1
Now on the
twenty-fourth * day of
this month the
sons of
Israel assembled with
fasting, in
sackcloth and with
dirt upon them.
.Wp.s,a,n h,Z;h v,d{x;l h'['B.r;a.w ~yir.f,[ ~w{y.b.W ? ~,hyel][ h'm'd]a;w ~yiQ;f.b.W ~w{c.B lea'r.fIy -yen.b
2
The
descendants of
Israel separated themselves from
all foreigners *, and
stood and
confessed their
sins and the
iniquities of their
fathers.
.Wd.m;[;Y;w r'ken yen.B l{Kim lea'r.fIy [;r,z .Wl.d'BiY;w ? ~,hyet{b]a tw{n{w][;w ~,hyeta{J;x -l;[ .WD;w.tiY;w
3
While they
stood in their
place, they
read from the
book of the
law of the
LORD their
God for a
fourth of the
day; and for another
fourth they
confessed and
worshiped the
LORD their
God.
t;rw{T r,pes.B .Wa.r.qiY;w ~'d.m'[ -l;[ .Wm.Wq'Y;w ? ~yiD;w.tim tyi[ib.r.W ~w{Y;h tyi[ib.r ~,hyeh{l/a h'wh.y ? ~,hyeh{l/a h'why;l ~yiw]x;T.vim.W
4
Now on the
Levites' platform stood Jeshua,
Bani,
Kadmiel,
Shebaniah,
Bunni,
Sherebiah,
Bani and
Chenani, and they
cried with a
loud voice to the
LORD their
God.
leayim.d;q yin'b.W ;[.Wvey ~iYiw.l;h hel][;m -l;[ ~'q'Y;w ? .Wq][.ziY;w yin'n.k yin'B h'y.berev yiNUB h'y.n;b.v ? ~,hyeh{l/a h'wh.y -l,a lw{d'G lw{q.B
5
Then the
Levites,
Jeshua,
Kadmiel,
Bani,
Hashabneiah,
Sherebiah,
Hodiah,
Shebaniah and
Pethahiah,
said,
"Arise,
bless the
LORD your
God forever * and
ever! O may Your
glorious name be
blessed And
exalted above all blessing and
praise!
h'y.n.b;v]x yin'B leayim.d;q.w ;[.Wvey ~iYiw.l;h .Wr.ma{Y;w ? .Wk]r'B .Wm.Wq h'y.x;t.p h'y.n;b.v h'Yidw{h h'y.berev ? ~'lw{['h -d;[ ~'lw{['h -nim ~,kyeh{l/a h'wh.y -t,a ? h'k'r.B -l'K -l;[ ~;mw{r.m.W '$,dw{b.K ~ev .Wk.r'byiw ? h'Lih.t.W
6
"You
alone are the
LORD. You have
made the
heavens, The
heaven of
heavens with
all their
host, The
earth and
all that is on it, The
seas and
all that is in them. You
give life to
all of them And the
heavenly host bows down before You.
~Iy;m'V;h -t,a 'tyif'[ .T;a '$,D;b.l h'wh.y a.Wh -h'T;a ? r,v]a -l'k.w #,r'a'h ~'a'b.c -l'k.w ~Iy;m'V;h yem.v ? h,Y;x.m h'T;a.w ~,h'B r,v]a -l'k.w ~yiM;Y;h 'hy,l'[ ? ~yiw]x;T.vim '$.l ~Iy;m'V;h a'b.c.W ~'LUK -t,a
7
"You are the
LORD God,
Who chose Abram And
brought him out from
Ur of the
Chaldees, And
gave him the
name Abraham.
