Nehemiah 9

uveyom esrim ve'arba'ah lakhodesh hazzeh ne'esfu vene-yisra'el betsom uvesaqqim va'adamah alehem

On the twenty-fourth day of this month, the Israelites assembled, fasting, in sackcloth, and with earth upon them.

vayyibbadelu zera yisra'el mikkol bene nekhar vayya'amdu vayyitvaddu al-khattotehem va'avonot avotehem

Those of the stock of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors.

vayyaqumu al-omdam vayyiqre'u besefer torat Adonai elohehem revi'it hayyom urevi'it mitvaddim umishtakhavim la-Adonai elohehem

Standing in their places, they read from the scroll of the Teaching of the ETERNAL their God for one-fourth of the day, and for another fourth they confessed and prostrated themselves before the ETERNAL their God.

vayyaqom al-ma'aleh haleviyyim yeshua uvani qadmi'el shevanyah bunni shereveyah bani khenani vayyizaqu beqol gadol el-Adonai elohehem

On the raised platform of the Levites stood Jeshua and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried in a loud voice to the ETERNAL their God.

vayyomeru haleviyyim yeshua veqadmi'el bani khashavneyah shereveyah hodiyyah shevanyah fetakhyah qumu barekhu et-Adonai elohekhem min-ha'olam ad-ha'olam vivarekhu shem kevodekha umeromam al-kol-berakhah utehillah

The Levites Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, “Rise, bless the ETERNAL your God who is from eternity to eternity: ‘May Your glorious name be blessed, exalted though it is above every blessing and praise!’

attah-hu Adonai levaddekha (t) [attah] asita et-hashamayim sheme hashamayim vekhol-tseva'am ha'arets vekhol-asher aleha hayyammim vekhol-asher bahem ve'attah mekhayyeh et-kullam utseva hashamayim lekha mishtakhavim

“You alone are GOD. You made the heavens, the highest heavens, and all their host, the earth and everything upon it, the seas and everything in them. You keep them all alive, and the host of heaven prostrate themselves before You.

attah-hu Adonai ha'elohim asher bakharta be'avram vehotseto me'ur kasdim vesamta shemo avraham

You are the ETERNAL God, who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and changed his name to Abraham.

umatsata et-levavo ne'eman lefanekha vekharot immo habberit latet et-erets hakkena'ani hakhitti ha'emori vehapperizzi vehayevusi vehaggirgashi latet lezaro vattaqem et-devarekha ki tsaddiq attah

Finding his heart true to You, You made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite—to give it to his descendants. And You kept Your word, for You are righteous.

vattere et-oni avotenu bemitsrayim ve'et-za'aqatam shamata al-yam-suf

You took note of our ancestors’ affliction in Egypt, and heard their cry at the Sea of Reeds.

vattitten otot umofetim befaroh uvekhol-avadayw uvekhol-am artso ki yadata ki hezidu alehem vatta'as-lekha shem kehayyom hazzeh

You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all the people of his land, for You knew that they acted presumptuously toward them. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day.

vehayyam baqata lifnehem vayya'avru vetokh-hayyam bayyabbashah ve'et-rodefehem hishlakhta vimtsolot kemo-even bemayim azzim

You split the sea before them; they passed through the sea on dry land, but You threw their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into the raging waters.

uve'ammud anan hinkhitam yomam uve'ammud esh laylah leha'ir lahem et-hadderekh asher yelekhu-vah

“You led them by day with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way they were to go.

ve'al har-sinay yaradta vedabber immahem mishamayim vattitten lahem mishpatim yesharim vetorot emet khuqqim umitsvot tovim

You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven; You gave them right rules and true teachings, good laws and commandments.

ve'et-shabbat qodshekha hodata lahem umitsvot vekhuqqim vetorah tsivvita lahem beyad mosheh avdekha

You made known to them Your holy sabbath, and You ordained for them laws, commandments and Teaching, through Moses Your servant.

velekhem mishamayim natattah lahem liravam umayim missela hotseta lahem litsma'am vattomer lahem lavo lareshet et-ha'arets asher-nasata et-yadekha latet lahem

You gave them bread from heaven when they were hungry, and produced water from a rock when they were thirsty. You told them to go and possess the land that You swore to give them.

vehem va'avotenu hezidu vayyaqshu et-orpam velo shame'u el-mitsvotekha

But they—our ancestors—acted presumptuously; they stiffened their necks and did not obey Your commandments.

vayema'anu lishmoa velo-zakheru nifle'otekha asher asita immahem vayyaqshu et-orpam vayyittenu-rosh lashuv le'avdutam bemiryam ve'attah eloah selikhot khannun verakhum erekh-appayim verav-[khesed] (vkhsd) velo azavtam

Refusing to obey, unmindful of Your wonders that You did for them, they stiffened their necks, and in their defiance resolved to return to their slavery. But You, being a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, long-suffering and abounding in faithfulness, did not abandon them.

af ki-asu lahem egel massekhah vayyomeru zeh elohekha asher he'elkha mimmitsrayim vayya'asu ne'atsot gedolot

Even though they made themselves a molten calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you out of Egypt,’ thus committing great impieties,

ve'attah berakhamekha harabbim lo azavtam bammidbar et-ammud he'anan lo-sar me'alehem beyomam lehankhotam behadderekh ve'et-ammud ha'esh belaylah leha'ir lahem ve'et-hadderekh asher yelekhu-vah

You, in Your abundant compassion, did not abandon them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud did not depart from them to lead them on the way by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to give them light in the way they were to go.

verukhakha hattovah natatta lehaskilam umankha lo-manata mippihem umayim natattah lahem litsma'am

You endowed them with Your good spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold Your manna from their mouth; You gave them water when they were thirsty.

