente y misericordioso.

and in Your abundant mercies You have not made them a consumption, Nor have forsaken them; For a God, gracious and merciful, [are] You.

32 “Así que ahora, nuestro Dios, el grande y poderoso y asombroso Dios que mantiene su acuerdo de amor confiable, por favor no ve como sin importancia todas las dificultades que nos han sucedido a nosotros, y a nuestros reyes y líderes, a nuestros sacerdotes y profetas, a nuestro antepasado y a todo tu pueblo, desde el tiempo de los reyes asirios de Asiria hasta ahora.

And now, O our God—God, the great, the mighty, And the fearful, Keeping the covenant and the kindness—Do not let all the travail that has found us be little before You, For our kings, for our heads, and for our priests, And for our prophets, and for our fathers, And for all Your people, From the days of the kings of Asshur to this day;

33 “Pero tú has hecho lo correcto con respecto a todo lo que nos ha sucedido. Siempre has actuado con fidelidad, mientras que nosotros hemos hecho tanto mal.

And You [are] righteous concerning all that has come on us, For You have done truth, And we have done wickedly;

34 Nuestros reyes, nuestros dirigentes, nuestros sacerdotes y nuestros antepasados no siguieron tu Ley, e ignoraron tus mandatos y reglamentos que les ordenaste cumplir.

And our kings, our heads, Our priests, and our fathers, Have not done Your law, Nor attended to Your commands, And to Your testimonies, That You have testified against them;

35 “Pero ellos, incluso durante el tiempo en que tuvieron su propio reino, con tantas bendiciones que les habías dado en la tierra amplia y fértil que les habías proporcionado, incluso entonces se negaron a servirte y no se apartaron de sus malos caminos.

And they, in their kingdom, And in Your abundant goodness, That You have given to them, And in the land, the large and the fat, That You have set before them, Have not served You, Nor turned back from their evil doings.

36 “Míranos ahora, esclavos en la tierra que diste a nuestros antepasados para disfrutar de sus frutos y de todas sus cosas buenas. Míranos a nosotros, esclavos aquí.

Behold, we—today—[are] servants, And the land that You have given to our fathers, To eat its fruit and its good, Behold, we [are] servants on it,

37 Las ricas cosechas de esta tierra son para los reyes que has puesto sobre nosotros a causa de nuestros pecados. Ellos gobiernan nuestros cuerpos y nuestro ganado, haciendo lo que quieren. Estamos sufriendo mucho”.

And its increase it is multiplying to the kings Whom You have set over us In our sins; And over our bodies they are ruling, And over our livestock, According to their pleasure, And we [are] in great distress.

38 En respuesta, el pueblo declaró, “Teniendo en cuenta todo esto, estamos haciendo un acuerdo solemne, poniéndolo por escrito. Está sellado por nuestros líderes, levitas y sacerdotes”.

And for all this we are making a steadfast covenant, And are writing, And over him who is sealed [Are] our heads, our Levites, [and] our priests.”