1 NOW in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.
2 And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.
3 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the Lord their God.
4 Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the Lord their God.
5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.
6 Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.
7 Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;
8 And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous:
9 And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;
10 And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day.
11 And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters.
12 Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.
13 Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:
14 And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant:
15 And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.
16 But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,
17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.
18 Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;
19 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.
20 Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.
21 Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.
22 Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.
23 Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.
24 So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.
25 And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.
26 Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.
27 Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.
28 But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;
29 And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.
30 Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.
31 Nevertheless for thy great mercies’ sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.
32 Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.
33 Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:
34 Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.
35 For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.
36 Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it:
37 And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.
38 And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.

1Now in the twentie and fourth day of this moneth, the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, & with sackclothes, and earth vpon them.

2And the seede of Israel separated themselues from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sinnes, and the iniquities of their fathers.

3And they stood vp in their place, and read in the booke of the Law of the Lord their God, one fourth part of the day, and another fourth part they confessed and worshipped the Lord their God.

4 Then stoode vp, vpon the staires of the Leuites, Ieshua and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cryed with a loude voice vnto the Lord their God.

5Then the Leuites, Ieshua and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodiiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, sayde, Stand vp, and blesse the Lord your God for euer and euer, and blessed bee thy glorious Name, which is exalted aboue all blessing and praise.

6Thou, euen thou art Lord alone, thou hast made heauen, the heauen of heauens, with all their hoste, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therin, and thou preseruest them all, and the hoste of heauen worshippeth thee.

7Thou art the Lord the God, who diddest choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Caldees, and gauest him the name of Abraham:

8And foundest his heart faithfull before thee, & madest a couenant with him, to giue the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Iebusites, and the Girgashites, to giue it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words, for thou art righteous,

9And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the red Sea,

10And shewedst signes and wonders vpon Pharaoh, and on all his seruants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudlie against them: so didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day.

11And thou didst diuide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the drie land, and their persecutours thou threwest into the deepes, as a stone into the mightie waters.

12Moreouer thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar, and in the night, by a pillar of fire, to giue them light in the way wherin they should go.

13Thou camest downe also vpon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heauen, and gauest them right iudgements, and true lawes, good statutes and commandements:

14And madest knowen vnto them thy holy Sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and lawes, by the hand of Moses thy seruant:

15And gauest them bread from heauen for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rocke, for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should goe in to possesse the land, which thou hadst sworne to giue them.

16But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkned not to thy commandements:

17And refused to obey, neither were mindful of the wonders that thou didst among them: but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captaine to returne to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and mercifull, slow to anger, and of great kindnes, & forsookest them not.

18Yea when they had made them a molten calfe, and said, This is thy God, that brought thee vp out of Egypt, and had wrought great prouocations:

19Yet thou, in thy manifold mercies, forsookest them not in the wildernesse: the pillar of the cloude departed not from them by day, to leade them in the way, neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherin they should goe.

20Thou gauest also thy good spirit, to instruct them, and withheldest not thy Manna from their mouth, and gauest them water for their thirst.

21Yea fourtie yeeres diddest thou sustaine them in the wildernesse, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes wared not old, and their feet swelled not.

22Moreouer, thou gauest them kingdomes and nations, and didst diuide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.

23Their children also multipliedst thou as the starres of heauen, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should goe in to possesse it.

24So the children went in, and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the lande, the Canaanites, and gauest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might doe with them, as they would.

25And they tooke strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses ful of all goods, welles digged, vineyards, and Olive yards, and fruit trees in abundance: So they did eat and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselues in thy great goodnesse.

26Neuerthelesse, they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backes, and slewe thy prophets, which testified against them to turne them to thee, and they wrought great prouocations.

27Therefore thou deliueredst them into the hande of their enemies, who vexed them, & in the time of their trouble, when they cried vnto thee, thou heardest them from heauen: and according to thy manifold mercies, thou gauest them sauiours, who saued them out of the hand of their enemies.

