9On the twenty-fourth day of the same month the people of Israel gathered to fast in order to show sorrow for their sins. They had already separated themselves from all foreigners. They wore sackcloth and put dust on their heads as signs of grief.H6242H702H3117H2320H1121H3478H622H6685H8242H127 2Then they stood and began to confess the sins that they and their ancestors had committed.H2233H3478H914H1121H5236H5975H3034H2403H5771H1 3For about three hours the Law of the LORD their God was read to them, and for the next three hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the LORD their God.H6965H5977H7121H5612H8451H3068H430H7243H3117H7243H3034H7812H3068H430 4There was a platform for the Levites, and on it stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani. They prayed aloud to the LORD their God.H6965H4608H3881H3442H1137H6934H7645H1138H8274H1137H3662H2199H1419H6963H3068H430 5The following Levites gave a call to worship: Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah. They said: "Stand up and praise the LORD your God; praise him forever and ever! Let everyone praise his glorious name, although no human praise is great enough."H3881H3442H6934H1137H2813H8274H1941H7645H6611H559H6965H1288H3068H430H5769H5769H1288H3519H8034H7311H1293H8416 6And then the people of Israel prayed this prayer: "You, LORD, you alone are LORD; you made the heavens and the stars of the sky. You made land and sea and everything in them; you gave life to all. The heavenly powers bow down and worship you.H3068H6213H8064H8064H8064H6635H776H3220H2421H6635H8064H7812 7You, LORD God, chose Abram and led him out of Ur in Babylonia; you changed his name to Abraham.H3068H430H977H87H3318H218H3778H7760H8034H85 8You found that he was faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him. You promised to give him the land of the Canaanites, the land of the Hittites and the Amorites, the land of the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Girgashites, to be a land where his descendants would live. You kept your promise, because you are faithful.H4672H3824H539H6440H3772H1285H5414H776H3669H2850H567H6522H2983H1622H5414H2233H6965H1697H6662 9"You saw how our ancestors suffered in Egypt; you heard their call for help at the Red Sea.H7200H6040H1H4714H8085H2201H5488H3220 10You worked amazing miracles against the king, against his officials and the people of his land, because you knew how they oppressed your people. You won then the fame you still have today.H5414H226H4159H6547H5650H5971H776H3045H2102H6213H8034H3117 11Through the sea you made a path for your people and led them through on dry ground. Those who pursued them drowned in deep water, as a stone sinks in the raging sea.H1234H3220H6440H5674H8432H3220H3004H7291H7993H4688H68H5794H4325 12With a cloud you led them in daytime, and at night you lighted their way with fire.H5148H3119H6051H5982H3915H5982H784H215H1870H3212 13At Mount Sinai you came down from heaven; you spoke to your people and gave them good laws and sound teachings.H3381H2022H5514H1696H8064H5414H3477H4941H571H8451H2896H2706H4687 14You taught them to keep your Sabbaths holy, and through your servant Moses you gave them your laws.H3045H6944H7676H6680H4687H2706H8451H3027H4872H5650 15"When they were hungry, you gave them bread from heaven, and water from a rock when they were thirsty. You told them to take control of the land which you had promised to give them.H5414H3899H8064H7458H3318H4325H5553H6772H559H935H3423H776H3027H5375H5414 16But our ancestors grew proud and stubborn and refused to obey your commands.H1H2102H7185H6203H8085H4687 17They refused to obey; they forgot all you did; they forgot the miracles you had performed. In their pride they chose a leader to take them back to slavery in Egypt. But you are a God who forgives; you are gracious and loving, slow to be angry. Your mercy is great; you did not forsake them.H3985H8085H2142H6381H6213H7185H6203H4805H5414H7218H7725H5659H433H5547H2587H7349H750H639H7227H2617H5800 18They made an idol in the shape of a bull-calf and said it was the god who led them from Egypt! How much they insulted you, LORD!H6213H4541H5695H559H430H5927H4714H6213H1419H5007 19But you did not abandon them there in the desert, for your mercy is great. You did not take away the cloud or the fire that showed them the path by day and night.H7227H7356H5800H4057H5982H6051H5493H3119H5148H1870H5982H784H3915H215H1870H3212 