~'r.b;a.B 'T.r;x'B r,v]a ~yih{l/a'h h'wh.y a.Wh -h'T;a ? ~'h'r.b;a w{m.V 'T.m;f.w ~yiD.f;K r.Waem w{taecw{h.w
8
"You
found his
heart faithful before You, And
made a
covenant with him To
give him the
land of the
Canaanite, Of the
Hittite and the
Amorite, Of the
Perizzite, the
Jebusite and the
Girgashite - To
give it to his
descendants. And You have
fulfilled Your
promise, For You are
righteous.
tw{r'k.w '$y,n'p.l !'m/a,n w{b'b.l -t,a 'ta'c'm.W ? yiTix;h yin][;n.K;h #,r,a -t,a tet'l tyir.B;h w{Mi[ ? tet'l yiv'G.riG;h.w yis.Wb.y;h.w yiZir.P;h.w yir{m/a'h ? h'T'a qyiD;c yiK '$y,r'b.D -t,a ~,q'T;w w{[.r;z.l
9
"You
saw the
affliction of our
fathers in
Egypt, And
heard their
cry by the
Red * Sea.
~'t'q][;z -t,a.w ~Iy'r.cim.B .Wnyet{b]a yin\[ -t,a a,reT;w ? @.Ws -m;y -l;[ 'T.[;m'v
10
"Then You
performed signs and
wonders against
Pharaoh, Against
all his
servants and
all the
people of his
land; For You
knew that they
acted arrogantly toward them, And
made a
name for Yourself as it is
this day.
wy'd'b][ -l'k.b.W h{[.r;p.B ~yit.p{m.W t{t{a !eTiT;w ? .Wdyizeh yiK 'T.[;d'y yiK w{c.r;a ~;[ -l'k.b.W ? h,Z;h ~w{Y;h.K ~ev '$.l -f;[;T;w ~,hyel][
11
"You
divided the
sea before them, So they
passed through the
midst of the
sea on
dry ground; And their
pursuers You
hurled into the
depths,
Like a
stone into
raging waters.
~'Y;h -.kw{t.b .Wr.b;[;Y;w ~,hyen.pil 'T.[;q'B ~'Y;h.w ? t{lw{c.mib 'T.k;l.vih ~,hyep.d{r -t,a.w h'v'B;Y;B ? ~yiZ;[ ~Iy;m.B !,b,a -w{m.K
12
"And with a
pillar of
cloud You
led them by
day, And with a
pillar of
fire by
night To
light for them the
way In
which they were to
go.
d.WM;[.b.W ~'mw{y ~'tyix.nih !'n'[ d.WM;[.b.W ? H'b -.Wk.ley r,v]a .$,r,D;h -t,a ~,h'l ryia'h.l h'l.y;l vea
13
"Then You
came down on
Mount Sinai, And
spoke with them from
heaven; You
gave them
just ordinances and
true laws,
Good statutes and
commandments.
~Iy'm'Vim ~,h'Mi[ reB;d.w 'T.d;r'y y;nyis -r;h l;[.w ? t,m/a tw{rw{t.w ~yir'v.y ~yij'P.vim ~,h'l !eTiT;w ? ~yibw{j t{w.cim.W ~yiQUx
14
"So You
made known to them Your
holy sabbath, And
laid down for them
commandments,
statutes and
law,
Through Your
servant Moses.
tw{w.cim.W ~,h'l ]'t;[;dw{h '$.v.d'q t;B;v -t,a.w ? '$,D.b;[ h,v{m d;y.B ~,h'l 'tyi.Wic h'rw{t.w ~yiQUx.w
15
"You
provided bread from
heaven for them for their
hunger, You
brought forth water from a
rock for them for their
thirst, And You
told them to
enter in order to
possess The
land which You
swore * to
give them.
~Iy;m.W ~'b'[.ril ~,h'l h'T;t'n ~Iy;m'Vim ~,x,l.w ? ~,h'l r,ma{T;w ~'a'm.cil ~,h'l 'taecw{h [;l,Sim ? '$.d'y -t,a 'ta'f'n -r,v]a #,r'a'h -t,a t,v,r'l aw{b'l ? ~,h'l tet'l
16
"But they, our
fathers,
acted arrogantly; They
became * stubborn * and would not
listen to Your
commandments.
