Nehemiah · Literal Standard Version
Nehemiah 9 Literal Standard Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 And in the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel have been gathered with fasting, and with sackcloth, and earth on them;
1 Now in the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, with sackcloth, and dirt on them.
2 and the seed of Israel are separated from all sons of a stranger, and stand and confess concerning their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers,
2 The offspring of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
3 and rise up on their station, and read in the Scroll of the Law of their God YHWH a fourth of the day, and a fourth they are confessing and bowing themselves to their God YHWH.
3 They stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of Yahweh their God a fourth part of the day; and a fourth part they confessed and worshiped Yahweh their God.
4 And there stand up on the ascent, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, Chenani, and they cry with a loud voice to their God YHWH.
4 Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani of the Levites stood up on the stairs, and cried with a loud voice to Yahweh their God.
5 And the Levites say, [even] Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, Pethahiah, “Rise, bless your God YHWH, || From age to age, || And they bless the Name of Your glory || That [is] exalted above all blessing and praise.
5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless Yahweh your God from everlasting to everlasting! Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
6 You [are] He, O YHWH, Yourself—You have made the heavens, || The heavens of the heavens, and all their host, || The earth and all that [are] on it, || The seas and all that [are] in them, || And You are keeping all of them alive, || And the host of the heavens are bowing themselves to You.
6 You are Yahweh, even you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their army, the earth and all things that are on it, the seas and all that is in them, and you preserve them all. The army of heaven worships you.
7 You [are] He, O YHWH God, || Who fixed on Abraham, || And brought him out from Ur of the Chaldeans, || And made his name Abraham,
7 You are Yahweh, the God who chose Abram, brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees, gave him the name of Abraham,
8 And found his heart steadfast before You, || So as to make with him the covenant, || To give the land of the Canaanite, || The Hittite, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, || To give [it] to his seed. And You establish Your words, || For You [are] righteous,
8 found his heart faithful before you, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, to give it to his offspring, and have performed your words, for you are righteous.
9 And see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, || And their cry have heard by the Sea of Suph,
9 “You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heard their cry by the Red Sea,
10 And give signs and wonders on Pharaoh, || And on all his servants, || And on all the people of his land, || For You have known that they have acted proudly against them, || And You make to Yourself a name as [at] this day.
10 and showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his servants, and against all the people of his land, for you knew that they dealt proudly against them, and made a name for yourself, as it is today.
11 And You have cleaved the sea before them, || And they pass over into the midst of the sea on the dry land, || And their pursuers You have cast into the depths, || As a stone, into the strong waters.
11 You divided the sea before them, so that they went through the middle of the sea on the dry land; and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into the mighty waters.
12 And by a pillar of cloud You have led them by day, || And by a pillar of fire by night, || To lighten to them the way in which they go.
12 Moreover, in a pillar of cloud you led them by day; and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light in the way in which they should go.
13 And on Mount Sinai You have come down, || Even to speak with them from the heavens, || And You give to them right judgments, || And true laws, good statutes and commands.
13 “You also came down on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments,
14 And Your holy Sabbath You have made known to them, || And commands, and statutes, and law, || You have commanded for them, || By the hand of Your servant Moses;
14 and made known to them your holy Sabbath, and commanded them commandments, statutes, and a law, by Moses your servant,
15 And bread from the heavens You have given to them for their hunger, || And water from a rock have brought out to them for their thirst, || And say to them to go in to possess the land || That You have lifted up Your hand to give to them.
15 and gave them bread from the sky for their hunger, and brought water out of the rock for them for their thirst, and commanded them that they should go in to possess the land which you had sworn to give them.
16 And they and our fathers have acted proudly, || And harden their neck, || And have not listened to Your commands,
16 “But they and our fathers behaved proudly, hardened their neck, didn’t listen to your commandments,
17 Indeed, they refuse to listen, || And have not remembered Your wonders that You have done with them, || And harden their neck and appoint a head, || To turn back to their service, in their rebellion; And You [are] a God of pardons, || Gracious, and merciful, long-suffering, and abundant in kindness, || And have not forsaken them.
