Nehemiah 9
1 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel assembled with fasting, and in sackcloths, and with ashes on their head.
El día veinticuatro de este mismo mes, los israelitas se reunieron, ayunando y vistiendo de cilicio, con polvo en la cabeza.
2 And the children of Israel separated themselves from every stranger, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.
Los de ascendencia israelita se separaron de los extranjeros y se pusieron de pie para confesar sus pecados y los de sus antepasados.
3 And they stood in their place, and read in the book of the law of the Lord their god: and they confessed [their sins] to the Lord, and worshipped the Lord their God.
Pasaron tres horas de pie leyendo el Libro de la Ley del Señor su Dios, y otras tres horas confesando sus pecados y adorando al Señor su Dios.
4 [And] there stood upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jesus, and the sons of Cadmiel, Sechenia the son of Sarabia, sons of Choneni; and they cried with a loud voice to the Lord their God.
Los levitas se pusieron de pie en el estrado y clamaron en voz alta al Señor su Dios. (Sus nombres eran Jesúa, Baní, Cadmiel, Sebanías, Buní, Serebías, Baní y Chenani).
5 And the Levites, Jesus and Cadmiel, said, Rise up, bless the Lord our God forever and ever: and let them bless your glorious name, and exalt it with all blessing and praise.
Entonces los levitas anunciaron: “Pónganse de pie y alaben al Señor, su Dios, que vive eternamente: ‘Que sean bendecidos quienes son y su gloria, y que sean elevados por encima de toda bendición y alabanza’”. (Los nombres de los levitas eran Jesúa, Cadmiel, Bani, Hasabneías, Serebías, Hodías, Sebanías y Petaías).
6 And Esdras said, You are the only true Lord; you made the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, and all their array, the earth, and all things that are in it, the seas, and all things in them; and you quicken all things, and the hosts of heaven worship you.
Ellos oraron: “Sólo tú eres el Señor. Tú hiciste el cielo, los cielos con todas sus estrellas, la tierra y todo lo que hay en ella, los mares y todo lo que hay en ellos. Tú les das vida a todos ellos, y todos los seres celestiales te adoran.
7 You are the Lord God, you did choose Abram, and brought him out of the land of the Chaldeans, and gave him the name of Abraam:
“Tú eres el Señor, el Dios que eligió a Abram, que lo sacó de Ur de los caldeos y le dio el nombre de Abraham.
8 and you found his heart faithful before you, and did make a covenant with him to give to him and to his seed the land of the Chananites, and the Chettites, and Amorites, and Pherezites, and Jebusites, and Gergesites; and you have confirmed your words, for you [are] righteous.
Tú sabías que te sería fiel, e hiciste un acuerdo con él para darle a él y a su descendencia la tierra de los cananeos, hititas, amorreos, ferezeos, jebuseos y gergeseos. Cumpliste tu promesa, porque haces lo que es justo.
9 And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and you heard their cry at the Red Sea.
“Viste cuánto sufrían nuestros antepasados en Egipto. Oíste sus gritos de auxilio en el Mar Rojo.
10 And you showed signs and wonders in Egypt, on Pharao and all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for you know that they behaved insolently against them: and you made yourself a name, as at this day.
Te manifestaste con señales y milagros contra el Faraón, todos sus funcionarios y todo el pueblo de su tierra, porque reconociste la arrogancia con que trataron a nuestros antepasados. Te creaste una maravillosa fama que la gente sigue reconociendo hasta el día de hoy.
11 And you did cleave the sea before them, and they passed through the midst of the sea on dry land; and you did cast into the deep them that were about to pursue them, as a stone in the mighty water.
Dividiste el mar delante de ellos para que pudieran atravesarlo en seco. Pero arrojaste a sus perseguidores a las profundidades del mar, como piedras arrojadas a las aguas embravecidas.
12 And you guided them by day by a pillar of cloud, and by night by a pillar of fire, to enlighten for them the way wherein they should walk.
“Los guiaste con una columna de nube durante el día y con una columna de fuego durante la noche, mostrándoles el camino que debían seguir.
13 Also you came down upon mount Sina, and you spoke to them out of heaven, and gave them right judgements, and laws of truth, ordinances, and good commandments.
Descendiste en el monte Sinaí. Les hablaste desde el cielo. Les diste caminos correctos para vivir, leyes verdaderas, y buenos reglamentos y mandamientos.
14 And you did make known to them your holy sabbath; you did enjoin upon them commandments, and ordinances, and a law, by the hand of your servant Moses.
