Nehemiah 9
1 On the twenty-fourth day of this same month, the Israelites met together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads.
這月二十四日，以色列人聚集禁食，身穿麻衣，頭蒙灰塵。
2 Those of Israelite ancestry separated themselves from the foreigners, and stood to confess their sins and those of their forefathers.
以色列人就與一切外邦人離絕，站着承認自己的罪惡和列祖的罪孽。
3 They spent three hours standing there reading the Book of the Law of the Lord their God, and another three hours confessing their sins and worshiping the Lord their God.
那日的四分之一站在自己的地方念耶和華－他們上帝的律法書，又四分之一認罪，敬拜耶和華－他們的上帝。
4 The Levites stood on the stage and called out loudly to the Lord their God. (Their names were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani.)
耶書亞、巴尼、甲篾、示巴尼、布尼、示利比、巴尼、基拿尼站在利未人的臺上，大聲哀求耶和華－他們的上帝。
5 Then the Levites announced: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God who lives eternally: ‘May who you are and your glory be blessed, and may you be lifted up above all blessing and praise.’” (The names of the Levites were Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah.)
利未人耶書亞、甲篾、巴尼、哈沙尼、示利比、荷第雅、示巴尼、毗他希雅說：「你們要站起來稱頌耶和華－你們的上帝，永世無盡。耶和華啊，你榮耀之名是應當稱頌的！超乎一切稱頌和讚美。」
6 They prayed, “Only you are the Lord. It was you who made the sky, the heavens with all their stars, the land and everything on it, the seas and everything in them. You give life to all of them, and all the heavenly beings worship you.
「你，惟獨你是耶和華！你造了天和天上的天，並天上的萬象，地和地上的萬物，海和海中所有的；這一切都是你所保存的。天軍也都敬拜你。
7 You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram, who led him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham.
你是耶和華上帝，曾揀選亞伯蘭，領他出迦勒底的吾珥，給他改名叫亞伯拉罕。
8 You knew he would be faithful to you, and made an agreement with him to give him and his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites. You kept your promise, because you do what is right.
你見他在你面前心裏誠實，就與他立約，應許把迦南人、赫人、亞摩利人、比利洗人、耶布斯人、革迦撒人之地賜給他的後裔，且應驗了你的話，因為你是公義的。
9 You saw how much our forefathers were suffering in Egypt. You heard their cries for help at the Red Sea.
「你曾看見我們列祖在埃及所受的困苦，垂聽他們在紅海邊的哀求，
10 You performed miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all his people of his land, for you recognized how arrogantly they treated our forefathers. You created a wonderful reputation for yourself that people still recognize to this day.
就施行神蹟奇事在法老和他一切臣僕，並他國中的眾民身上。你也得了名聲，正如今日一樣，因為你知道他們向我們列祖行事狂傲。
11 You split the sea apart in front of them so that they could walk through it on dry ground. But you threw their pursuers into the depths of the sea, like stones thrown into raging waters.
你又在我們列祖面前把海分開，使他們在海中行走乾地，將追趕他們的人拋在深海，如石頭拋在大水中；
12 You led them with a column of cloud during the day, and a column of fire at night, showing them the way which they should go.
並且白晝用雲柱引導他們，黑夜用火柱照亮他們當行的路。
13 You descended on Mount Sinai. You spoke to them from heaven. You gave them right ways to live, true laws, and good regulations and commandments.
你也降臨在西奈山，從天上與他們說話，賜給他們正直的典章、真實的律法、美好的條例與誡命，
14 You explained your holy Sabbath to them. You gave them commandments and regulations and laws through your servant Moses.
又使他們知道你的安息聖日，並藉你僕人摩西傳給他們誡命、條例、律法。
15 When they were hungry you gave them bread from heaven, and when they were thirsty you brought water out of the rock for them. You told them to go and take ownership of the land which you had sworn to give them.
從天上賜下糧食充他們的飢，從磐石使水流出解他們的渴，又吩咐他們進去得你起誓應許賜給他們的地。
16 But they and our forefathers acted arrogantly and became stubborn, and didn't pay attention to your commands.
「但我們的列祖行事狂傲，硬着頸項不聽從你的誡命；
17 They refused to listen to you, and forgot about all the miracles you did for them. They became obstinate and decided to choose themselves a leader to take them back to slavery in Egypt. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and merciful, slow to get angry, and full of trustworthy love. You did not give up on them,
不肯順從，也不記念你在他們中間所行的奇事，竟硬着頸項，居心背逆，自立首領，要回他們為奴之地。但你是樂意饒恕人，有恩典，有憐憫，不輕易發怒，有豐盛慈愛的上帝，並不丟棄他們。
18 even when they made themselves a metal calf and said, ‘This is your god who led you out of Egypt,’ and committed terrible blasphemies.
他們雖然鑄了一隻牛犢，彼此說『這是領你出埃及的神』，因而大大惹動你的怒氣；
19 But you because you are so merciful didn't abandon them in the desert. The column of cloud didn't stop guiding them during the day, and the column of fire continued to light their way at night.
你還是大施憐憫，在曠野不丟棄他們。白晝，雲柱不離開他們，仍引導他們行路；黑夜，火柱也不離開他們，仍照亮他們當行的路。
20 You gave your good Spirit to teach them. You did not stop feeding them with your manna, and you gave them water when they were thirsty.
