Nehemiah 9:23-30

9:23 You multiplied their descendants like the stars of the sky. You brought them to the land you had told their ancestors to enter in order to possess. 9:24 Their descendants ¹  entered and possessed the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites who were the inhabitants of the land. You delivered them into their hand, together with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with as they pleased. 9:25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took possession of houses full of all sorts of good things – wells previously dug, vineyards, olive trees, and fruit trees in abundance. They ate until they were full ²  and grew fat. They enjoyed to the full your great goodness.

9:26 “Nonetheless they grew disobedient and rebelled against you; they disregarded your law. ³  They killed your prophets who had solemnly admonished them in order to cause them to return to you. They committed atrocious blasphemies. 9:27 Therefore you delivered them into the hand of their adversaries, who oppressed them. But in the time of their distress they called to you, and you heard from heaven. In your abundant compassion you provided them with deliverers to rescue them from ⁴  their adversaries.

9:28 “Then, when they were at rest again, they went back to doing evil before you. Then you abandoned them to ⁵  their enemies, and they gained dominion over them. When they again cried out to you, in your compassion you heard from heaven and rescued them time and again. 9:29 And you solemnly admonished them in order to return them to your law, but they behaved presumptuously and did not obey your commandments. They sinned against your ordinances – those by which an individual, if he obeys them, ⁶  will live. They boldly turned from you; ⁷  they rebelled ⁸  and did not obey. 9:30 You prolonged your kindness ⁹  with them for many years, and you solemnly admonished them by your Spirit through your prophets. Still they paid no attention, ¹⁰  so you delivered them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. ¹¹ 

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¹ tn Heb “the sons.”

² tn Heb “they ate and were sated.” This expression is a hendiadys. The first verb retains its full verbal sense, while the second functions adverbially: “they ate and were filled” = “they ate until they were full.”

³ tn Heb “they cast your law behind their backs.”

⁴ tn Heb “from the hand of” (so NASB, NIV); NAB “from the power of.”

⁵ tn Heb “in the hand of” (so KJV, ASV); NAB “to the power of.”

⁶ tn Heb “if a man keep.” See note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.

⁷ tn Heb “they gave a stubborn shoulder.”

⁸ tn Heb “they stiffened their neck.”

⁹ tn The Hebrew expression here is elliptical. The words “your kindness” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰ tn Heb “did not give ear to.”

¹¹ tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”