以色列人認罪禱告
1這月二十四日，以色列人聚集禁食。他們身披麻衣，頭撒塵土。 2以色列人與其他外族人隔離，站著承認自己的罪惡和祖先的過犯。 3他們站在自己的地方，宣讀他們上帝耶和華的律法書，長達三個小時9·3 「三個小時」希伯來文是「一天的四分之一」。。他們又用了三個小時認罪，敬拜他們的上帝耶和華。 4利未人耶書亞、巴尼、甲篾、示巴尼、布尼、示利比、巴尼和基拿尼站在臺上，大聲呼求他們的上帝耶和華。 5利未人耶書亞、甲篾、巴尼、哈沙尼、示利比、荷第雅、示巴尼和毗他希雅說：「起來稱頌你們的上帝耶和華，直到永永遠遠。耶和華啊，你榮耀的聖名當受稱頌！願你的名被尊崇，超過一切稱頌和讚美！
6「你，唯有你是耶和華！你造了天、天上的天和天上的萬象、地和地上的一切、海和海中的一切，你賜給他們生命。眾天軍都敬拜你。 7你是耶和華上帝，你揀選了亞伯蘭，帶他離開迦勒底的吾珥，又給他改名為亞伯拉罕。 8你知道他對你忠心，就與他立約，把迦南人、赫人、亞摩利人、比利洗人、耶布斯人及革迦撒人的土地賜給他的後代。你實現了你的應許，因為你是公義的。
9「你看見我們祖先在埃及所受的苦，又聽見他們在紅海邊的呼求， 10就行神蹟奇事對付法老及其所有的臣僕和國民，因為你知道他們對以色列人行事狂傲。你使自己威名遠揚直到今日。 11你在我們祖先面前把海水分開，使他們在海中走乾地過去；你把追趕他們的人扔進深海，好像把石頭扔進大水中。 12白天，你用雲柱帶領他們；夜間，你用火柱照亮他們當走的路。 13你降臨在西奈山，從天上與他們說話，賜給他們公正的典章、信實的律法、美好的律例和誡命。 14你使他們知道你的神聖安息日，藉你僕人摩西賜給他們誡命、律例和法度。 15他們餓了，你賜下天糧給他們吃；他們渴了，你使磐石流出水給他們喝。你吩咐他們去佔領你起誓賜給他們的土地。 16但我們的祖先行事狂傲，頑固不化，不肯聽從你的誡命。 17他們拒絕聽從，忘記了你為他們所行的奇事，頑固不化，自立首領要回埃及做奴隸。但你是樂意饒恕，有恩典，有憐憫，不輕易發怒，充滿慈愛的上帝，你沒有離棄他們。 18縱使他們為自己鑄造了一頭牛犢，聲稱那是把他們帶出埃及的上帝，大大褻瀆了你， 19你還是對他們大施憐憫，沒有在曠野離棄他們。白天，雲柱沒有離開他們，仍然引導他們前行；夜間，火柱仍然照亮他們當走的路。 20你差遣你良善的靈去教導他們，沒有停止賜他們嗎哪吃，也沒有停止賜他們水喝。 21在曠野的四十年間，你供養他們，使他們一無所缺，他們的衣服沒有穿破，腳也沒有走腫。
22「你將列國和萬民賜給他們，為他們劃分疆界，他們佔領了希實本王西宏和巴珊王噩的土地。 23你使他們的子孫多如天上的星星，你帶領他們進入你應許他們祖先的土地。 24他們的子孫進去佔領了那地方，你在他們面前制伏了那裡的迦南人，把迦南諸王和那地方的人交在他們手裡，任由他們處置。 25他們奪取堅固的城池、肥沃的土地、裝滿美物的房屋、挖好的水井、葡萄園、橄欖園以及各樣的果樹。他們吃得飽足，身體發胖，享受你的厚恩。
26「然而，他們不順從你，背叛你，把你的律法拋在背後，又殺掉勸誡他們歸向你的眾先知，大大褻瀆了你。 27於是你把他們交在欺壓他們的仇敵手中。他們在患難中向你呼求，你就從天上垂聽，懷著豐盛的憐憫賜給他們拯救者，把他們從仇敵手中拯救出來。 28可是，他們得享平安後，又在你面前作惡，於是你離棄他們，把他們交在敵人手中，使敵人統治他們。他們回轉向你呼求，你就從天上垂聽，你一次次地懷著憐憫拯救他們。 29你警告他們，要使他們遵守你的律法，但他們行事狂傲，不聽從你的誡命，干犯你的典章。人若遵行這典章就必存活，但他們背棄你，頑固不化，不肯聽從。 30你多年來容忍他們，差遣你的靈藉著你的眾先知警告他們，但他們依然不肯聽從，於是你把他們交在列邦手中。 31然而，你大施憐憫，沒有完全毀滅他們，也沒有離棄他們，因為你是有恩典和憐憫的上帝。
32「因此，我們的上帝啊，你是偉大、全能、可畏、守約、施慈愛的上帝，求你不要輕看我們的王、首領、祭司、先知、祖先和你的子民從亞述諸王時代直到今天所受的苦難。 33在這臨到我們的一切事上，你都是公義的，因為你行事信實，我們行事邪惡。 34我們的王、首領、祭司和祖先沒有遵行你的律法，也沒有留心聽從你的誡命和你給他們的警告。 35他們即使在本國，在你賜給他們廣闊肥沃的土地上得享你的厚恩，也不事奉你，不離開惡道。 36今天，我們淪為奴隸，在你賜給我們祖先的土地上，在你讓我們祖先享用其出產和各樣美物的土地上，我們淪為奴隸。 37因為我們的罪過，這地方的豐富出產都歸給了那些你派來統管我們的王。他們隨意統管我們和我們的牲畜。我們生活在極大的苦難中。
38「鑒於這一切，我們鄭重立約，記載下來。我們的首領、利未人和祭司都在上面蓋了印。」
The Israelites Admit They Have Sinned
1It was the 24th day of the seventh month. The Israelites gathered together again. They didn’t eat any food. They wore the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. They put dust on their heads. 2The Israelites separated themselves from everyone else. They stood and admitted they had sinned. They also admitted that their people before them had sinned. 