Neemia 9
1 ED al ventiquattresimo giorno dell'istesso mese, i figliuoli d'Israele si adunarono con digiuno, e con sacchi, e con terra [sparsa] sopra loro.
On October 31, the people gathered together again. They (fasted/abstained from eating food), they wore clothes made from rough cloth, and they put dirt on their heads [to show that they were sorry for their sins].
2 E la progenie d'Israele si separò da tutti gli stranieri, e si presentarono, e fecero confessione de' lor peccati, e dell'iniquità de' lor padri.
The Israeli people separated themselves from all the foreigners. They stood there and confessed their sins and the sins that their ancestors had committed.
3 Ed essendosi rizzati in piè nel luogo stesso ove ciascuno si ritrovava, si lesse nel libro della Legge del Signore Iddio loro, una quarta parte del giorno; ed un'[altra] quarta parte fecero confessione, e adorarono il Signore Iddio loro.
The scroll that contained the laws of Yahweh, the God whom they [worshiped], was read to them for three hours. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and they worshiped Yahweh.
4 E Iesua, Bani, Cadmiel, Sebania, Bunni, Serebia, Bani, e Chenani, si levarono in piè sopra il palco de' Leviti, e gridarono ad alta voce al Signore Iddio loro.
[Some of] the descendants of Levi were standing on the stairs. They were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, [another] Bani, and Kenani.
5 E i Leviti Iesua, Cadmiel, Bani, Hasabneia, Serebia, Hodia, Sebania, e Petahia, dissero: Levatevi, benedite il Signore Iddio vostro da un secolo all'altro; e benedicasi, [o Dio], il Nome tuo glorioso, ed esaltato sopra ogni benedizione e laude.
Then [the leaders of] the Levites called out to the people. They were Jeshua, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah. They said, “While you are standing there, praise Yahweh your God, who has always lived and will live forever!” [Then one of them continued by praying this to God], “Yahweh, we praise your glorious name! You are much greater than anything that we can think about or talk about!
6 Tu solo sei il Signore; tu hai fatti i cieli, i cieli de' cieli, e tutto il loro esercito; la terra, e tutto quello che [è] sopra essa; i mari, e tutto quello che [è] in essi; e tu vivifichi tutte queste cose, e l'esercito del cielo ti adora.
“You only are God. You made the sky and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and everything that is on it, and you made the seas/oceans and everything that is in them. You are the one who gives life to everything and helps them remain alive. All the angels who are in heaven worship you.
7 Tu sei il Signore Iddio, ch'eleggesti Abramo, e lo traesti fuori di Ur de' Caldei, e gli ponesti nome Abrahamo.
“Yahweh, you are God. You chose Abram and brought him out of Ur [city] in Chaldea [region]. You gave him a new name, Abraham.
8 E trovasti il cuor suo fedele davanti a te, e facesti patto con lui, [promettendogli] di dare alla sua progenie il paese de' Cananei, degli Hittei, degli Amorrei, de' Ferizzei, de' Gebusei, e de' Ghirgasei; e tu hai messe ad effetto le tue parole; perciocchè tu [sei] giusto.
You saw that he was trustworthy. Then you made (an agreement with/a promise to) him, saying that you would give [to him and] to his descendants the land that the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Amor, Periz, Jebus, and Girgash lived in. And you have done what you promised, because you always do what is right.
9 E riguardasti all'afflizione de' nostri padri in Egitto, ed esaudisti il lor grido al mar rosso.
“You saw what our ancestors were suffering in Egypt. You heard them cry to you for help when they were at the Red Sea.
10 E facesti miracoli e prodigi sopra Faraone, e sopra i suoi servitori, e sopra tutto il popolo del suo paese; perciocchè tu conoscesti ch'erano superbamente proceduti contro a loro; e ti acquistasti un tal Nome quale [è] al dì d'oggi.