20In your goodness you told them what they should do; you fed them manna and gave them water to drink.H5414H2896H7307H7919H4513H4478H6310H5414H4325H6772 21Through forty years in the desert you provided all that they needed; their clothing never wore out, and their feet were not swollen with pain.H705H8141H3557H4057H2637H8008H1086H7272H1216 22"You let them conquer nations and kingdoms, lands that bordered their own. They conquered the land of Heshbon, where Sihon ruled, and the land of Bashan, where Og was king.H5414H4467H5971H2505H6285H3423H776H5511H776H4428H2809H776H5747H4428H1316 23You gave them as many children as there are stars in the sky, and let them conquer and live in the land that you had promised their ancestors to give them.H1121H7235H3556H8064H935H776H559H1H935H3423 24They conquered the land of Canaan; you overcame the people living there. You gave your people the power to do as they pleased with the people and kings of Canaan.H1121H935H3423H776H3665H6440H3427H776H3669H5414H3027H4428H5971H776H6213H7522 25Your people captured fortified cities, fertile land, houses full of wealth, cisterns already dug, olive trees, fruit trees, and vineyards. They ate all they wanted and grew fat; they enjoyed all the good things you gave them.H3920H1219H5892H8082H127H3423H1004H4392H2898H953H2672H3754H2132H3978H6086H7230H398H7646H8080H5727H1419H2898 26"But your people rebelled and disobeyed you; they turned their backs on your Law. They killed the prophets who warned them, who told them to turn back to you. They insulted you time after time,H4784H4775H7993H8451H310H1458H2026H5030H5749H7725H6213H1419H5007 27so you let their enemies conquer and rule them. In their trouble they called to you for help, and you answered them from heaven. In your great mercy you sent them leaders who rescued them from their foes.H5414H3027H6862H6887H6256H6869H6817H8085H8064H7227H7356H5414H3467H3467H3027H6862 28When peace returned, they sinned again, and again you let their enemies conquer them. Yet when they repented and asked you to save them, in heaven you heard, and time after time you rescued them in your great mercy.H5117H6213H7451H7725H6440H5800H3027H341H7287H7725H2199H8085H8064H7227H6256H5337H7356 29You warned them to obey your teachings, but in pride they rejected your laws, although keeping your Law is the way to life. Hard-headed and stubborn, they refused to obey.H5749H7725H8451H2102H8085H4687H2398H4941H120H6213H2421H5414H5637H3802H7185H6203H8085 30Year after year you patiently warned them. You inspired your prophets to speak, but your people were deaf, so you let them be conquered by other nations.H7227H8141H4900H5749H7307H3027H5030H238H5414H3027H5971H776 31And yet, because your mercy is great, you did not forsake or destroy them. You are a gracious and merciful God!H7227H7356H6213H3617H5800H2587H7349H410 32"O God, our God, how great you are! How terrifying, how powerful! You faithfully keep your covenant promises. From the time when Assyrian kings oppressed us, even till now, how much we have suffered! Our kings, our leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors, and all our people have suffered. Remember how much we have suffered!H430H1419H1368H3372H410H8104H1285H2617H8513H4591H6440H4672H4428H8269H3548H5030H1H5971H3117H4428H804H3117 33You have done right to punish us; you have been faithful, even though we have sinned.H6662H935H6213H571H7561 34Our ancestors, our kings, leaders, and priests have not kept your Law. They did not listen to your commands and warnings.H4428H8269H3548H1H6213H8451H7181H4687H5715H5749 35With your blessing, kings ruled your people when they lived in the broad, fertile land you gave them; but they failed to turn from sin and serve you.H5647H4438H7227H2898H5414H7342H8082H776H5414H6440H7725H7451H4611 36And now we are slaves in the land that you gave us, this fertile land which gives us food.H5650H3117H776H5414H1H398H6529H2898H5650 37What the land produces goes to the kings that you put over us because we sinned. They do as they please with us and our livestock, and we are in deep distress!"H7235H8393H4428H5414H2403H4910H1472H929H7522H1419H6869 38Because of all that has happened, we, the people of Israel, hereby make a solemn written agreement, and our leaders, our Levites, and our priests put their seals to it.H3772H548H3789H8269H3881H3548H2856
Dublin, OH