3They stood where they were. They listened while the Levites read parts of the Book of the Law of the Lord their God. They listened for a fourth of the day. They spent another fourth of the day admitting their sins. They also worshiped the Lord their God. 4Some people were standing on the stairs of the Levites. They included Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani. With loud voices they called out to the Lord their God. 5Then some Levites spoke up. They included Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah. They said to the people, “Stand up. Praise the Lord your God. He lives for ever and ever!”
So the people said, “Lord, may your glorious name be praised. May it be lifted high above every other name that is blessed and praised. 6You are the one and only Lord. You made the heavens. You made even the highest heavens. You created all the stars in the sky. You created the earth and everything on it. And you made the oceans and everything in them. You give life to everything. Every living being in heaven worships you.
7“You are the Lord God. You chose Abram. You brought him out of Ur in the land of Babylon. You named him Abraham. 8You knew that his heart was faithful to you. And you made a covenant with him. You promised to give to his children after him a land of their own. It was the land of the Canaanites, Hittites and Amorites. The Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites also lived there. You have kept your promise. That’s because you always do what is right and fair.
9“You saw how our people of long ago suffered in Egypt. You heard them cry out to you at the Red Sea. 10You sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh. You sent plagues on all his officials. In fact, you sent them on all the people of Egypt. You knew how they treated our people. They looked down on them. But you made a name for yourself. That name remains to this very day. 11You parted the waters of the Red Sea for the Israelites. They passed through it on dry ground. But you threw into the sea those who chased them. They sank down like a stone into the mighty waters. 12By day you led the Israelites with a pillar of cloud. At night you led them with a pillar of fire. It gave them light to show them the way you wanted them to go.
13“You came down on Mount Sinai. From heaven you spoke to our people. You gave them rules and laws. Those laws are right and fair. You gave them orders and commands that are good. 14You taught them about your holy Sabbath day. You gave them commands, orders and laws. You did it through your servant Moses. 15When the people were hungry, you gave them bread from heaven. When they were thirsty, you brought them water out of a rock. You told them to go into the land of Canaan. You told them to take it as their own. It was the land you had promised to give them.