Because you knew that the leaders of Egypt were treating our ancestors very arrogantly, you performed many kinds of miracles that caused the king and his officials and all his people to suffer. As a result, you became famous then, and you are still famous!
11 E fendesti il mare davanti a loro, talchè passarono per mezzo il mare per l'asciutto; e gittasti a fondo coloro che li perseguitavano, come una pietra in acque forti.
You caused the Red Sea to divide, with the result that your people walked through it on the ground without [getting their feet] wet. [After they were all safely on the other side, ] you [caused the water to come back again], and you hurled into the deep water the [soldiers of the Egyptian army] that were pursuing our ancestors. Their soldiers sank into the deep sea like stones!
12 E li conducesti di giorno con una colonna di nuvola, e di notte con una colonna di fuoco, per illuminarli nella via per la quale aveano da camminare.
During each day you led our ancestors with a bright cloud that resembled a huge pillar, and each night you led them by a flaming cloud that gave them light to show them where to walk.
13 E scendesti in sul monte di Sinai, e parlasti con loro dal cielo, e desti loro ordinazioni diritte, e leggi veraci, statuti, e comandamenti buoni.
“When our ancestors were at Sinai Mountain, you came down from heaven and spoke to them. You gave them many regulations and instructions that are just and reliable, and you gave them commands and laws that are good.
14 Ed insegnasti loro il tuo santo sabato, e desti loro comandamenti, statuti, e leggi per Mosè, tuo servitore.
You taught them about your holy (Sabbath/day of rest), and you gave many kinds of laws to your servant Moses for him to tell to the people.
15 E desti loro dal cielo del pane per la fame loro, e facesti loro salire dell'acqua dalla rupe per la lor sete; e dicesti loro ch'entrassero per possedere il paese, del quale tu avevi alzata la mano che tu il daresti loro.
When they were hungry, you gave them manna from the sky; and when they were thirsty, you gave them water from a rock. You commanded them to go and take, from the people who lived there, the land which you had promised to give to them.
16 Ma essi e i padri nostri procedettero superbamente, e indurarono il lor collo, e non ubbidirono a' tuoi comandamenti;
“But our ancestors were very proud and stubborn [IDM], and they did not do what you commanded them to do.
17 e ricusarono di ubbidire, e non si ricordarono delle tue maraviglie, che tu avevi operate inverso loro; e indurarono il lor collo; e nella lor ribellione si vollero costituire un capo per ritornare alla lor servitù. Ma tu [che sei] l'Iddio de' perdoni, pietoso, misericordioso, lento all'ira, e di gran benignità, non li abbandonasti.
They refused to heed you, and they forgot about all the miracles that you had performed for them. Instead, they became stubborn [IDM], and they appointed someone to lead them back to Egypt, where they would be slaves again! But you are a God who forgives us and who is kind and merciful [to us]. You do not quickly become angry. You always faithfully love us.
18 Eziandio, quando essi si fecero un vitello di getto, e dissero: Questo [è] l'Iddio tuo che ti ha tratto fuor di Egitto; e [ti] fecero di gran dispetti,
So, even though their [leaders] made an idol that resembled a calf and insulted you by saying [about the idol], ‘This is our god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ you did not desert them.
19 tu pure, per le tue gran misericordie, non li abbandonasti nel deserto; la colonna della nuvola non si dipartì d'in su loro di giorno, per condurli per lo cammino; nè la colonna del fuoco di notte, per alluminarli nella via, per la quale aveano da camminare.
“Because you always act mercifully, you did not abandon them when they were in the desert. The bright cloud which was like a huge pillar continued to lead them during the daytime, and the fiery cloud showed them where to walk at night.
20 E desti loro il tuo buono Spirito, per dar loro intelletto; e non ritraesti la tua manna dalla lor bocca, e desti loro dell'acqua per la lor sete.
You sent your good Spirit to instruct them. You continued to provide water when they were thirsty.
21 E li sostentasti quarant'anni nel deserto, e non mancò loro nulla; i lor vestimenti non si logorarono, e i lor piedi non si calterirono.
