Nehemiah

Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.

1On the twenty-fourth day of that month, the people of Israel came together. They went without food. They wore sackcloth, rough scratchy cloth that sad people wore. They put dirt on their heads.

2And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

2The people of Israel stood apart from people of other nations. Then they stood and told God the wrong things they had done. They also told God the wrong things their fathers had done.

3And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.

3They stood in their places. For a quarter of the day they read God's law out loud. For another quarter they told God their sins and worshiped him.

Note"One fourth part of the day" means about three hours, a quarter of the daylight.

4Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God.

4Then some Levites stood up on the platform. Levites were men who helped at God's temple. They were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani. They called out in a loud voice to the LORD their God.

5Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

5Then the Levites Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said this. "Stand up and praise the LORD your God forever and ever. Blessed be your glorious name. It is higher than any praise we can give."

6Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

6"You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens and the highest heavens, with all their stars. You made the earth and everything on it. You made the seas and everything in them. You keep them all alive. Everyone in heaven worships you."

7Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;

7"You are the LORD God. You chose Abram. You brought him out of Ur, a city of the Chaldeans. You gave him a new name, Abraham."

8And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous:

8"You saw that his heart was true to you. You made a promise with him. You would give him the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites lived. You would give it to his family after him. You did what you said, because you always do right."

9And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;

9"You saw how much our fathers suffered in Egypt. You heard them cry out at the Red Sea."

10And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day.

10"You did signs and wonders against Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. You did them against his officers and all his people. You knew they had been cruel and proud toward our fathers. So you made your name known, and people still know it today."

11And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters.

11"You split the sea open in front of them. They walked through the middle of it on dry ground. You threw the men chasing them into deep water. They sank like a stone in rough waves."

12Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.

12"By day you led them with a tall cloud. By night you led them with a tall fire. It gave them light on the road they should take."

13Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:

13"You came down on Mount Sinai. You spoke to them from heaven. You gave them fair rules, true laws, and good commands."

14And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant:

14"You told them about your holy Sabbath, your special day of rest. You gave them rules and laws through Moses, your servant."

15And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.

15"When they were hungry, you gave them bread from heaven. When they were thirsty, you brought water out of a rock. You told them to go and take the land you had promised them."

16But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,

16"But they and our fathers acted proud and stubborn. They would not obey your commands."

17And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

17"They refused to listen. They forgot the wonders you did for them. They stayed stubborn. They picked a leader to take them back to Egypt, where they had been slaves. But you are a God who forgives. You are kind and full of mercy. You are slow to get angry and full of love. You did not leave them."

18Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;

18"They even melted gold and made it into a calf. They said, 'This is your god who brought you out of Egypt.' They said terrible things against you."

19Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.

19"But your mercy is great, so you did not leave them in the desert. The cloud still led them along the road by day. The fire still showed them the way by night."

20Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.

20"You gave them your good Spirit to teach them. You kept giving them manna, the food you sent them. You gave them water when they were thirsty."

21Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.

21"For forty years you took care of them in the desert. They had everything they needed. Their clothes did not wear out. Their feet did not swell."

22Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.

22"You gave them kingdoms and peoples. You gave them land in every direction. They took the land of Sihon, the king of Heshbon. They took the land of Og, the king of Bashan."

23Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.

23"You made their children as many as the stars in the sky. You brought them into the land you had promised their fathers."

24So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

24"So the children went in and took the land. You beat the Canaanites who lived there. You handed over their kings and their people. Israel could do with them as they wished."

25And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.

25"They took strong cities and rich land. They took houses full of good things, wells already dug, grape vines, olive trees, and many fruit trees. They ate until they were full. They grew fat and enjoyed all your good gifts."

26Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

26"But they would not obey. They turned against you. They threw your law behind their backs. They killed your prophets, the men who told them your words and warned them to come back. They said terrible things against you."

27Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.

27"So you handed them over to enemies who hurt them. When they were in trouble, they cried out to you. You heard them from heaven. Your mercy is great, so you sent rescuers to save them from their enemies."

28But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;

28"But when they had peace again, they did evil again. So you let their enemies rule over them. When they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven. Many times you saved them, because you are merciful."

29And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

29"You warned them, so they would come back to your law. But they were proud and would not obey your commands. They broke your rules, which give life to anyone who keeps them. They shrugged and turned away. They stayed stubborn and would not listen."

30Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.

30"You waited patiently with them for many years. Your Spirit warned them through your prophets. Still they would not listen. So you let the nearby nations take them."

31Nevertheless for thy great mercies’ sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.

31"But your mercy is great. You did not wipe them out, and you did not leave them. You are a kind and merciful God."

32Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.

32"Now, our God, you are great and mighty and awesome. You keep your promise to love us. Please do not think our trouble is small. Trouble has come on us and on our kings and leaders. It came on our priests, prophets, fathers, and all your people. It started when the kings of Assyria ruled, and it lasts until today."

NoteIn 1611 English, "terrible" meant filling people with awe, not horrible. It means God is great enough to amaze people.

33Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:

33"You have been fair in everything that has happened to us. You have done what is right. We have done what is wrong."

34Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.

34"Our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our fathers did not keep your law. They did not listen to your commands or your warnings."

35For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.

35"Even when they had their own kingdom, they would not serve you. You gave them many good things and a wide, rich land. Still they would not stop doing wrong."

36Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it:

36"Look at us today. We are servants under other kings. You gave this land to our fathers to enjoy its food and good things. And here we are, servants in it."

37And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.

37"The land grows a big harvest, but it goes to the kings you set over us. That is because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and our animals as they please. We are in great trouble."

38And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.

38"Because of all this, we are making a firm agreement. We are writing it down. Our leaders, Levites, and priests are putting their seals on it."

NoteA seal was a small stamp pressed into soft wax or clay. Pressing your seal on a paper showed everyone that you agreed to it.