Nehemiah 9

The People Confess Their Sins

9On October 31

the people assembled again, and this time they fasted and dressed in burlap and sprinkled dust on their heads.H6242H702H3117H2320H1121H3478H622H6685H8242H1272Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners as they confessed their own sins and the sins of their ancestors.H2233H3478H914H1121H5236H5975H3034H2403H5771H13They remained standing in place for three hours

while the Book of the Law of the LORD their God was read aloud to them. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the LORD their God.H6965H5977H7121H5612H8451H3068H430H7243H3117H7243H3034H7812H3068H4304The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani—stood on the stairway of the Levites and cried out to the LORD their God with loud voices.H6965H4608H3881H3442H1137H6934H7645H1138H8274H1137H3662H2199H1419H6963H3068H4305Then the leaders of the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—called out to the people: "Stand up and praise the LORD your God, for he lives from everlasting to everlasting!" Then they prayed: "May your glorious name be praised! May it be exalted above all blessing and praise!H3881H3442H6934H1137H2813H8274H1941H7645H6611H559H6965H1288H3068H430H5769H5769H1288H3519H8034H7311H1293H84166"You alone are the LORD. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you.H3068H6213H8064H8064H8064H6635H776H3220H2421H6635H8064H78127"You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him from Ur of the Chaldeans and renamed him Abraham.H3068H430H977H87H3318H218H3778H7760H8034H858When he had proved himself faithful, you made a covenant with him to give him and his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites. And you have done what you promised, for you are always true to your word.H4672H3824H539H6440H3772H1285H5414H776H3669H2850H567H6522H2983H1622H5414H2233H6965H1697H66629"You saw the misery of our ancestors in Egypt, and you heard their cries from beside the Red Sea

.H7200H6040H1H4714H8085H2201H5488H322010You displayed miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, his officials, and all his people, for you knew how arrogantly they were treating our ancestors. You have a glorious reputation that has never been forgotten.H5414H226H4159H6547H5650H5971H776H3045H2102H6213H8034H311711You divided the sea for your people so they could walk through on dry land! And then you hurled their enemies into the depths of the sea. They sank like stones beneath the mighty waters.H1234H3220H6440H5674H8432H3220H3004H7291H7993H4688H68H5794H432512You led our ancestors by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night so that they could find their way.H5148H3119H6051H5982H3915H5982H784H215H1870H321213"You came down at Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and instructions that were just, and decrees and commands that were good.H3381H2022H5514H1696H8064H5414H3477H4941H571H8451H2896H2706H468714You instructed them concerning your holy Sabbath. And you commanded them, through Moses your servant, to obey all your commands, decrees, and instructions.H3045H6944H7676H6680H4687H2706H8451H3027H4872H565015"You gave them bread from heaven when they were hungry and water from the rock when they were thirsty. You commanded them to go and take possession of the land you had sworn to give them.H5414H3899H8064H7458H3318H4325H5553H6772H559H935H3423H776H3027H5375H541416"But our ancestors were proud and stubborn, and they paid no attention to your commands.H1H2102H7185H6203H8085H468717They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt! But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them,H3985H8085H2142H6381H6213H7185H6203H4805H5414H7218H7725H5659H433H5547H2587H7349H750H639H7227H2617H580018even when they made an idol shaped like a calf and said, 'This is your god who brought you out of Egypt!' They committed terrible blasphemies.H6213H4541H5695H559H430H5927H4714H6213H1419H500719"But in your great mercy you did not abandon them to die in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still led them forward by day, and the pillar of fire showed them the way through the night.H7227H7356H5800H4057H5982H6051H5493H3119H5148H1870H5982H784H3915H215H1870H321220You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst.H5414H2896H7307H7919H4513H4478H6310H5414H4325H677221For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell!H705H8141H3557H4057H2637H8008H1086H7272H121622"Then you helped our ancestors conquer kingdoms and nations, and you placed your people in every corner of the land