For 40 years you took care of them in the desert. During all that time, they had everything [that they needed]. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell up [even though they were continually walking].
22 E desti loro regni e popoli; e li dividesti per contrade; ed essi possedettero il paese di Sihon, cioè, il paese del re di Hesbon, e il paese di Og, re di Basan.
“You helped our ancestors to defeat armies of great kings who ruled many people-groups. By doing that, you enabled our ancestors to (occupy/live in) even the most distant places in this land. They occupied the land over which King Sihon ruled from Heshbon [city] and the land over which King Og ruled in [the] Bashan [area].
23 E moltiplicasti i lor figliuoli, come le stelle del cielo, e li introducesti nel paese, del quale tu avevi detto a' lor padri, ch'essi [vi] entrerebbero, per posseder[lo].
You caused our ancestors’ descendants to become as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into this land, the land that you told their fathers to enter and occupy.
24 E così i [lor] figliuoli vi entrarono, e possedettero quel paese; e tu abbassasti davanti a loro i Cananei, abitanti del paese, e li desti nelle lor mani, insieme con i re loro, e co' popoli del paese, per far di loro a lor volontà.
Their sons went in and took the land [from the people that lived there]. You enabled them to defeat the descendants of Canaan who lived here in this land. You enabled them to conquer the descendants of Canaan and their kings and the people whom they ruled. You enabled our ancestors to do to those people whatever they wanted to do.
25 Talchè presero delle città forti, ed un paese grasso; e possedettero case piene d'ogni bene, pozzi cavati, vigne, uliveti, ed alberi fruttiferi, in abbondanza; e mangiarono, e si saziarono, e s'ingrassarono, e vissero in delizie per li tuoi gran beni.
Our ancestors captured cities that had walls around them, and they took possession of fertile land. They took possession of houses that were full of good things, where there were wells that were already dug. They took possession of many vineyards and groves of olive trees and fruit trees. They ate all that they wanted to and became fat. They were delighted in all these good things that you gave to them.
26 Ma essi [ti] provocarono ad ira, e si ribellarono contro a te, e gittarono la tua Legge dietro alle spalle, e uccisero i tuoi profeti che protestavano loro, per convertirli a te; e ti fecero di gran dispetti.
“But they disobeyed you and rebelled against you. They (turned their backs on/rejected) your laws. They killed the prophets who warned them that they should return to you. They badly insulted you.
27 Laonde tu li desti nelle mani de' lor nemici, i quali li afflissero; ma al tempo della loro afflizione, avendo essi gridato a te, tu [li] esaudisti dal cielo; e, secondo le tue gran misericordie, desti loro de' liberatori, i quali li liberarono di mano de' lor nemici.
So you allowed their enemies to defeat them. But when their enemies caused them to suffer, they called out to you. You heard them from heaven, and because you are very merciful, you sent them people to help them, and those leaders rescued them from their enemies.
28 Ma quando aveano riposo, tornavano a far male nel tuo cospetto; laonde tu li abbandonavi nelle mani de' lor nemici, i quali si rendevano lor padroni; poi, quando tornavano a gridare a te, tu [li] esaudivi dal cielo; e così, secondo le tue misericordie, tu li hai più volte salvati.
“But after there was a time of peace again, our ancestors again did things that displeased you. So again you allowed their enemies to conquer them. But whenever they cried out to you again [to help them], you heard them from heaven, and because you act mercifully, you rescued them many times.
29 Ed hai loro protestato, per convertirli alla tua Legge; ma essi sono superbamente proceduti, e non hanno ubbidito a' tuoi comandamenti, ed hanno peccato contro alle tue leggi, per le quali, chi le metterà ad effetto viverà; e sono stati restii a porger la spalla, ed hanno indurato il lor collo, e non hanno ubbidito.