你也賜下你良善的靈教訓他們；未嘗不賜嗎哪使他們糊口，並賜水解他們的渴。
21 You took care of them for forty years in the desert. Their clothes didn't wear out, they didn't want for anything. Their feet didn't even swell up!
在曠野四十年，你養育他們，他們就一無所缺：衣服沒有穿破，腳也沒有腫。
22 You gave them kingdoms and nations; you assigned their borders. They took control of the land of Sihon, king of Heshbon, and of Og, king of Bashan.
並且你將列國之地照分賜給他們，他們就得了西宏之地、希實本王之地，和巴珊王噩之地。
23 You made their descendants as countless as the stars of heaven, and led them to the land you had promised their fathers they would enter and possess.
你也使他們的子孫多如天上的星，帶他們到你所應許他們列祖進入得為業之地。
24 Their descendants went in and took over the land. Right in front of them you conquered the Canaanites who lived there, handing over their kings and people so they could do with them whatever they wanted.
這樣，他們進去得了那地，你在他們面前制伏那地的居民，就是迦南人；將迦南人和其君王，並那地的居民，都交在他們手裏，讓他們任意而待。
25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took over houses full of valuable things, water cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, and many fruit trees. They ate until they were full, and grew fat. They were so happy at how good you were to them.
他們得了堅固的城邑、肥美的地土、充滿各樣美物的房屋、鑿成的水井、葡萄園、橄欖園，並許多果木樹。他們就吃而得飽，身體肥胖，因你的大恩，心中快樂。
26 But they completely rebelled against you. They tossed your Law over their shoulders. They killed your prophets who warned them to try and bring them back to you, and they committed terrible blasphemies.
「然而，他們不順從，竟背叛你，將你的律法丟在背後，殺害那勸他們歸向你的眾先知，大大惹動你的怒氣。
27 So you handed them over to their enemies who treated them badly. In their suffering they cried out to you for help. But you heard their cries from heaven, and because you're so merciful you sent them leaders to save them from their enemies.
所以你將他們交在敵人的手中，磨難他們。他們遭難的時候哀求你，你就從天上垂聽，照你的大憐憫賜給他們拯救者，救他們脫離敵人的手。
28 However, as soon as they had peace, they went back to doing evil in your sight. So once more you handed them over to their enemies, who dominated them. They came back to you, and they cried out to you again. But you heard from heaven once more, and you saved them time and again because you are so merciful.
但他們得平安之後，又在你面前行惡，所以你丟棄他們在仇敵的手中，使仇敵轄制他們。然而他們轉回哀求你，你仍從天上垂聽，屢次照你的憐憫拯救他們，
29 You warned them to come back to your Law, but they were arrogant. They ignored your commands, and sinned against your rules, which, as you previously said, ‘If people obey they will live by them.’ They obstinately turned their backs on you and refused to listen.
又警戒他們，要使他們歸服你的律法。他們卻行事狂傲，不聽從你的誡命，干犯你的典章（人若遵行就必因此活着），扭轉肩頭，硬着頸項，不肯聽從。
30 You were patient with them for many years. You warned them by your Spirit through your prophets, but they didn't listen, so you handed them over to the other nations.
但你多年寬容他們，又用你的靈藉眾先知勸戒他們，他們仍不聽從，所以你將他們交在列國之民的手中。
31 But because of your wonderful mercy you did not finish with them, and you did not abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.
然而你大發憐憫，不全然滅絕他們，也不丟棄他們；因為你是有恩典、有憐憫的上帝。
32 So now, our God, the great and powerful and awesome God who keeps his agreement of trustworthy love, please don't see as unimportant all the hardships that have happened to us, and to our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our forefather and all your people, from the time of the Assyrian kings of Assyria up till now.
「我們的上帝啊，你是至大、至能、至可畏、守約施慈愛的上帝。我們的君王、首領、祭司、先知、列祖，和你的眾民，從亞述列王的時候直到今日所遭遇的苦難，現在求你不要以為小。
33 But you have done what is right regarding everything that has happened to us. You have always acted faithfully, while we have done so much evil.
在一切臨到我們的事上，你卻是公義的；因你所行的是誠實，我們所做的是邪惡。
34 Our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our forefathers did not follow your Law, and they ignored your commands and regulations you ordered them to keep.
我們的君王、首領、祭司、列祖都不遵守你的律法，不聽從你的誡命和你警戒他們的話。
35 But they, even during the time they had their own kingdom, with so many blessings you had given them in the wide and fertile land you had provided for them, even then they refused to serve you and would not turn from their evil ways.
他們在本國裏沾你大恩的時候，在你所賜給他們這廣大肥美之地上不事奉你，也不轉離他們的惡行。
36 Look at us now, slaves in the land you gave our forefathers to enjoy its fruit and all its good things. Look at us slaves here!
我們現今作了奴僕；至於你所賜給我們列祖享受其上的土產，並美物之地，看哪，我們在這地上作了奴僕！
37 The rich harvests of this land go to the kings you have placed over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and our cattle, doing whatever they want. We are suffering so much!”
這地許多出產歸了列王，就是你因我們的罪所派轄制我們的。他們任意轄制我們的身體和牲畜，我們遭了大難。」
38 In response the people declared, “Considering all this, we are making a solemn agreement, putting it in writing. It is sealed by our leaders, Levites, and priests.”
因這一切的事，我們立確實的約，寫在冊上。我們的首領、利未人，和祭司都簽了名。