. They took over the land of King Sihon of Heshbon and the land of King Og of Bashan.H5414H4467H5971H2505H6285H3423H776H5511H776H4428H2809H776H5747H4428H131623You made their descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and brought them into the land you had promised to their ancestors.H1121H7235H3556H8064H935H776H559H1H935H342324"They went in and took possession of the land. You subdued whole nations before them. Even the Canaanites, who inhabited the land, were powerless! Your people could deal with these nations and their kings as they pleased.H1121H935H3423H776H3665H6440H3427H776H3669H5414H3027H4428H5971H776H6213H752225Our ancestors captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took over houses full of good things, with cisterns already dug and vineyards and olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate until they were full and grew fat and enjoyed themselves in all your blessings.H3920H1219H5892H8082H127H3423H1004H4392H2898H953H2672H3754H2132H3978H6086H7230H398H7646H8080H5727H1419H289826"But despite all this, they were disobedient and rebelled against you. They turned their backs on your Law, they killed your prophets who warned them to return to you, and they committed terrible blasphemies.H4784H4775H7993H8451H310H1458H2026H5030H5749H7725H6213H1419H500727So you handed them over to their enemies, who made them suffer. But in their time of trouble they cried to you, and you heard them from heaven. In your great mercy, you sent them liberators who rescued them from their enemies.H5414H3027H6862H6887H6256H6869H6817H8085H8064H7227H7356H5414H3467H3467H3027H686228"But as soon as they were at peace, your people again committed evil in your sight, and once more you let their enemies conquer them. Yet whenever your people turned and cried to you again for help, you listened once more from heaven. In your wonderful mercy, you rescued them many times!H5117H6213H7451H7725H6440H5800H3027H341H7287H7725H2199H8085H8064H7227H6256H5337H735629"You warned them to return to your Law, but they became proud and obstinate and disobeyed your commands. They did not follow your regulations, by which people will find life if only they obey. They stubbornly turned their backs on you and refused to listen.H5749H7725H8451H2102H8085H4687H2398H4941H120H6213H2421H5414H5637H3802H7185H6203H808530In your love, you were patient with them for many years. You sent your Spirit, who warned them through the prophets. But still they wouldn't listen! So once again you allowed the peoples of the land to conquer them.H7227H8141H4900H5749H7307H3027H5030H238H5414H3027H5971H77631But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are!H7227H7356H6213H3617H5800H2587H7349H41032"And now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of unfailing love, do not let all the hardships we have suffered seem insignificant to you. Great trouble has come upon us and upon our kings and leaders and priests and prophets and ancestors—all of your people—from the days when the kings of Assyria first triumphed over us until now.H430H1419H1368H3372H410H8104H1285H2617H8513H4591H6440H4672H4428H8269H3548H5030H1H5971H3117H4428H804H311733Every time you punished us you were being just. We have sinned greatly, and you gave us only what we deserved.H6662H935H6213H571H756134Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey your Law or listen to the warnings in your commands and laws.H4428H8269H3548H1H6213H8451H7181H4687H5715H574935Even while they had their own kingdom, they did not serve you, though you showered your goodness on them. You gave them a large, fertile land, but they refused to turn from their wickedness.H5647H4438H7227H2898H5414H7342H8082H776H5414H6440H7725H7451H461136"So now today we are slaves in the land of plenty that you gave our ancestors for their enjoyment! We are slaves here in this good land.H5650H3117H776H5414H1H398H6529H2898H565037The lush produce of this land piles up in the hands of the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They have power over us and our livestock. We serve them at their pleasure, and we are in great misery."H7235H8393H4428H5414H2403H4910H1472H929H7522H1419H6869

The People Agree to Obey

The people responded, "In view of all this, we are making a solemn promise and putting it in writing. On this sealed document are the names of our leaders and Levites and priests."H3772H548H3789H8269H3881H3548H2856