Nehemiah:9:1-37

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* Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting , in sackcloth , and with dust on their heads . * Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners ; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers . * And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for one-fourth of the day ; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God . * Then Jeshua , Bani , Kadmiel , Shebaniah , Bunni , Sherebiah , Bani , and Chenani stood on the stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the LORD their God . * And the Levites , Jeshua , Kadmiel , Bani , Hashabniah , Sherebiah , Hodijah , Shebaniah , and Pethahiah , said : "Stand up and bless the LORD your God Forever and ever ! "Blessed be Your glorious name , Which is exalted above all blessing and praise ! * You alone are the LORD ; You have made heaven , The heaven of heavens , with all their host , The earth and everything on it , The seas and all that is in them , And You preserve them all . The host of heaven worships You . * "You are the LORD God , Who chose Abram , And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans , And gave him the name Abraham ; * You found his heart faithful before You , And made a covenant with him To give the land of the Canaanites , The Hittites , the Amorites , The Perizzites , the Jebusites , And the Girgashites -- To give it to his descendants . You have performed Your words , For You are righteous . * "You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt , And heard their cry by the Red Sea . * You showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh , Against all his servants , And against all the people of his land . For You knew that they acted proudly against them . So You made a name for Yourself , as it is this day . * And You divided the sea before them , So that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land ; And their persecutors You threw into the deep , As a stone into the mighty waters . * Moreover You led them by day with a cloudy pillar , And by night with a pillar of fire , To give them light on the road Which they should travel . * "You came down also on Mount Sinai , And spoke with them from heaven , And gave them just ordinances and true laws , Good statutes and commandments . * You made known to them Your holy Sabbath , And commanded them precepts , statutes and laws , By the hand of Moses Your servant . * You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger , And brought them water out of the rock for their thirst , And told them to go in to possess the land Which You had sworn to give them . * "But they and our fathers acted proudly , Hardened their necks , And did not heed Your commandments . * They refused to obey , And they were not mindful of Your wonders That You did among them . But they hardened their necks , And in their rebellion They appointed a leader To return to their bondage . But You are God , Ready to pardon , Gracious and merciful , Slow to anger , Abundant in kindness , And did not forsake them . * "Even when they made a molded calf for themselves , And said , "This is your god That brought you up out of Egypt ,' And worked great provocations , * Yet in Your manifold mercies You did not forsake them in the wilderness . The pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day , To lead them on the road ; Nor the pillar of fire by night , To show them light , And the way they should go . * You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them , And did not withhold Your manna from their mouth , And gave them water for their thirst . * Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness ; They lacked nothing ; Their clothes did not wear out And their feet did not swell . * "Moreover You gave them kingdoms and nations , And divided them into districts . So they took possession of the land of Sihon , The land of the king of Heshbon , And the land of Og king of Bashan . * You also multiplied their children as the stars of heaven , And brought them into the land Which You had told their fathers To go in and possess . * So the people went in And possessed the land ; You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land , The Canaanites , And gave them into their hands , With their kings And the people of the land , That they might do with them as they wished . * And they took strong cities and a rich land , And possessed houses full of all goods , Cisterns already dug , vineyards , olive groves , And fruit trees in abundance . So they ate and were filled and grew fat , And delighted themselves in Your great goodness . * "Nevertheless they were disobedient And rebelled against You , Cast Your law behind their backs And killed Your prophets , who testified against them To turn them to Yourself ; And they worked great provocations . * Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies , Who oppressed them ; And in the time of their trouble , When they cried to You , You heard from heaven ; And according to Your abundant mercies You gave them deliverers who saved them From the hand of their enemies . * "But after they had rest , They again did evil before You . Therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies , So that they had dominion over them ; Yet when they returned and cried out to You , You heard from heaven ; And many times You delivered them according to Your mercies , * And testified against them , That You might bring them back to Your law . Yet they acted proudly , And did not heed Your commandments , But sinned against Your judgments , "Which if a man does , he shall live by them .' And they shrugged their shoulders , Stiffened their necks , And would not hear . * Yet for many years You had patience with them , And testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets . Yet they would not listen ; Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands . * Nevertheless in Your great mercy You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them ; For You are God , gracious and merciful . * "Now therefore , our God , The great , the mighty , and awesome God , Who keeps covenant and mercy : Do not let all the trouble seem small before You That has come upon us , Our kings and our princes , Our priests and our prophets , Our fathers and on all Your people , From the days of the kings of Assyria until this day . * However You are just in all that has befallen us ; For You have dealt faithfully , But we have done wickedly . * Neither our kings nor our princes , Our priests nor our fathers , Have kept Your law , Nor heeded Your commandments and Your testimonies , With which You testified against them . * For they have not served You in their kingdom , Or in the many good things that You gave them , Or in the large and rich land which You set before them ; Nor did they turn from their wicked works . * "Here we are , servants today ! And the land that You gave to our fathers , To eat its fruit and its bounty , Here we are , servants in it ! * And it yields much increase to the kings You have set over us , Because of our sins ; Also they have dominion over our bodies and our cattle At their pleasure ; And we are in great distress .

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