~'P.r'[ -t,a .Wv.q;Y;w .Wdyizeh .Wnyet{b]a;w ~eh.w ? '$y,t{w.cim -l,a .W[.m'v a{l.w
17
"They
refused to
listen, And did not
remember Your
wondrous deeds which You had
performed among them; So they
became * stubborn * and
appointed a
leader to
return to their
slavery in
Egypt. But You are a
God of
forgiveness,
Gracious and
compassionate,
Slow to
anger and
abounding in
lovingkindness; And You did not
forsake them.
r,v]a '$y,t{a.l.pin .Wr.k'z -a{l.w ;[{m.vil .Wn]a'm.y;w ? va{r -.Wn.TiY;w ~'P.r'[ -t,a .Wv.q;Y;w ~,h'Mi[ 'tyif'[ ? tw{xyil.s ;Hw{l/a h'T;a.w ~'y.rim.B ~'tUd.b;[.l b.Wv'l ? d,s,x.w -b;r.w ~Iy;P;a -.k,r,a ~.Wx;r.w !.WN;x ? ~'T.b;z][ a{l.w
18
"Even when they
made for themselves A
calf of
molten metal And
said,
'This is your
God Who brought you up from
Egypt,' And
committed great blasphemies,
.Wr.ma{Y;w h'keS;m l,ge[ ~,h'l .Wf'[ -yiK @;a ? .Wf][;Y;w ~Iy'r.ciMim '$.l,[,h r,v]a '$y,h{l/a h,z ? tw{l{d.G tw{c'a,n
19
You, in Your
great compassion, Did not
forsake them in the
wilderness; The
pillar of
cloud did not
leave * * them by
day, To
guide them on their
way,
Nor the
pillar of
fire by
night, to
light for them the
way in
which they were to
go.
r'B.diM;B ~'T.b;z][ a{l ~yiB;r'h '$y,m]x;r.B h'T;a.w ? ~'mw{y.B ~,hyel][em r's -a{l !'n'[,h d.WM;[ -t,a ? h'l.y;l.B vea'h d.WM;[ -t,a.w .$,r,D;h.B ~'t{x.n;h.l ? H'b -.Wk.ley r,v]a .$,r,D;h -t,a.w ~,h'l ryia'h.l
20
"You
gave Your
good Spirit to
instruct them, Your
manna You did not
withhold from their
mouth, And You
gave them
water for their
thirst.
'T.[;n'm -a{l '$.n;m.W ~'lyiK.f;h.l 'T;t'n h'bw{J;h '$]x.Wr.w ? ~'a'm.cil ~,h'l h'T;t'n ~Iy;m.W ~,hyiPim
21
"Indeed,
forty years You
provided for them in the
wilderness and they were not in
want; Their
clothes did not
wear out,
nor did their
feet swell.
.Wres'x a{l r'B.diM;B ~'T.l;K.liK h'n'v ~yi['B.r;a.w ? .Wqec'b a{l ~,hyel.g;r.w .Wl'b a{l ~,hyet{m.l;f
22
"You also
gave them
kingdoms and
peoples, And
allotted them to them as a
boundary. They
took possession of the
land of
Sihon the
king of
Heshbon And the
land of
Og the
king of
Bashan.
h'aep.l ~eq.l.x;T;w ~yim'm][;w tw{k'l.m;m ~,h'l !eTiT;w ? .$,l,m #,r,a -t,a.w !w{xyis #,r,a -t,a .Wv.ryiY;w ? !'v'B;h -.k,l,m gw{[ #,r,a -t,a.w !w{B.v,x
23
"You
made their
sons numerous as the
stars of
heaven, And You
brought them into the
land Which You had
told their
fathers to
enter and
possess.
~eayib.T;w ~Iy'm'V;h yeb.k{k.K 'tyiB.rih ~,hyen.b.W ? aw{b'l ~,hyet{b]a;l 'T.r;m'a -r,v]a #,r'a'h -l,a ? t,v'r'l
24
"So their
sons entered and
possessed the
land. And You
subdued before them the
inhabitants of the
land, the
Canaanites, And You
gave them into their
hand, with their
kings and the
peoples of the
land, To
do with them as they
desired.