ve'arba'im shanah kilkaltam bammidbar lo khaseru salmotehem lo valu veraglehem lo vatsequ

Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness so that they lacked nothing; their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell.

vattitten lahem mamlakhot va'amamim vattakhleqem lefe'ah vayyireshu et-erets sikhon ve'et-erets melekh kheshbon ve'et-erets og melekh-habbashan

“You gave them kingdoms and peoples, and allotted them territory. They took possession of the land of Sihon, the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og, king of Bashan.

uvenehem hirbita kekhokheve hashamayim vattevi'em el-ha'arets asher-amarta la'avotehem lavo larashet

You made their children as numerous as the stars of heaven, and brought them to the land that You told their ancestors to go and possess.

vayyavo'u habbanim vayyireshu et-ha'arets vattakhna lifnehem et-yosheve ha'arets hakkena'anim vattittenem beyadam ve'et-malkhehem ve'et-amme ha'arets la'asot bahem kirtsonam

The descendants came and took possession of the land: You subdued the Canaanite inhabitants of the land before them; You delivered them into their power, both their kings and the peoples of the land, to do with them as they pleased.

vayyilkedu arim betsurot va'adamah shemenah vayyireshu battim mele'im-kol-tuv borot khatsuvim keramim vezetim ve'ets ma'akhal larov vayyokhelu vayyisbe'u vayyashminu vayyitaddenu betuvekha haggadol

They captured fortified cities and rich lands; they took possession of houses filled with every good thing, of hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive trees, and fruit trees in abundance. They ate, they were filled, they grew fat; they luxuriated in Your great bounty.

vayyamru vayyimredu bakh vayyashlikhu et-toratekha akhare gavvam ve'et-nevi'ekha haragu asher-he'idu vam lahashivam elekha vayya'asu ne'atsot gedolot

Then, defying You, they rebelled; they cast Your Teaching behind their back. They killed Your prophets who admonished them to turn them back to You; they committed great impieties.

vattittenem beyad tsarehem vayyatseru lahem uve'et tsaratam yitsaqu elekha ve'attah mishamayim tishma ukherakhamekha harabbim titten lahem moshi'im veyoshi'um miyyad tsarehem

“You delivered them into the power of their adversaries who oppressed them. In their time of trouble they cried to You; You in heaven heard them, and in Your abundant compassion gave them saviors who saved them from the power of their adversaries.

ukhenoakh lahem yashuvu la'asot ra lefanekha vatta'azvem beyad oyevehem vayyirdu vahem vayyashuvu vayyizaqukha ve'attah mishamayim tishma vetatsilem kerakhamekha rabbot ittim

But when they had relief, they again did what was evil in Your sight, so You abandoned them to the power of their enemies, who subjugated them. Again they cried to You, and You in heaven heard and rescued them in Your compassion, time after time.

vatta'ad bahem lahashivam el-toratekha vehemmah hezidu velo-shame'u lemitsvotekha uvemishpatekha khate'u-vam asher-ya'aseh adam vekhayah vahem vayyittenu khatef soreret ve'orpam hiqshu velo shame'u

You admonished them in order to turn them back to Your Teaching, but they acted presumptuously and disobeyed Your commandments, and sinned against Your rules—those whereby a person shall live. They turned a defiant shoulder, stiffened their neck, and would not obey.

vattimshokh alehem shanim rabbot vatta'ad bam berukhakha beyad-nevi'ekha velo he'ezinu vattittenem beyad amme ha'aratsot

You bore with them for many years, admonished them by Your spirit through Your prophets, but they would not give ear, so You delivered them into the power of the peoples of the lands.

uverakhamekha harabbim lo-asitam kalah velo azavtam ki el-khannun verakhum attah

Still, in Your great compassion You did not make an end of them or abandon them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.

ve'attah elohenu ha'el haggadol haggibbor vehannora shomer habberit vehakhesed al-yimat lefanekha et kol-hattela'ah asher-metsa'atnu limlakhenu lesarenu ulekhohanenu velinvi'enu vela'avotenu ulekhol-ammekha mime malkhe ashur ad hayyom hazzeh

“And now, our God, great, mighty, and awesome God, who stays faithful to the covenant, do not treat lightly all the suffering that has overtaken us—our kings, our officers, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all Your people—from the time of the Assyrian kings to this day.

ve'attah tsaddiq al kol-habba alenu ki-emet asita va'anakhnu hirsha'enu

Surely You are in the right with respect to all that has come upon us, for You have acted faithfully, and we have been wicked.

ve'et-melakhenu sarenu kohanenu va'avotenu lo asu toratekha velo hiqshivu el-mitsvotekha ule'edevotekha asher ha'idota bahem

Our kings, officers, priests, and ancestors did not follow Your Teaching, and did not listen to Your commandments or to the warnings that You gave them.

vehem bemalkhutam uvetuvekha harav asher-natatta lahem uve'erets harekhavah vehashemenah asher-natatta lifnehem lo avadukha velo-shavu mimma'allehem hara'im

When they had their own kings and enjoyed the good that You lavished upon them, and the broad and rich land that You put at their disposal, they would not serve You, and did not turn from their wicked deeds.

hinneh anakhnu hayyom avadim veha'arets asher-natattah la'avotenu le'ekhol et-piryah ve'et-tuvah hinneh anakhnu avadim aleha

Today we are slaves, and the land that You gave our ancestors to enjoy its fruit and bounty—here we are slaves on it!

utevu'atah marbah lammelakhim asher-natattah alenu bekhattovtenu ve'al geviyyotenu moshelim uvivhemtenu kirtsonam uvetsarah gedolah anakhenu

On account of our sins it yields its abundant crops to kings whom You have set over us. They rule over our bodies and our beasts as they please, and we are in great distress.