17 and refused to obey. They weren’t mindful of your wonders that you did among them, but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But you are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and didn’t forsake them.
18 Also, when they have made to themselves a molten calf, || And say, This [is] your god || That brought you up out of Egypt, || And do great despisings,
18 Yes, when they had made themselves a molded calf, and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed awful blasphemies,
19 and You, in Your abundant mercies, || Have not forsaken them in the wilderness—The pillar of the cloud has not turned aside from off them by day, || To lead them in the way, || And the pillar of the fire by night, || To give light to them and the way in which they go.
19 yet you in your manifold mercies didn’t forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud didn’t depart from over them by day, to lead them in the way; neither did the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way in which they should go.
20 And Your good Spirit You have given, || To cause them to act wisely; And Your manna You have not withheld from their mouth, || And water You have given to them for their thirst,
20 You gave also your good Spirit to instruct them, and didn’t withhold your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst.
21 And forty years You have nourished them in a wilderness; They have not lacked; Their garments have not worn out, || And their feet have not swelled.
21 “Yes, forty years you sustained them in the wilderness. They lacked nothing. Their clothes didn’t grow old, and their feet didn’t swell.
22 And You give to them kingdoms, and peoples, || And apportion them to the corner, || And they possess the land of Sihon, || And the land of the king of Heshbon, || And the land of Og king of Bashan.
22 Moreover you gave them kingdoms and peoples, which you allotted according to their portions. So they possessed the land of Sihon, even the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.
23 And You have multiplied their sons as the stars of the heavens, || And bring them into the land || That You have said to their fathers to go in to possess.
23 You also multiplied their children as the stars of the sky, and brought them into the land concerning which you said to their fathers that they should go in to possess it.
24 And the sons come in, and possess the land, || And You humble the inhabitants of the land—the Canaanites—before them, || And give them into their hand, and their kings, || And the peoples of the land, || To do with them according to their pleasure.
24 “So the children went in and possessed the land; and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hands, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they pleased.
25 And they capture fortified cities, and fat ground, || And possess houses full of all good, || Dug-wells, vineyards, and olive-yards, || And fruit-trees in abundance, || And they eat, and are satisfied, || And become fat, || And delight themselves in Your great goodness.
25 They took fortified cities and a rich land, and possessed houses full of all good things, cisterns dug out, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate, were filled, became fat, and delighted themselves in your great goodness.
26 And they are disobedient, || And rebel against You, || And cast Your law behind their back, || And Your prophets they have slain, || Who testified against them, || To bring them back to You, || And they do great despisings,
26 “Nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against you, cast your law behind their back, killed your prophets that testified against them to turn them again to you, and they committed awful blasphemies.
27 And You give them into the hand of their adversaries, || And they distress them, || And in the time of their distress they cry to You, || And You, from the heavens, hear, || And according to Your abundant mercies, || Give saviors to them, || And they save them out of the hand of their adversaries.
27 Therefore you delivered them into the hand of their adversaries, who distressed them. In the time of their trouble, when they cried to you, you heard from heaven; and according to your manifold mercies you gave them saviors who saved them out of the hands of their adversaries.
28 And when they have rest, || They turn back to do evil before You, || And You leave them in the hand of their enemies, || And they rule over them; And they return, and call You, || And You hear from the heavens, || And deliver them many times, || According to Your mercies,
28 But after they had rest, they did evil again before you; therefore you left them in the hands of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them; yet when they returned and cried to you, you heard from heaven; and many times you delivered them according to your mercies,
29 And testify against them, || To bring them back to Your law; And they have acted proudly, || And have not listened to Your commands, || And against Your judgments have sinned—Which man does and has lived in them—And they give a stubborn shoulder, || And have hardened their neck, || And have not listened.
29 and testified against them, that you might bring them again to your law. Yet they were arrogant, and didn’t listen to your commandments, but sinned against your ordinances (which if a man does, he shall live in them), turned their backs, stiffened their neck, and would not hear.