28But after they had rest, they did euill againe before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion ouer them: yet when they returned and cried vnto thee, thou heardest them from heauen, and many times didst thou deliuer them, according to thy mercies:

29And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them againe vnto thy lawe: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not vnto thy commaundements, but sinned against thy iudgements, (which if a man doe, he shal liue in them) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their necke, and would not heare.

30Yet many yeres diddest thou forbeare them, and testifiedst against them by the Spirit in thy Prophets: yet would they not giue eare: therefore gauest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.

31Neuerthelesse, for thy great mercies sake, thou diddest not vtterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and mercifull God.

32Now therefore, our God, the great, the mightie, and the terrible God, who keepest couenant and mercie: let not all the trouble seeme little before thee, that hath come vpon vs, on our Kings, on our Princes, & on our Priests, and on our Prophets, & on our fathers, & on al thy people, since the time of the Kings of Assyria, vnto this day.

33Howbeit, thou art iust in all that is brought vpon vs, for thou hast done right, but we haue done wickedly:

34Neither haue our kings, our Princes, our Priests, nor our fathers kept thy Law, nor hearkened vnto thy Commandements, and thy Testimonies, wherewith thou didst testifie against them.

35For they haue not serued thee in their kingdome, and in thy great goodnesse that thou gauest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gauest before them, neither turned they from their wicked workes.

36Behold, we are seruants this day; and for the land that thou gauest vnto our fathers, to eat the fruit thereof, and the good thereof, behold, wee are seruants in it.

37And it yeeldeth much increase vnto the kings, whom thou hast set ouer vs, because of our sinnes: also they haue dominion ouer our bodies, and ouer our cattell, at their pleasure; and wee are in great distresse.

38And because of all this, wee make a sure couenant, and write it, and our Princes, Leuites, and Priestes, seale vnto it.

I == Josh 7:6 ; 1st Sam 4:12 ; 2nd Sam 1:2 ; Neh 8:2 ; Job 2:12

II == Ezra 10:11 ; Neh 13:3 , 30

 

III == Neh 8:7-8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

V == 1st Chr 29:13

 

 

 

 

VI == Gen 1:1 ; 2:1 ; Deut 10:14 ; 1st Kings 8:27 ; 2nd Kings 19:15 , 19 ; Ps 36:6 ; 86:10 ; Isa 37:16 , 20 ; Rev 14:7

VII == Gen 11:31 ; 12:1 ; 17:5

 

VIII == Gen 12:7 ; 15:6 , 18 ; 17:7-8 ; Josh 23:14

 

 

 

 

IX == Ex 2:25 ; 3:7 ; 14:10

 

X == Ex 9:16 ; 18:11 ; Isa 63:12 , 14 ; Jer 32:20 ; Dan 9:15

 

XI == Ex 14:21-22 , 27-28 ; 15:5 , 10 ; Ps 78:13

 

 

XII == Ex 13:21

 

 

XIII == Ex 19:20 ; 20:1

 

 

 

XIV == Gen 2:3 ; Ex 20:8 , 11

 

XV == Ex 16:14-15 ; 17:6 ; Num 20:9-13 ; Deut 1:8

 

XVI == Deut 31:27 ; 2nd Kings 17:14

 

XVII == Ex 34:6 ; Num 14:4 , 18

 

 

 

 

 

XVIII == Ex 32:4

 

XIX == Ex 13:21-22 ; Ps 106:45

 

 

 

 

XX == Ex 16:15 ; 17:6 ; Num 11:17 ; Josh 5:12 ; Isa 63:11

XXI == Deut 2:7 ; 8:4 ; 29:5

 

 

XXII == Num 21:21-26

 

 

XXIII == Gen 22:17

 

 

 

XXIV == Josh 1:2-6 ; Ps 44:2-3

 

 

 

XXV == Num 13:27 ; Deut 6:11 ; 8:7-8 ; 32:15 ; Neh 9:35 ; Ezek 20:6 ; Hos 3:5

 