[;n.k;T;w #,r'a'h -t,a .Wv.ryiY;w ~yin'B;h .Wa{b'Y;w ? ~en.TiT;w ~yin][;n.K;h #,r'a'h yeb.v{y -t,a ~,hyen.pil ? #,r'a'h yem.m;[ -t,a.w ~,hyek.l;m -t,a.w ~'d'y.B ? ~'nw{c.riK ~,h'B tw{f][;l
25
"They
captured fortified cities and a
fertile land. They
took possession of
houses full of
every good thing,
Hewn cisterns,
vineyards,
olive groves,
Fruit trees in
abundance. So they
ate, were
filled and
grew fat, And
reveled in Your
great goodness.
.Wv.ryiY;w h'nem.v h'm'd]a;w tw{rUc.B ~yir'[ .Wd.K.liY;w ? ~yib.Wc]x tw{r{B b.Wj -l'K -myiael.m ~yiT'B ? .Wl.ka{Y;w b{r'l l'k]a;m #e[.w ~yityez.w ~yim'r.K ? lw{d'G;h '$.b.Wj.B .Wn.D;[.tiY;w .Wnyim.v;Y;w .W[.B.fiY;w
26
"But they
became disobedient and
rebelled against You, And
cast Your
law behind their
backs And
killed Your
prophets who had
admonished them So that they might
return to You, And they
committed great blasphemies.
'$.t'rw{T -t,a .Wkil.v;Y;w .$'B .Wd.r.miY;w .Wr.m;Y;w ? .Wdyi[eh -r,v]a .Wg'r'h '$y,ayib.n -t,a.w ~\W;g yer]x;a ? t{lw{d.G tw{c'a,n .Wf][;Y;w '$y,lea ~'byiv]h;l ~'b
27
"Therefore You
delivered them into the
hand of their
oppressors who
oppressed them, But when they
cried to You in the
time of their
distress, You
heard from
heaven, and according to Your
great compassion You
gave them
deliverers who
delivered them from the
hand of their
oppressors.
te[.b.W ~,h'l .Wrec'Y;w ~,hyer'c d;y.B ~en.TiT;w ? ['m.viT ~Iy;m'Vim h'T;a.w '$y,lea .Wq][.cIy ~'t'r'c ? ~.W[yivw{y.w ~yi[yivw{m ~,h'l !eTiT ~yiB;r'h '$y,m]x;r.k.W ? ~,hyer'c d;Yim
28
"But as soon as they
had rest, they
did evil again before You; Therefore You
abandoned them to the
hand of their
enemies, so that they
ruled over them. When they
cried again to You, You
heard from
heaven, And
many times You
rescued them according to Your
compassion,
'$y,n'p.l [;r tw{f][;l .Wb.Wv'y ~,h'l ;xw{n.k.W ? .Wb.Wv'Y;w ~,h'b .WD.riY;w ~,hyeb.y{a d;y.B ~eb.z;[;T;w ? ~elyiC;t.w [;m.viT ~Iy;m'Vim h'T;a.w '$.Wq'[.ziY;w ? ~yiTi[ tw{B;r '$y,m]x;r.K
29
And
admonished them in order to
turn them
back to Your
law. Yet they
acted arrogantly and did not
listen to Your
commandments but
sinned against Your
ordinances, By
which if a
man observes them he shall
live. And they
turned a
stubborn shoulder and
stiffened their
neck, and would not
listen.
-a{l.w .Wdyizeh h'Meh.w '$,t'rw{T -l,a ~'byiv]h;l ~,h'B d;['T;w(which ? '$y,j'P.vim.b.W(which '$y,t{w.cim.l .W[.m'v ? ~,h'b h'y'x.w ~'d'a h,f][;y -r,v]a ~'b -.Wa.j'x ? a{l.w .Wv.qih ~'P.r'[.w t,r,rw{s @et'k .Wn.TiY;w ? .W[em'v
30
"However, You
bore with them for
many years, And
admonished them by Your
Spirit through Your
prophets, Yet they would not
give ear. Therefore You
gave them into the
hand of the
peoples of the
lands.
