Nehemiah 8-9

Contemporary English Version

^9 (D) When our ancestors
were in Egypt,
    you saw their suffering;
when they were at the Red Sea,^[e]
    you heard their cry for help.
^10 (E) You knew that the King of Egypt
and his officials and his nation
    had mistreated your people.
So you worked fearsome miracles
    against the Egyptians
and earned a reputation
    that still remains.
^11 (F) You divided the deep sea,
and your people walked through
    on dry land.
But you tossed their enemies in,
and they sank down
    like a heavy stone.
^12 (G) Each day you led your people
    with a thick cloud,
and at night you showed the way
    with a flaming fire.
^13 (H) At Sinai you came down
    from heaven,
and you gave your people
good laws and teachings
    that are fair and honest.
¹⁴ You commanded them to respect
    your holy Sabbath,
and you instructed
your servant Moses
    to teach them your laws.
^15 (I) When they were hungry,
    you sent bread from heaven,
and when they were thirsty,
you let water flow
    from a rock.
Then you commanded them
    to capture the land
that you had solemnly promised.

* ^16 (J) Our stubborn ancestors
    refused to obey—
they forgot about the miracles
    you had worked for them,
and they were determined
to return to Egypt
    and become slaves again.
^17 (K) But, our God, you are merciful
    and quick to forgive;
you are loving, kind,
    and very patient.
So you never turned away
    from them—
^18 (L) not even when they made
    an idol shaped like a calf
and insulted you by claiming,
“This is the god who rescued us
    from Egypt.”

^19 (M) Because of your great mercy,
you never abandoned them
    in the desert.
And you always guided them
with a cloud by day
    and a fire at night.
²⁰ Your gentle Spirit
    instructed them,^[f]
and you gave them manna^[g] to eat
    and water to drink.
²¹ You took good care of them,
and for forty years
    they never lacked a thing.
Their clothes didn't wear out,
and their feet were never swollen.

^22 (N) You let them conquer kings
    and take their land,
including King Sihon of Heshbon
    and King Og of Bashan.^[h]
23 (O) You brought them into the land
that you had promised
    their ancestors,
and you blessed their nation
with people that outnumbered
    the stars in the sky.

^24 (P) Then their descendants
    conquered the land.
You helped them defeat
    the kings and nations
and treat their enemies
    however they wished.
^25 (Q) They captured strong cities
    and rich farmland;
they took furnished houses,
    as well as cisterns,^[i]
    vineyards, olive orchards,
    and numerous fruit trees.
They ate till they were satisfied,
and they celebrated
    your abundant blessings.

^26 (R)(S) In spite of this, they rebelled
    and disobeyed your laws.
They killed your prophets,
    who warned them
to turn back to you,
    and they cursed your name.
²⁷ So you handed them over
to their enemies,
    who treated them terribly.
But in their sufferings,
    they begged you to help.
From heaven you listened
    to their prayers
and because of your great mercy,
you sent leaders to rescue them.

^28 (T) But when they were at peace,
    they would turn against you,
and you would hand them over
    to their enemies.
Then they would beg for help,
and because you are merciful,
    you rescued them
    over and over again.
^29 (U) You warned them to turn back
and discover true life
    by obeying your laws.
But they stubbornly refused
    and continued to sin.
^30 (V) For years, you were patient,
    and your Spirit^[j] warned them
with messages spoken
    by your prophets.
Still they refused to listen,
and you handed them over
    to their enemies.
³¹ But you are merciful and kind,
and so you never forgot them
    or let them be destroyed.

^32 (W) Our God, you are powerful,
fearsome, and faithful,
    always true to your word.
So please keep in mind
    the terrible sufferings
of our people, kings, leaders,
    priests, and prophets,
from the time Assyria ruled
    until this very day.
³³ You have always been fair
when you punished us
    for our sins.

³⁴ Our kings and leaders,
    our priests and ancestors
have never obeyed your commands
    or heeded your warnings.
³⁵ You blessed them with a kingdom
and with an abundance
    of rich, fertile land,
but they refused to worship you
    or turn from their evil.
³⁶ Now we are slaves
in this fruitful land
    you gave to our ancestors.
³⁷ Its plentiful harvest is taken
by kings you placed over us
    because of our sins.
Our suffering is unbearable,
because they do as they wish
    to us and our livestock.