XXVI == Judg 2:11-12 ; 1st Kings 14:9 ; 18:4 ; 19:10 ; 2nd chr 24:20-21 ; Ps 50:17 ; Ezek 20:21 ; Matt 23:37 ; Acts 7:52

XXVII == Judg 2:14 , 18 ; 3:8-11 ; Ps 106:41-42 , 44

 

 

 

XXVIII == Judg 3:11-12 , 30 ; 4:1 ; 5:31

 

 

 

 

XXIX == Lev 18:5 ; Gal 3:12

 

 

 

 

 

XXX == 2nd Kings 17:13 ; 2nd Chr 36:15 ; Jer 7:25

 

XXXI == Jer 4:27

 

XXXII == Ex 1:5 ; 34:6-7

 

 

 

 

 

XXXIII == Ps 106:6 ; 119:137 ; Dan 9:5-6 , 8 , 14

 

 

 

XXXV == Deut 28:47 ; Neh 9:25

 

 

 

XXXVI == Deut 28:48 ; Ezra 9:9

 

 

XXXVII == Deut 28:33 , 48 , 51

 

 

 

XXXVIII == 2nd Kings 23:3 ; 2nd Chr 29:10 ; 34:31 ; Ezra 10:3 ; Neh 10:1 , 29

 

 

1 On the twenty-fourth day of this month, the Israelites gathered together fasting and in sackcloth, their heads covered with dust.

2 Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all who were of foreign extraction, then stood forward and confessed their sins and the guilty deeds of their fathers.

3 When they had taken their places, they read from the book of the law of the LORD their God, for a fourth part of the day, and during another fourth part they made their confession and prostrated themselves before the LORD their God.

4 Standing on the platform of the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, who cried out to the LORD their God, with a loud voice.

5 The Levites Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, "Arise, bless the LORD, your God, from eternity to eternity!" The Israelites answered with the blessing, "Blessed is your glorious name, and exalted above all blessing and praise."

6 Then Ezra said: "It is you, O LORD, you are the only one; you made the heavens, the highest heavens and all their host, the earth and all that is upon it, the seas and all that is in them. To all of them you give life, and the heavenly hosts bow down before you.

7 "You, O LORD, are the God who chose Abram, who brought him out from Ur of the Chaldees, and named him Abraham.

8 When you had found his heart faithful in your sight, you made the covenant with him to give to him and his posterity the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites. These promises of yours you fulfilled, for you are just.

9 "You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, you heard their cry by the Red Sea;

10 You worked signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his servants and the people of his land, Because you knew of their insolence toward them; thus you made for yourself a name even to this day.

11 The sea you divided before them, on dry ground they passed through the midst of the sea; Their pursuers you hurled into the depths, like a stone into the mighty waters.

12 With a column of cloud you led them by day, and by night with a column of fire, To light the way of their journey, the way in which they must travel.

13 On Mount Sinai you came down, you spoke with them from heaven; You gave them just ordinances, firm laws, good statutes, and commandments;

14 Your holy sabbath you made known to them, commandments, statutes, and law you prescribed for them, by the hand of Moses your servant.

15 Food from heaven you gave them in their hunger, water from a rock you sent them in their thirst. You bade them enter and occupy the land which you had sworn with upraised hand to give them.

16 "But they, our fathers, proved to be insolent; they held their necks stiff and would not obey your commandments.

17 They refused to obey and no longer remembered the miracles you had worked for them. They stiffened their necks and turned their heads to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God of pardons, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in mercy; you did not forsake them.

18 Though they made for themselves a molten calf, and proclaimed, 'Here is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,' and were guilty of great effronteries,

19 yet in your great mercy you did not forsake them in the desert. The column of cloud did not cease to lead them by day on their journey, nor did the column of fire by night cease to light for them the way by which they were to travel.

20 "Your good spirit you bestowed on them, to give them understanding; your manna you did not withhold from their mouths, and you gave them water in their thirst.

21 Forty years in the desert you sustained them: they did not want; their garments did not become worn, and their feet did not become swollen.

