1
Now in the twenty[H6242] and fourth[H702]day[H3117] of this month[H2320] the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478] were assembled[H622] with fasting[H6685], and with sackclothes[H8242], and earth[H127] upon them.
2
And the seed[H2233] of Israel[H3478]separated[H914] themselves from all strangers[H1121], and stood[H5975] and confessed[H3034] their sins[H2403], and the iniquities[H5771] of their fathers[H1].
3
And they stood up[H6965] in their place[H5977], and read[H7121] in the book[H5612] of the law[H8451] of the LORD[H3068] their God[H430] one fourth part[H7243] of the day[H3117]; and another fourth part[H7243] they confessed[H3034], and worshipped[H7812] the LORD[H3068] their God[H430].
4
Then stood up[H6965] upon the stairs[H4608], of the Levites[H3881], Jeshua[H3442], and Bani[H1137], Kadmiel[H6934], Shebaniah[H7645], Bunni[H1138], Sherebiah[H8274], Bani[H1137], and Chenani[H3662], and cried[H2199] with a loud[H1419]voice[H6963] unto the LORD[H3068] their God[H430].
5
Then the Levites[H3881], Jeshua[H3442], and Kadmiel[H6934], Bani[H1137], Hashabniah[H2813], Sherebiah[H8274], Hodijah[H1941], Shebaniah[H7645], and Pethahiah[H6611], said[H559], Stand up[H6965] and bless[H1288] the LORD[H3068] your God[H430] for ever[H5769] and ever[H5769]: and blessed[H1288] be thy glorious[H3519]name[H8034], which is exalted[H7311] above all blessing[H1293] and praise[H8416].
6
Thou, even thou, art LORD[H3068] alone; thou hast made[H6213]heaven[H8064], the heaven[H8064] of heavens[H8064], with all their host[H6635], the earth[H776], and all things that are therein, the seas[H3220], and all that is therein, and thou preservest[H2421] them all; and the host[H6635] of heaven[H8064]worshippeth[H7812] thee.
7
Thou art the LORD[H3068] the God[H430], who didst choose[H977]Abram[H87], and broughtest him forth[H3318] out of Ur[H218] of the Chaldees[H3778], and gavest[H7760] him the name[H8034] of Abraham[H85];
8
And foundest[H4672] his heart[H3824]faithful[H539]before[H6440] thee, and madest[H3772] a covenant[H1285] with him to give[H5414] the land[H776] of the Canaanites[H3669], the Hittites[H2850], the Amorites[H567], and the Perizzites[H6522], and the Jebusites[H2983], and the Girgashites[H1622], to give[H5414] it, I say, to his seed[H2233], and hast performed[H6965] thy words[H1697]; for thou art righteous[H6662]:
9
And didst see[H7200] the affliction[H6040] of our fathers[H1] in Egypt[H4714], and heardest[H8085] their cry[H2201] by the Red[H5488]sea[H3220];
10
And shewedst[H5414]signs[H226] and wonders[H4159] upon Pharaoh[H6547], and on all his servants[H5650], and on all the people[H5971] of his land[H776]: for thou knewest[H3045] that they dealt proudly[H2102] against them. So didst thou get[H6213] thee a name[H8034], as it is this day[H3117].
11
And thou didst divide[H1234] the sea[H3220]before[H6440] them, so that they went through[H5674] the midst[H8432] of the sea[H3220] on the dry land[H3004]; and their persecutors[H7291] thou threwest[H7993] into the deeps[H4688], as a stone[H68] into the mighty[H5794]waters[H4325].
12
Moreover thou leddest[H5148] them in the day[H3119] by a cloudy[H6051]pillar[H5982]; and in the night[H3915] by a pillar[H5982] of fire[H784], to give them light[H215] in the way[H1870] wherein they should go[H3212].