'$]x.Wr.B ~'B d;['T;w tw{B;r ~yin'v ~,hyel][ .${v.miT;w ? d;y.B ~en.TiT;w .Wnyiz/a,h a{l.w '$y,ayib.n -d;y.B ? t{c'r]a'h yeM;[
31
"Nevertheless, in Your
great compassion You did not
make an
end of them or
forsake them, For You are a
gracious and
compassionate God.
a{l.w h'l'K ~'tyif][ -a{l ~yiB;r'h '$y,m]x;r.b.W ? h'T'a ~.Wx;r.w !.WN;x -lea yiK ~'T.b;z][
32
"Now therefore, our
God, the
great, the
mighty, and the
awesome God, who
keeps covenant and
lovingkindness, Do not let
all the
hardship seem insignificant before You,
Which has
come upon us, our
kings, our
princes, our
priests, our
prophets, our
fathers and on
all Your
people, From the
days of the
kings of
Assyria to
this day.
a'rw{N;h.w rw{BiG;h lw{d'G;h lea'h .Wnyeh{l/a h'T;[.w ? '$y,n'p.l j;[.mIy -l;a d,s,x;h.w tyir.B;h remw{v ? .Wnyek'l.mil .Wn.t;a'c.m -r,v]a h'a'l.T;h -l'K tea ? .Wnyet{b]a;l.w .Wneayib.nil.w .Wnyen]h{k.l.W .Wnyer'f.l ? ~w{Y;h d;[ r.WV;a yek.l;m yemyim '$,M;[ -l'k.l.W ? h,Z;h
33
"However, You are
just in
all that has
come upon us; For You have
dealt faithfully, but we have
acted wickedly.
t,m/a -yiK .Wnyel'[ a'B;h -l'K l;[ qyiD;c h'T;a.w ? .Wn.['v.rih .Wn.x;n]a;w 'tyif'[
34
"For our
kings, our
leaders, our
priests and our
fathers have not
kept Your
law Or
paid attention to Your
commandments and Your
admonitions with
which You have
admonished them.
.Wnyet{b]a;w .Wnyen]h{K .Wnyer'f .Wnyek'l.m -t,a.w ? '$y,t{w.cim -l,a .Wbyiv.qih a{l.w '$,t'rw{T .Wf'[ a{l ? ~,h'B 't{dyi[;h r,v]a '$y,t{w.de[.l.W
35
"But they, in their own
kingdom, With Your
great goodness which You
gave them, With the
broad and
rich land which You
set before them, Did not
serve You or
turn from their
evil deeds.
'T;t'n -r,v]a b'r'h '$.b.Wj.b.W ~'t.Wk.l;m.B ~eh.w ? 'T;t'n -r,v]a h'nem.V;h.w h'b'x.r'h #,r,a.b.W ~,h'l ? ~,hyel.l;[;Mim .Wb'v -a{l.w '$.Wd'b][ a{l ~,hyen.pil ? ~yi['r'h
36
"Behold, we are
slaves today, And as to the
land which You
gave to our
fathers to
eat of its
fruit and its
bounty,
Behold, we are
slaves in it.
h'T;t'n -r,v]a #,r'a'h.w ~yid'b][ ~w{Y;h .Wn.x;n]a heNih ? H'b.Wj -t,a.w H'y.riP -t,a l{k/a,l .Wnyet{b]a;l ? 'hy,l'[ ~yid'b][ .Wn.x;n]a heNih
37
"Its
abundant produce is for the
kings Whom You have
set over us because of our
sins; They also
rule over our
bodies And over our
cattle as they
please, So we are in
great distress.
.Wnyel'[ h'T;t'n -r,v]a ~yik'l.M;l h'B.r;m H't'a.Wb.t.W ? .WneT.m,h.bib.W ~yil.v{m .Wnyet{Yiw.G l;[.w .Wnyetwa{J;x.B ? @ .Wn.x'n]a h'lw{d.g h'r'c.b.W ~'nw{c.riK
38
"Now because of
all this We are
making an
agreement in
writing; And on the
sealed document are the names of our
leaders, our
Levites and our
priests."
~yib.t{k.w h'n'm]a ~yit.r{K .Wn.x;n]a ta{z -l'k.b.W ? .Wnyen]h{K .WneYiw.l .Wnyer'f ~.Wt'x,h l;[.w