22 You gave them kingdoms and peoples, which you divided up among them as border lands. They possessed the land of Sihon, king of Heshbon, and the land of Og, king of Bashan.

23 "You made their children as numerous as the stars of the heavens, and you brought them into the land which you had commanded their fathers to enter and possess.

24 The sons went in to take possession of the land, and you humbled before them the Canaanite inhabitants of the land and delivered them over into their power, their kings as well as the peoples of the land, to do with them as they would.

25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all good things, cisterns already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. They could eat and have their fill, fatten and feast themselves on your immense good gifts.

26 "But they were contemptuous and rebellious: they cast your law behind their backs, they slew your prophets who bore witness against them in order to bring them back to you, and they were guilty of great effronteries.

27 Therefore you delivered them into the power of their enemies, who oppressed them. But in the time of their oppression they would cry out to you, and you would hear them from heaven, and according to your great mercy give them saviors to deliver them from the power of their enemies.

28 "As soon as they had relief, they would go back to doing evil in your sight. Then again you abandoned them to the power of their enemies, who crushed them. Then they cried out to you, and you heard them from heaven and delivered them according to your mercy, many times over.

29 You bore witness against them, in order to bring them back to your law. But they were insolent and would not obey your commandments; they sinned against your ordinances, from which men draw life when they practice them. They turned stubborn backs, stiffened their necks, and would not obey.

30 You were patient with them for many years, bearing witness against them through your spirit, by means of your prophets; still they would not listen. Thus you delivered them over into the power of the peoples of the lands.

31 Yet in your great mercy you did not completely destroy them and you did not forsake them, for you are a kind and merciful God.

32 "Now, therefore, O our God, great, mighty, and awesome God, you who in your mercy preserve the covenant, take into account all the disasters that have befallen us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and your entire people, from the time of the kings of Assyria until this day!

33 In all that has come upon us you have been just, for you kept faith while we have done evil.

34 Yes, our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law; they paid no attention to your commandments and the obligations of which you reminded them.

35 While they were yet in their kingdom, in the midst of the many good things that you had given them and in the wide and fertile land that you had spread out before them, they did not serve you nor did they turn away from their evil deeds.

36 But, see, we today are slaves; and as for the land which you gave our fathers that they might eat its fruits and good things - see, we have become slaves upon it!

37 Its rich produce goes to the kings whom you set over us because of our sins, who rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress!"

v 1-3. Two days after Feast of Tabernacles ended, the people gathered under great conviction of sin with fasting and in sackcloth and earth on their heads. They also separated themselves from all non Jews and confessed sins of the present and past. About three hours the law was read, another three hours in confessing and worship.

 

 

v 4-6. Levites stood on the platform or steps of the temple to petition the Lord, then others of them commanded the people to stand up to praise the Lord. These verses are an opening to the prayer that follows. It is not known who formulated or prayed it, but the Greek Old Testament says “Ezra said”. More than likely, he did.

 

 

 

 

 

v 7,8. God counted Abraham faithful and gave him this promised land.

 

 

 

 

v 9-21. Recognition is made of the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, the pillar of cloud or fire, and the giving of the Law on Mt Sinai. The Sabbath was given as a sign to Israel through Moses at that time. He speaks of water from the rock, manna, rebellion to appoint a captain to return to Egypt, and the melted calf, yet God had shown His mercy in providing health and preserving their raiment  throughout the forty years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 22-31. The prayer continues how God delivered the nations into their hand as they entered the promised land, but the people were disobedient. They prospered and then they killed their prophets and were delivered into the hand of their enemies, but when they called upon the Lord, many times he delivered them. They continued worse and worse, but in His mercy, God did not consume them or forsake them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 32-37. There is admission that they deserve what they are experiencing in the present situation, but there is a plea for the Lord not to consider their situation lightly. He admits that because of their sins, God is just for placing them as servants to other kings in their own land. The kings over them are prospering greatly, have dominion over every aspect of their lives, and they are in great distress. The prayer concludes that because of all that, they will make a covenant with the Lord, and their princes, Levites and priests will sign it.