Nehemiah 9:29-35

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, ¹  will live. They boldly turned from you; ²  they rebelled ³  and did not obey. 9:30 You prolonged your kindness ⁴  with them for many years, and you solemnly admonished them by your Spirit through your prophets. Still they paid no attention, ⁵  so you delivered them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. ⁶  9:31 However, due to your abundant mercy you did not do away with them altogether; you did not abandon them. For you are a merciful and compassionate God.

9:32 “So now, our God – the great, powerful, and awesome God, who keeps covenant fidelity ⁷  – do not regard as inconsequential ⁸  all the hardship that has befallen us – our kings, our leaders, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all your people – from the days of the kings of Assyria until this very day! 9:33 You are righteous with regard to all that has happened to us, for you have acted faithfully. ⁹  It is we who have been in the wrong! 9:34 Our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our ancestors have not kept your law. They have not paid attention to your commandments or your testimonies by which you have solemnly admonished them. 9:35 Even when they were in their kingdom and benefiting from your incredible ¹⁰  goodness that you had lavished ¹¹  on them in the spacious and fertile land you had set ¹²  before them, they did not serve you, nor did they turn from their evil practices.

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

² tn Heb “they gave a stubborn shoulder.”

³ tn Heb “they stiffened their neck.”

⁴ 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.

⁵ tn Heb “did not give ear to.”

⁶ tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”

⁷ tn Heb “the covenant and loyal love.” The expression is a hendiadys. The second noun retains its full nominal sense, while the first functions adjectivally: “the covenant and loyalty” = covenant fidelity.

⁸ tn Heb “do not let it seem small in your sight.”

⁹ tn Heb “you have done truth.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “great.”

¹¹ tn Heb “given them.”

¹² tn Heb “given.”