“You warned them that they should again [obey] your laws, but they became proud and stubborn, and they disobeyed your commands. They sinned by disobeying what you commanded them to do, the things that would enable them to live a good long life [if they obeyed them]. They stubbornly refused [IDM] to listen to you and continued sinning.
30 E benchè tu indugiassi inverso loro per molti anni, e protestassi loro per lo tuo Spirito, per lo ministerio de' tuoi profeti, non però porsero gli orecchi; laonde tu li desti nelle mani de' popoli de' paesi.
You were patient with them for many years. You warned them trough [the messages] your Spirit gave to the prophets. But they did not (heed/pay attention to) those messages. So again you allowed [the armies of] other nations to defeat them.
31 E pure, per le tue gran misericordie, tu non ne hai fatta una final distruzione, e non li hai abbandonati; perciocchè, tu [sei] un Dio pietoso e misericordioso.
But because you act very mercifully, you did not get rid of them completely or abandon them [forever]. You are a very gracious/kind and merciful God!
32 Ora dunque, o Dio nostro, Dio grande, forte e tremendo, che osservi il patto e la benignità, non sia reputato piccolo appo te tutto il travaglio che è avvenuto a noi, a' nostri re, a' nostri principi, a' nostri sacerdoti, a' nostri profeti, a' nostri padri, e a tutto il tuo popolo, dal tempo dei re degli Assiri, fino ad oggi.
“Our God, you are great! You are mighty! You are awesome! You faithfully love us as [you promised in] your agreement with us that you would do! But now we are experiencing great difficulties/hardships. Great troubles have come to us, to our kings, to our [other] leaders, to our priests, and to our prophets. We have been experiencing these troubles since [the armies of] the kings of Assyria [conquered us], and we are still experiencing them. We ask that you sincerely think about [LIT] all these things.
33 Ora tu [sei] giusto in tutto quello che ci è avvenuto; perciocchè tu hai operato fedelmente; ma noi siamo proceduti empiamente.
[We know that] you acted justly each time that you punished us. We have sinned greatly, but you have treated us fairly.
34 Nè i nostri re, nè i nostri principi, nè i nostri sacerdoti, nè i nostri padri, non hanno messa in opera la tua Legge, e non hanno atteso a' tuoi comandamenti, nè alle tue testimonianze, con le quali tu hai loro protestato.
Our kings and other leaders and our priests and our other ancestors did not obey your laws. They did not heed your commands or the warnings that you gave to them.
35 E non ti hanno servito nel lor regno, e ne' gran beni, che tu avevi loro dati, nè in quell'ampio e grasso paese, che tu avevi messo in lor potere; e non si son convertiti dalle loro opere malvage.
Even when they had their own kings, and they enjoyed the good things that you did for them in this large and fertile land that you gave to them, they did not serve you. They refused to quit doing what was evil.
36 Ecco, oggi noi [siamo] servi; ecco, siamo servi nel paese che tu desti a' nostri padri, per mangiarne i frutti ed i beni.
“So now we are [like] slaves here in this land that you gave to our ancestors, the land that you gave to them in order that they could enjoy all the good things that grow here.
37 Ed esso produce in abbondanza per li re che tu hai costituiti sopra noi, per li nostri peccati, e i quali signoreggiano sopra i nostri corpi, e sopra le nostre bestie, a lor volontà; onde noi [siamo] in gran distretta.
Because we have sinned, [we cannot eat the things that grow here]. The kings that now rule over us are enjoying the things that grow here. They rule us and [take] our cattle. We have to serve them and do the things that please them. We are experiencing great misery/distress.
38 PER tutto ciò adunque noi facciamo un patto stabile, e [lo] scriviamo; e i nostri capi, e i nostri Leviti, e i nostri sacerdoti hanno cura di suggellarlo.
“However, we [Israeli] people now are making an agreement/promise [to obey you], and we are writing this agreement/promise [on a scroll]. We will write on it the names of our leaders and the names of the Levites and the names of the priests, and then we will seal it.”