13
Thou camest down[H3381] also upon mount[H2022]Sinai[H5514], and spakest[H1696] with them from heaven[H8064], and gavest[H5414] them right[H3477]judgments[H4941], and true[H571]laws[H8451], good[H2896]statutes[H2706] and commandments[H4687]:
14
And madest known[H3045] unto them thy holy[H6944]sabbath[H7676], and commandedst[H6680] them precepts[H4687], statutes[H2706], and laws[H8451], by the hand[H3027] of Moses[H4872] thy servant[H5650]:
15
And gavest[H5414] them bread[H3899] from heaven[H8064] for their hunger[H7458], and broughtest forth[H3318]water[H4325] for them out of the rock[H5553] for their thirst[H6772], and promisedst[H559] them that they should go in[H935] to possess[H3423] the land[H776] which thou hadst sworn[H3027] to give[H5414] them.
16
But they and our fathers[H1] dealt proudly[H2102], and hardened[H7185] their necks[H6203], and hearkened[H8085] not to thy commandments[H4687],
17
And refused[H3985] to obey[H8085], neither were mindful[H2142] of thy wonders[H6381] that thou didst[H6213] among them; but hardened[H7185] their necks[H6203], and in their rebellion[H4805]appointed[H5414] a captain[H7218] to return[H7725] to their bondage[H5659]: but thou art a God[H433] ready to pardon[H5547], gracious[H2587] and merciful[H7349], slow[H750] to anger[H639], and of great[H7227]kindness[H2617], and forsookest[H5800] them not.
18
Yea, when they had made[H6213] them a molten[H4541]calf[H5695], and said[H559], This is thy God[H430] that brought thee up[H5927] out of Egypt[H4714], and had wrought[H6213]great[H1419]provocations[H5007];
19
Yet thou in thy manifold[H7227]mercies[H7356]forsookest[H5800] them not in the wilderness[H4057]: the pillar[H5982] of the cloud[H6051]departed[H5493] not from them by day[H3119], to lead[H5148] them in the way[H1870]; neither the pillar[H5982] of fire[H784] by night[H3915], to shew them light[H215], and the way[H1870] wherein they should go[H3212].
20
Thou gavest[H5414] also thy good[H2896]spirit[H7307] to instruct[H7919] them, and withheldest[H4513] not thy manna[H4478] from their mouth[H6310], and gavest[H5414] them water[H4325] for their thirst[H6772].
21
Yea, forty[H705]years[H8141] didst thou sustain[H3557] them in the wilderness[H4057], so that they lacked[H2637] nothing; their clothes[H8008] waxed not old[H1086], and their feet[H7272]swelled[H1216] not.
22
Moreover thou gavest[H5414] them kingdoms[H4467] and nations[H5971], and didst divide[H2505] them into corners[H6285]: so they possessed[H3423] the land[H776] of Sihon[H5511], and the land[H776] of the king[H4428] of Heshbon[H2809], and the land[H776] of Og[H5747]king[H4428] of Bashan[H1316].
23
Their children[H1121] also multipliedst[H7235] thou as the stars[H3556] of heaven[H8064], and broughtest[H935] them into the land[H776], concerning which thou hadst promised[H559] to their fathers[H1], that they should go in[H935] to possess[H3423] it.
24
So the children[H1121] went in[H935] and possessed[H3423] the land[H776], and thou subduedst[H3665]before[H6440] them the inhabitants[H3427] of the land[H776], the Canaanites[H3669], and gavest[H5414] them into their hands[H3027], with their kings[H4428], and the people[H5971] of the land[H776], that they might do[H6213] with them as they would[H7522].
25
And they took[H3920]strong[H1219]cities[H5892], and a fat[H8082]land[H127], and possessed[H3423]houses[H1004]full[H4392] of all goods[H2898], wells[H953]digged[H2672], vineyards[H3754], and oliveyards[H2132], and fruit[H3978]trees[H6086] in abundance[H7230]: so they did eat[H398], and were filled[H7646], and became fat[H8080], and delighted[H5727] themselves in thy great[H1419]goodness[H2898].