16“But our people before us became proud and stubborn. They didn’t obey your commands. 17They refused to listen to you. They forgot the miracles you had done among them. So they became stubborn. When they refused to obey you, they appointed a leader for themselves. They wanted to go back to being slaves in Egypt. But you are a God who forgives. You are gracious. You are tender and kind. You are slow to get angry. You are full of love. So you didn’t desert them. 18They made for themselves a metal statue of a god that looked like a calf. They said to one another, ‘Here is your god. He brought you up out of Egypt.’ And they did evil things that dishonored you. But you still didn’t desert them.
19“Because you loved them so much, you didn’t leave them in the desert. During the day the pillar of cloud didn’t stop guiding them on their path. At night the pillar of fire didn’t stop shining on the way you wanted them to go. 20You gave them your good Spirit to teach them. You didn’t hold back your manna from their mouths. And you gave them water when they were thirsty. 21For 40 years you took good care of them in the desert. They had everything they needed. Their clothes didn’t wear out. And their feet didn’t swell up.
22“You gave them kingdoms and nations. You even gave them lands far away. They took over the country of Sihon. He was the king of Heshbon. They also took over the country of Og. He was the king of Bashan. 23You gave them as many children as there are stars in the sky. You told their parents to enter the land. You told them to take it over. And you brought their children into it. 24Their children went into the land. They took it as their own. You brought the Canaanites under Israel’s control. The Canaanites lived in the land. But you handed them over to Israel. You also handed over their kings and the other nations in the land to Israel. You allowed Israel to deal with them just as they wanted to. 25Your people captured cities that had high walls around them. They also took over the rich land in Canaan. They took houses filled with all kinds of good things. They took over wells that had already been dug. They took many vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees. They ate until they were very full and satisfied. They were filled with joy because you were so good to them.
26“But they didn’t obey you. Instead, they turned against you. They turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets. The prophets had warned them to return to you. But they did very evil things that dishonored you. 27So you handed them over to their enemies, who treated them badly. Then they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them. You loved them very much. So you sent leaders to help them. The leaders saved them from the power of their enemies.
28“Then the people were enjoying peace and rest again. That’s when they did what you did not want them to do. Then you handed them over to their enemies. So their enemies ruled over them. When they cried out to you again, you heard them from heaven. You loved them very much. So you saved them time after time.
29“You warned them so that they would obey your law again. But they became proud. They didn’t obey your commands. They sinned against your rules. You said, ‘Anyone who obeys my rules will live by them.’ But the people didn’t care about that. They turned their backs on you. They became very stubborn. They refused to listen to you. 30For many years you put up with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. In spite of that, they didn’t pay any attention. So you handed them over to the nations that were around them. 31But you loved them very much. So you didn’t put an end to them. You didn’t desert them. That’s because you are a gracious God. You are tender and kind.
32“Our God, you are the great God. You are mighty and wonderful. You keep the covenant you made with us. You show us your love. So don’t let all our suffering seem like a small thing to you. We’ve suffered greatly. So have our kings and leaders. So have our priests and prophets. Our people who lived long ago also suffered. And all your people are suffering right now. In fact, we’ve been suffering from the time of the kings of Assyria until today. 33In spite of everything that has happened to us, you have been fair. You have been faithful in what you have done. But we did what was evil. 34Our kings and leaders didn’t follow your law. Our priests and our people before us didn’t follow it either. They didn’t pay any attention to your commands or rules that you warned them to keep. 35They didn’t serve you. They didn’t turn from their evil ways. They didn’t obey you even when they had a kingdom. You were very good to them. And they enjoyed it. You gave them a rich land. It had plenty of room in it. But they still didn’t serve you.
36“Now look at us. We are slaves today. We’re slaves in the land you gave our people of long ago. You gave it to them so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. 37But we have sinned against you. So its great harvest goes to the kings of Persia. You have placed them over us. They rule over our bodies and cattle just as they please. And we are suffering terribly.
The People Agree to Obey God’s Law
38“So we are making a firm agreement. We’re writing it down. Our leaders are putting their official marks on it. And so are our Levites and priests.”