Les explicaste tu santo sábado. Les diste mandamientos, reglamentos y leyes por medio de tu siervo Moisés.
15 And you gave them bread from heaven for their food, and you brought them forth water from a rock for their thirst; and you bade them go in to inherit the land over which you stretched out your hand to give [it] them.
Cuando tuvieron hambre les diste pan del cielo, y cuando tuvieron sed les sacaste agua de la roca. Les dijiste que fueran a tomar posesión de la tierra que habías jurado darles.
16 But they and our fathers behaved proudly, and hardened their neck, and did not listen to your commandments,
“Pero ellos y nuestros antepasados actuaron con arrogancia y se volvieron obstinados, y no prestaron atención a tus mandatos.
17 and refused to listen, and remembered not your wonders which you wrought with them; and they hardened their neck, and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt: but you, O God, [are] merciful and compassionate, longsuffering, and abundant in mercy, and you did not forsake them.
Se negaron a escucharte y se olvidaron de todos los milagros que hiciste por ellos. Se obstinaron y decidieron elegir ellos mismos un líder que los llevara de vuelta a la esclavitud en Egipto. “Pero tú eres un Dios que perdona, clemente y misericordioso, lento para enojarse y lleno de amor confiable. No los abandonaste,
18 And still farther they even made to themselves a molten calf, and said, These [are] the gods that brought us up out of Egypt: and they wrought great provocations.
ni siquiera cuando se hicieron un becerro de metal y dijeron: ‘Este es su dios que los sacó de Egipto’, y cometieron terribles blasfemias.
19 Yet you in your great compassions did not forsake them in the wilderness: you did not turn away from them the pillar of the cloud by day, to guide them in the way, nor the pillar of fire by night, to enlighten for them the way wherein they should walk.
“Pero tú, por ser tan misericordioso, no los abandonaste en el desierto. La columna de nube no dejó de guiarlos durante el día, y la columna de fuego siguió iluminando su camino por la noche.
20 And you gave your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not withhold your manna from their mouth, and gave them water in their thirst.
Les diste tu buen Espíritu para enseñarles. No dejaste de alimentarlos con tu maná, y les diste agua cuando tuvieron sed.
21 And you did sustain them forty years in the wilderness; you did not allow anything to fail them: their garments did not wax old, and their feet were not bruised.
Cuidaste de ellos durante cuarenta años en el desierto. Sus ropas no se desgastaron, no les faltó nada. Ni siquiera se les hincharon los pies.
22 Moreover, you gave them kingdoms, and did divide nations to them: and they inherited the land of Seon king of Esebon, and the land of Og king of Basan.
“Les diste reinos y naciones; les asignaste sus fronteras. Se apoderaron de la tierra de Sehón, rey de Hesbón, y de Og, rey de Basán.
23 And you did multiply their children as the stars of heaven, and brought them into the land of which you spoke to their fathers;
Hiciste que sus descendientes fueran tan innumerables como las estrellas del cielo, y los condujiste a la tierra que habías prometido a sus padres que entrarían y poseerían.
24 And they inherited it: and you did destroy from before them the dwellers in the land of the Chananites, and you gave into their hands them and their kings, and the nations of the land, to do to them as it pleased them.
Sus descendientes entraron y se apoderaron de la tierra. Delante de ellos conquistaste a los cananeos que vivían allí, entregándoles sus reyes y su pueblo para que hicieran con ellos lo que quisieran.
25 And they took lofty cities, and inherited houses full of all good things, wells dug, vineyards, and olive yards, and every fruit tree in abundance: so they ate, and were filled, and grew fat, and rioted in your great goodness.
Capturaron ciudades fortificadas y tierras fértiles. Se apoderaron de casas llenas de cosas valiosas, cisternas de agua, viñedos, olivares y muchos árboles frutales. Comieron hasta saciarse y engordaron. Estaban muy contentos de lo buenos que eran con ellos.
26 But they turned, and revolted from you, and cast your law behind their backs; and they killed your prophets, who testified against them to turn them back to you, and they wrought great provocations.
“Pero se rebelaron por completo contra ti. Arrojaron tu Ley tras sus espaldas. Mataron a tus profetas que les advertían para que intentaran volver a ti, y cometieron terribles blasfemias.
27 Then you gave them into the hand of them that afflicted them, and they did afflict them: and they cried to you in the time of their affliction, and you did hear them from your heaven, and in your great compassions gave them deliverers, and did save them from the hand of them that afflicted them.
