9
1 Now
in the
twenty-fourth day
of this month
the children of
Israel were
assembled with
fasting, with
sackcloth, and dirt
on them.
2 The
offspring of
Israel separated themselves
from all
foreigners and
stood and
confessed their
sins and the
iniquities of
their fathers.
3 They
stood up in
their place, and
read in the
book of the
law of the
LORD their God
a fourth part
of the day;
and a fourth
part they
confessed and
worshiped the LORD
their God.
4 Then
Jeshua, Bani,
Kadmiel, Shebaniah,
Bunni, Sherebiah,
Bani, and Chenani
of the Levites
stood up on
the stairs, and
cried with a
loud voice to
the LORD their
God.
5 Then
the Levites,
Jeshua, and
Kadmiel, Bani,
Hashabneiah, Sherebiah,
Hodiah, Shebaniah,
and Pethahiah, said, “Stand
up and bless
the LORD your
God from
everlasting to
everlasting! Blessed
be your glorious
name, which is
exalted above all
blessing and
praise!
6 You
are the LORD,
even you alone.
You have made
heaven, the heaven
of heavens, with
all their army,
the earth and
all things that
are on it,
the seas and
all that is
in them, and
you preserve them
all. The army
of heaven worships
you.
7 You
are the LORD,
the God who chose
Abram, brought him
out of Ur of
the Chaldees, gave
him the name
of Abraham,
8 found
his heart faithful
before you, and
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 offspring, and
have performed
your words, for
you are righteous.
9 “You
saw the affliction
of our fathers in
Egypt, and heard
their cry by
the Red Sea,
10 and
showed signs and
wonders against
Pharaoh, against
all his servants,
and against all
the people of
his land, for you
knew that they
dealt proudly
against them, and
made a name
for yourself, as
it is today.
11 You
divided the sea
before them, so
that they went
through the middle
of the sea
on the dry
land; and you
cast their
pursuers into the
depths, as a stone
into the mighty
waters.
12 Moreover,
in a pillar
of cloud you
led them by
day; and in
a pillar of fire
by night, to give
them light in the
way in which
they should go.
13 “You
also came down
on Mount Sinai,
and spoke with
them from heaven,
and gave them
right ordinances
and true laws,
good statutes and
commandments,
14 and
made known to
them your holy
Sabbath, and
commanded them
commandments, statutes,
and a law,
by Moses your
servant,
15 and
gave them bread
from the sky
for their hunger,
and brought water
out of the
rock for them
for their thirst,
and commanded them
that they should
go in to
possess the land
which you had
sworn to give
them.
16 “But
they and
our fathers behaved proudly,
hardened their
neck, didn’t listen
to your
commandments,
17 and
refused to obey.
They weren’t mindful
of your wonders
that you did
among them, but
hardened their
neck, and in
their rebellion
appointed a
captain to return
to their bondage.
But you are
a God ready
to pardon,
gracious and
merciful, slow to anger,
and abundant
in loving kindness,
and didn’t forsake
them.
18 Yes,
when they had
made themselves
a molded calf,
and said, ‘This is
your God who
brought you up
out of Egypt,’
and had
committed awful blasphemies,
19 yet
you in your
manifold mercies didn’t
forsake them in
the wilderness.
The pillar of
cloud didn’t depart
from over them
by day, to
lead them in
the way; neither
did the pillar
of fire by night,
to show them light,
and the way
in which
they should go.
20 You
gave also your
good Spirit to
instruct them,
and didn’t withhold
your manna from
their mouth, and
gave them water
for their thirst.
21 “Yes, forty
years you
sustained them in
the wilderness.
They lacked
nothing. Their
clothes didn’t grow old,
and their
feet didn’t swell.
22 Moreover
you gave them
kingdoms and
peoples, which you
allotted according to
their portions. So
they possessed
the land of Sihon,
even the land of
the king of
Heshbon, and
the land of Og
king of Bashan.
23 You
also multiplied
their children as
the stars of
the sky,
and brought them
into the
land concerning which you said
to their fathers
that they should go
in to possess
it.
24 “So
the children went
in and possessed
the land; and
you subdued before
them the
inhabitants of the
land, the
Canaanites, and
gave them into
their hands, with
their kings and
the peoples of
the land, that
they might do
with them as
they pleased.
25 They
took fortified
cities and a
rich land, and
possessed houses
full of all
good things, cisterns dug
out, vineyards,
olive groves, and
fruit trees in
abundance. So
they ate, were
filled, became fat,
and delighted themselves
in your great
goodness.
26 “Nevertheless
they were
disobedient and
rebelled against
you, cast your
law behind their
back, killed your
prophets that
testified against
them to turn
them again to
you, and they
committed awful blasphemies.
27 Therefore
you delivered them
into the hand
of their
adversaries, who
distressed them.
In the time
of their trouble,
when they cried
to you, you
heard from heaven;
and according to
your manifold
mercies you gave
them saviors who
saved them out
of the hands
of their
adversaries.
28 But
after they had
rest, they did
evil again before
you; therefore you
left them in
the hands of
their enemies, so
that they had
the dominion over
them; yet when
they returned and
cried to you,
you heard from
heaven; and many
times you
delivered them
according to your
mercies,
29 and
testified against
them, that you
might bring them
again to your
law. Yet they
were arrogant,
and didn’t listen
to your
commandments, but
sinned against
your ordinances (which
if a man does,
he shall live
in them), turned
their backs,
stiffened their
neck, and would
not hear.
30 Yet
many years you
put up with
them, and
testified against
them by your
Spirit through
your prophets. Yet
they would
not listen. Therefore
you gave them
into the hand
of the peoples
of the lands.
31 “Nevertheless
in your manifold
mercies you didn’t
make a full
end of them,
nor forsake them;
for you are
a gracious and
merciful God.
32 Now
therefore, our God,
the great, the
mighty, and the
awesome God, who
keeps covenant
and loving kindness, don’t
let all the
travail seem
little before you
that has come
on us, on
our kings, on
our princes, on
our priests, on
our prophets, on
our fathers, and
on all your
people, since the
time of the
kings of Assyria
to this day.
33 However
you are just
in all that
has come on us;
for you have
dealt truly, but
we have done
wickedly.
34 Also
our kings, our
princes, our
priests, and
our fathers have
not kept your
law, nor listened
to your
commandments and
your testimonies
with which you
testified against
them.
35 For
they have not
served you in
their kingdom, and
in your great
goodness that you
gave them, and
in the large
and rich land
which you gave
before them.
They didn’t turn
from their wicked
works.
36 “Behold,
we are servants
today, and as
for the land that
you gave to
our fathers to eat
its fruit and
its good, behold,
we are servants
in it.
37 It
yields much
increase to the
kings whom you
have set over
us because of
our sins. Also
they have power
over our bodies
and over
our livestock, at
their pleasure,
and we are
in great distress.
38 Yet for all this,
we make a sure covenant, and write
it; and our princes, our Levites, and our priests, seal it.”