Nehemiah 9:1 - Prayer Tents

National Confession of Sin

9On the twenty-fourth day of this month the Israelites assembled; they were fasting, [wearing] sackcloth, [and had put] dust on their heads.H6242H702H3117H2320H1121H3478H622H6685H8242H127

2Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the guilt of their fathers.H2233H3478H914H1121H5236H5975H3034H2403H5771H1

3While they stood in their places, they read from the book of the law of the LORD their God for a fourth of the day and [spent] another fourth of the day in confession and worship of the LORD their God.H6965H5977H7121H5612H8451H3068H430H7243H3117H7243H3034H7812H3068H430

4Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the raised platform [built] for the Levites and cried out loudly to the LORD their God.H6965H4608H3881H3442H1137H6934H7645H1138H8274H1137H3662H2199H1419H6963H3068H430

5Then the Levites— Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah— said: Stand up. Bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Praise Your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.H3881H3442H6934H1137H2813H8274H1941H7645H6611H559H6965H1288H3068H430H5769H5769H1288H3519H8034H7311H1293H8416

6You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them, and the heavenly host worships You.H3068H6213H8064H8064H8064H6635H776H3220H2421H6635H8064H7812

7You are the LORD God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans, and changed his name to Abraham.H3068H430H977H87H3318H218H3778H7760H8034H85

8You found his heart faithful in Your sight, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites— to give it to his descendants. You have kept Your promise, for You are righteous.H4672H3824H539H6440H3772H1285H5414H776H3669H2850H567H6522H2983H1622H5414H2233H6965H1697H6662

9You saw the oppression of our ancestors in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea.H7200H6040H1H4714H8085H2201H5488H3220

10You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew how arrogantly they treated our ancestors. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day.H5414H226H4159H6547H5650H5971H776H3045H2102H6213H8034H3117

11You divided the sea before them, and they crossed through it on dry ground. You hurled their pursuers into the depths like a stone into churning waters.H1234H3220H6440H5674H8432H3220H3004H7291H7993H4688H68H5794H4325

12You led them with a pillar of cloud by day, and with a pillar of fire by night, to illuminate the way they should go.H5148H3119H6051H5982H3915H5982H784H215H1870H3212

13You came down on Mount Sinai, and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them impartial ordinances, reliable instructions, and good decrees and commandments.H3381H2022H5514H1696H8064H5414H3477H4941H571H8451H2896H2706H4687

14You revealed Your holy Sabbath to them, and gave them commandments, statutes, and a law through Your servant Moses.H3045H6944H7676H6680H4687H2706H8451H3027H4872H5650

15You provided bread from heaven for their hunger; You brought them water from the rock for their thirst. You told them to go in and possess the land You had sworn to give them.H5414H3899H8064H7458H3318H4325H5553H6772H559H935H3423H776H3027H5375H5414

16But our ancestors acted arrogantly; they became stiff-necked and did not listen to Your commands.H1H2102H7185H6203H8085H4687

17They refused to listen and did not remember Your wonders You performed among them. They became stiff-necked and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in faithful love, and You did not abandon them.H3985H8085H2142H6381H6213H7185H6203H4805H5414H7218H7725H5659H433H5547H2587H7349H750H639H7227H2617H5800

18Even after they had cast an image of a calf for themselves and said, "This is your God who brought you out of Egypt," and they had committed terrible blasphemies,H6213H4541H5695H559H430H5927H4714H6213H1419H5007

19You did not abandon them in the wilderness because of Your great compassion. During the day the pillar of cloud never turned away from them, guiding them on their journey. And during the night the pillar of fire illuminated the way they should go.H7227H7356H5800H4057H5982H6051H5493H3119H5148H1870H5982H784H3915H215H1870H3212

20You sent Your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold Your manna from their mouths, and You gave them water for their thirst.H5414H2896H7307H7919H4513H4478H6310H5414H4325H6772

21You provided for them in the wilderness 40 years and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell.H705H8141H3557H4057H2637H8008H1086H7272H1216

22You gave them kingdoms and peoples and assigned them to be a boundary. They took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and of the land of Og king of Bashan.H5414H4467H5971H2505H6285H3423H776H5511H776H4428H2809H776H5747H4428H1316

23You multiplied their descendants like the stars of heaven and brought them to the land You told their ancestors to go in and take possession [of it].H1121H7235H3556H8064H935H776H559H1H935H3423

24So their descendants went in and possessed the land: You subdued the Canaanites who inhabited the land before them and handed their kings and the surrounding peoples over to them, to do as they pleased with them.H1121H935H3423H776H3665H6440H3427H776H3669H5414H3027H4428H5971H776H6213H7522

25They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took possession of well-supplied houses, rock-hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. They ate, were filled, became prosperous, and delighted in Your great goodness.H3920H1219H5892H8082H127H3423H1004H4392H2898H953H2672H3754H2132H3978H6086H7230H398H7646H8080H5727H1419H2898

26But they were disobedient and rebelled against You. They flung Your law behind their backs and killed Your prophets who warned them to turn them back to You. They committed terrible blasphemies.H4784H4775H7993H8451H310H1458H2026H5030H5749H7725H6213H1419H5007

27So You handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. In their time of distress, they cried out to You, and You heard from heaven. In Your abundant compassion You gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the power of their enemies.H5414H3027H6862H6887H6256H6869H6817H8085H8064H7227H7356H5414H3467H3467H3027H6862

28But as soon as they had relief, they again did what was evil in Your sight. So You abandoned them to the power of their enemies, who dominated them. When they cried out to You again, You heard from heaven and rescued them many times in Your compassion.H5117H6213H7451H7725H6440H5800H3027H341H7287H7725H2199H8085H8064H7227H6256H5337H7356

29You warned them to turn back to Your law, but they acted arrogantly and would not obey Your commandments. They sinned against Your ordinances, by which a person will live if he does them. They stubbornly resisted, stiffened their necks, and would not obey.H5749H7725H8451H2102H8085H4687H2398H4941H120H6213H2421H5414H5637H3802H7185H6203H8085

30You were patient with them for many years, and Your Spirit warned them through Your prophets, but they would not listen. Therefore, You handed them over to the surrounding peoples.H7227H8141H4900H5749H7307H3027H5030H238H5414H3027H5971H776

31However, in Your abundant compassion, You did not destroy them or abandon them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.H7227H7356H6213H3617H5800H2587H7349H410

32So now, our God— the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant— do not view lightly all the hardships that have afflicted us, our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all Your people, from the days of the Assyrian kings until today.H430H1419H1368H3372H410H8104H1285H2617H8513H4591H6440H4672H4428H8269H3548H5030H1H5971H3117H4428H804H3117

33You are righteous concerning all that has come on us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.H6662H935H6213H571H7561

34Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey Your law or listen to Your commandments and warnings You gave them.H4428H8269H3548H1H6213H8451H7181H4687H5715H5749

35When they were in their kingdom, with Your abundant goodness You gave them, and in the spacious and fertile land You set before them, they would not serve You or turn from their wicked ways.H5647H4438H7227H2898H5414H7342H8082H776H5414H6440H7725H7451H4611

36Here we are today, slaves in the land You gave our ancestors so that they could enjoy its fruit and its goodness. Here we are— slaves in it!H5650H3117H776H5414H1H398H6529H2898H5650

37Its abundant harvest goes to the kings You have set over us, because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and our livestock as they please. We are in great distress.H7235H8393H4428H5414H2403H4910H1472H929H7522H1419H6869

Israel’s Vow of Faithfulness

38In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing on a sealed document [containing the names of] our leaders, Levites, and priests.H3772H548H3789H8269H3881H3548H2856