Por eso los entregaste a sus enemigos, que los trataron mal. En su sufrimiento clamaron a ti por ayuda. “Pero tú oíste sus gritos desde el cielo y, como eres tan misericordioso, les enviaste líderes para salvarlos de sus enemigos.
28 But when they rested, they did evil again before you: so you left them in the hands of their enemies, and they ruled over them: and they cried again to you, and you heard [them] from heaven, and did deliver them in your great compassions.
“Sin embargo, en cuanto tuvieron paz, volvieron a hacer el mal ante tus ojos. Así que una vez más los entregaste a sus enemigos, que los dominaron. Volvieron a ti, y te gritaron de nuevo. “Pero tú oíste desde el cielo una vez más, y los salvaste una y otra vez porque eres muy misericordioso.
29 And you did testify against them, to bring them back to your law: but they listened not, but sinned against your commandments and your judgements, which if a man do, he shall live in them; and they turned their back, and hardened their neck, and heard not.
Les advertiste que volvieran a tu Ley, pero fueron arrogantes. Ignoraron tus mandatos y pecaron contra tus reglas, que, como ya dijiste, ‘Si la gente obedece vivirá por ellos’. Se obstinaron en darte la espalda y se negaron a escuchar.
30 Yet you did bear long with them many years, and did testify to them by your Spirit by the hand of your prophets: but they listened not; so you gave them into the hand of the nations of the land.
Tuviste paciencia con ellos durante muchos años. Les advertiste con tu Espíritu por medio de tus profetas, pero no te escucharon, así que los entregaste a las demás naciones.
31 But you in your many mercies did not appoint them to destruction, and did not forsake them; for you are strong, and merciful, and pitiful.
Pero por tu maravillosa misericordia no terminaste con ellos y no los abandonaste, porque eres un Dios clemente y misericordioso.
32 And now, O our God, the powerful, the great, the mighty, and the terrible, keeping your covenant and your mercy, let not all the trouble seem little in your sight which has come upon us, and our kings, and our princes, and our priests, and our prophets, and our fathers, and upon all your people, from the days of the kings of Assur even to this day.
“Así que ahora, nuestro Dios, el grande y poderoso y asombroso Dios que mantiene su acuerdo de amor confiable, por favor no ve como sin importancia todas las dificultades que nos han sucedido a nosotros, y a nuestros reyes y líderes, a nuestros sacerdotes y profetas, a nuestro antepasado y a todo tu pueblo, desde el tiempo de los reyes asirios de Asiria hasta ahora.
33 But you [are] righteous in all the things that come upon us; for you have wrought faithfully, but we have greatly sinned.
“Pero tú has hecho lo correcto con respecto a todo lo que nos ha sucedido. Siempre has actuado con fidelidad, mientras que nosotros hemos hecho tanto mal.
34 And our kings, and our princes, and our priests, and our fathers, have not performed your law, and have not given heed to your commandments, and [have not kept] your testimonies which you did testify to them.
Nuestros reyes, nuestros dirigentes, nuestros sacerdotes y nuestros antepasados no siguieron tu Ley, e ignoraron tus mandatos y reglamentos que les ordenaste cumplir.
35 And they did not serve you in your kingdom, and in your great goodness which you gave to them, and in the large and fat land which you did furnish before them, and they turned not from their evil devices.
“Pero ellos, incluso durante el tiempo en que tuvieron su propio reino, con tantas bendiciones que les habías dado en la tierra amplia y fértil que les habías proporcionado, incluso entonces se negaron a servirte y no se apartaron de sus malos caminos.
36 Behold, we are servants this day, and [as for] the land which you gave to our fathers to eat the fruit of it and the good things of it, behold, we are servants upon it:
“Míranos ahora, esclavos en la tierra que diste a nuestros antepasados para disfrutar de sus frutos y de todas sus cosas buenas. Míranos a nosotros, esclavos aquí.
37 and its produce [is] abundant for the kings whom you did appoint over us because of our sins; and they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, as it pleases them, and we are in great affliction.
Las ricas cosechas de esta tierra son para los reyes que has puesto sobre nosotros a causa de nuestros pecados. Ellos gobiernan nuestros cuerpos y nuestro ganado, haciendo lo que quieren. Estamos sufriendo mucho”.
38 And in regard to all these circumstances we make a covenant, and write [it], and our princes, our Levites, [and] our priests, set their seal to [it].
En respuesta, el pueblo declaró, “Teniendo en cuenta todo esto, estamos haciendo un acuerdo solemne, poniéndolo por escrito. Está sellado por nuestros líderes, levitas y sacerdotes”.