26
Nevertheless they were disobedient[H4784], and rebelled[H4775] against thee, and cast[H7993] thy law[H8451]behind[H310] their backs[H1458], and slew[H2026] thy prophets[H5030] which testified[H5749] against them to turn[H7725] them to thee, and they wrought[H6213]great[H1419]provocations[H5007].
27
Therefore thou deliveredst[H5414] them into the hand[H3027] of their enemies[H6862], who vexed[H6887] them: and in the time[H6256] of their trouble[H6869], when they cried[H6817] unto thee, thou heardest[H8085] them from heaven[H8064]; and according to thy manifold[H7227]mercies[H7356] thou gavest[H5414] them saviours[H3467], who saved[H3467] them out of the hand[H3027] of their enemies[H6862].
28
But after they had rest[H5117], they did[H6213]evil[H7451]again[H7725]before[H6440] thee: therefore leftest[H5800] thou them in the hand[H3027] of their enemies[H341], so that they had the dominion[H7287] over them: yet when they returned[H7725], and cried[H2199] unto thee, thou heardest[H8085] them from heaven[H8064]; and many[H7227]times[H6256] didst thou deliver[H5337] them according to thy mercies[H7356];
29
And testifiedst[H5749] against them, that thou mightest bring them again[H7725] unto thy law[H8451]: yet they dealt proudly[H2102], and hearkened[H8085] not unto thy commandments[H4687], but sinned[H2398] against thy judgments,(which if a man[H120]do[H6213], he shall live[H2421] in them;) and withdrew[H5414] the shoulder[H3802], and hardened[H7185] their neck[H6203], and would not hear[H8085].
30
Yet many[H7227]years[H8141] didst thou forbear[H4900] them, and testifiedst[H5749] against them by thy spirit[H7307]in[H3027] thy prophets[H5030]: yet would they not give ear[H238]: therefore gavest[H5414] thou them into the hand[H3027] of the people[H5971] of the lands[H776].
31
Nevertheless for thy great[H7227]mercies[H7356]' sake thou didst[H6213] not utterly consume[H3617] them, nor forsake[H5800] them; for thou art a gracious[H2587] and merciful[H7349]God[H410].
32
Now therefore, our God[H430], the great[H1419], the mighty[H1368], and the terrible[H3372]God[H410], who keepest[H8104]covenant[H1285] and mercy[H2617], let not all the trouble[H8513] seem little[H4591]before[H6440] thee, that hath come[H4672] upon us, on our kings[H4428], on our princes[H8269], and on our priests[H3548], and on our prophets[H5030], and on our fathers[H1], and on all thy people[H5971], since the time[H3117] of the kings[H4428] of Assyria[H804] unto this day[H3117].
33
Howbeit thou art just[H6662] in all that is brought[H935] upon us; for thou hast done[H6213]right[H571], but we have done[H6213]wickedly[H7561]:
34
Neither have our kings[H4428], our princes[H8269], our priests[H3548], nor our fathers[H1], kept[H6213] thy law[H8451], nor hearkened[H7181] unto thy commandments[H4687] and thy testimonies[H5715], wherewith thou didst testify[H5749] against them.
35
For they have not served[H5647] thee in their kingdom[H4438], and in thy great[H7227]goodness[H2898] that thou gavest[H5414] them, and in the large[H7342] and fat[H8082]land[H776] which thou gavest[H5414]before[H6440] them, neither turned[H7725] they from their wicked[H7451]works[H4611].
36
Behold, we are servants[H5650] this day[H3117], and for the land[H776] that thou gavest[H5414] unto our fathers[H1] to eat[H398] the fruit[H6529] thereof and the good[H2898] thereof, behold, we are servants[H5650] in it:
37
And it yieldeth much[H7235]increase[H8393] unto the kings[H4428] whom thou hast set[H5414] over us because of our sins[H2403]: also they have dominion[H4910] over our bodies[H1472], and over our cattle[H929], at their pleasure[H7522], and we are in great[H1419]distress[H6869].
38
And because of all this we make[H3772] a sure[H548] covenant, and write[H3789] it; and our princes[H8269], Levites[H3881], and priests[H3548], seal[H2856] unto it.