The People Confess Their Sin
1 Now on the twenty-fourth day of (A)this month the sons of Israel assembled (B)with fasting, in sackcloth and with (C)dirt upon them.
2 The (a)(D)descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and (E)confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
3 While (F)they stood in their place, they read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God.
4 (G)Now on the Levites’ platform stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Chenani, and they cried with a loud voice to the Lord their God.
5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah, said, “Arise, bless the Lord your God forever and ever!
O may Your glorious name be blessed
And exalted above all blessing and praise!
6
7
8
And exalted above all blessing and praise!
9
10
11
12
“And with a pillar of cloud (W)You led them by day,
And with a pillar of fire by night
To light for them the way
In which they were to go.
13
14 And with a pillar of fire by night
To light for them the way
In which they were to go.
“So You made known to them (AA)Your holy sabbath,
And laid down for them commandments, statutes and law,
Through Your servant Moses.
15
And laid down for them commandments, statutes and law,
Through Your servant Moses.
16
17
“They refused to listen,
And (AG)did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You had performed among them;
So they became stubborn and (AH)appointed a leader to return to their slavery (g)in Egypt.
But You are a God (AI)of forgiveness,
Gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness;
And You did not forsake them.
18
19
20 And (AG)did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You had performed among them;
So they became stubborn and (AH)appointed a leader to return to their slavery (g)in Egypt.
But You are a God (AI)of forgiveness,
Gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness;
And You did not forsake them.
“(AM)You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,
Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth,
And You gave them water for their thirst.
21 Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth,
And You gave them water for their thirst.
“Indeed, (AN)forty years You provided for them in the wilderness and they were not in want;
Their clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell.
22
23 Their clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell.
“You made their sons numerous as (AP)the stars of heaven,
And You brought them into the land
Which You had told their fathers to enter and possess.
24
25
And You brought them into the land
Which You had told their fathers to enter and possess.
26
27
28
29
And (BH)admonished them in order to turn them back to Your law.
Yet (BI)they acted arrogantly and did not listen to Your commandments but sinned against Your ordinances,
By (BJ)which if a man observes them he shall live.
And they (n)(BK)turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck, and would not listen.
30
31
Yet (BI)they acted arrogantly and did not listen to Your commandments but sinned against Your ordinances,
By (BJ)which if a man observes them he shall live.
And they (n)(BK)turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck, and would not listen.
32
“Now therefore, our God, (BQ)the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and lovingkindness,
Do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before You,
Which has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers and on all Your people,
(BR)From the days of the kings of Assyria to this day.
33 Do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before You,
Which has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers and on all Your people,
(BR)From the days of the kings of Assyria to this day.
“However, (BS)You are just in all that has come upon us;
For You have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly.
34
35
36 For You have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly.
“Behold, (BV)we are slaves today,
And as to the land which You gave to our fathers to eat of its fruit and its bounty,
Behold, we are slaves in it.
37 And as to the land which You gave to our fathers to eat of its fruit and its bounty,
Behold, we are slaves in it.
“(BW)Its abundant produce is for the kings
Whom You have set over us because of our sins;
They also rule over our bodies
And over our cattle as they please,
So we are in great distress.
Whom You have set over us because of our sins;
They also rule over our bodies
And over our cattle as they please,
So we are in great distress.
A Covenant Results
Footnotes:
a.
Nehemiah 9:2: ['Lit ', seed]
b.
Nehemiah 9:8: ['Lit ', seed]
c.
Nehemiah 9:9: ['Lit ', Sea of Reeds]
d.
Nehemiah 9:11: ['Lit ', strong, mighty]
e.
Nehemiah 9:15: ['Lit ', lifted up Your hand]
f.
Nehemiah 9:16: ['Lit ', stiffened their neck, '; so also v 17']
g.
Nehemiah 9:17: ['So Gr and some Heb mss; Heb reads ', in their rebellion]
h.
Nehemiah 9:18: ['Lit ', acts of contempt]
i.
Nehemiah 9:22: ['Lit ', side, corner]
j.
Nehemiah 9:22: ['So the Gr and the Latin; Heb reads ', and the land of the king of Heshbon]
k.
Nehemiah 9:24: ['Lit ', according to their desire]
l.
Nehemiah 9:25: ['Lit ', fat]
m.
Nehemiah 9:26: ['Lit ', acts of contempt]
n.
Nehemiah 9:29: ['Lit ', gave]
o.
Nehemiah 9:34: ['Lit ', testimonies]
p.
Nehemiah 9:34: ['Or ', witnessed]
q.
Nehemiah 9:38: ['Ch 10:1 in Heb']
Cross references:
AR.
Nehemiah 9:24:
Joshua 18:1
AX.
Nehemiah 9:26:
Judges 2:11
BC.
Nehemiah 9:27:
Judges 2:14
BE.
Nehemiah 9:27:
Judges 2:16
BF.
Nehemiah 9:28:
Judges 3:11