30 And You draw over them many years, || And testify against them by Your Spirit, || By the hand of Your prophets, || And they have not given ear, || And You give them into the hand of peoples of the lands,
30 Yet many years you put up with them, and testified against them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not listen. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
31 and in Your abundant mercies || You have not made them a consumption, || Nor have forsaken them; For a God, gracious and merciful, [are] You.
31 “Nevertheless in your manifold mercies you didn’t make a full end of them, nor forsake them; for you are a gracious and merciful God.
32 And now, O our God—God, the great, the mighty, || And the fearful, || Keeping the covenant and the kindness—Do not let all the travail that has found us be little before You, || For our kings, for our heads, and for our priests, || And for our prophets, and for our fathers, || And for all Your people, || From the days of the kings of Asshur to this day;
32 Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness, don’t let all the travail seem little before you that has come on us, on our kings, on our princes, on our priests, on our prophets, on our fathers, and on all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria to this day.
33 And You [are] righteous concerning all that has come on us, || For You have done truth, || And we have done wickedly;
33 However you are just in all that has come on us; for you have dealt truly, but we have done wickedly.
34 And our kings, our heads, || Our priests, and our fathers, || Have not done Your law, || Nor attended to Your commands, || And to Your testimonies, || That You have testified against them;
34 Also our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law, nor listened to your commandments and your testimonies with which you testified against them.
35 And they, in their kingdom, || And in Your abundant goodness, || That You have given to them, || And in the land, the large and the fat, || That You have set before them, || Have not served You, || Nor turned back from their evil doings.
35 For they have not served you in their kingdom, and in your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and rich land which you gave before them. They didn’t turn from their wicked works.
36 Behold, we—today—[are] servants, || And the land that You have given to our fathers, || To eat its fruit and its good, || Behold, we [are] servants on it,
36 “Behold, we are servants today, and as for the land that you gave to our fathers to eat its fruit and its good, behold, we are servants in it.
37 And its increase it is multiplying to the kings || Whom You have set over us || In our sins; And over our bodies they are ruling, || And over our livestock, || According to their pleasure, || And we [are] in great distress.
37 It yields much increase to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. Also they have power over our bodies and over our livestock, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.
38 And for all this we are making a steadfast covenant, || And are writing, || And over him who is sealed || [Are] our heads, our Levites, [and] our priests.”
38 Yet for all this, we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, our Levites, and our priests, seal it.”
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Bani
Levite named Bani in the Levites who taught the Law, led confession and sealed the covenant (Nehemiah 8:7, 9:4-5, 10:13). The lists do not say whether same-named Levites in…
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:7; Nehemiah 9:4; Nehemiah 9:5
Bunni
Levite named Bunni in the Levites who stood on the raised platform and cried out to the LORD (Nehemiah 9:4). The lists do not say whether same-named Levites in different lists are…
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 9:4
Chenani
Levite named Chenani in the Levites who stood on the raised platform and cried out to the LORD (Nehemiah 9:4). The lists do not say whether same-named Levites in different lists…
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 9:4
Kadmiel
Levite whose family returned and who, with Jeshua and the sons of Henadad, oversaw the temple builders; he later joined in the Levites’ prayer and the covenant.
Cited in the guide: Ezra 2:40; Ezra 3:9; Nehemiah 9:4
Pethahiah
Levite named Pethahiah in the Levites who called the people to bless the LORD (Nehemiah 9:5). The lists do not say whether same-named Levites in different lists are one man.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 9:5
Shebaniah
Levite named Shebaniah in the Levites who led the prayer and sealed the covenant (the name appears twice in Neh 10:10-12). The lists do not say whether same-named Levites in…
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 9:4; Nehemiah 9:5; Nehemiah 10:10
Places
Ur
Traditionally the southern Sumerian city (Tell el-Muqayyar) with its famous ziggurat, though some scholars argue for a northern Ur (location debated). Abraham set out from here.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 11:31; Genesis 15:7; Nehemiah 9:7
Cross references (38)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Ezra 8:23; Nehemiah 8:2; Joshua 7:6; Acts 13:2–3; 1 Samuel 4:12
- 2 Nehemiah 13:3; Daniel 9:3–10; Ezra 10:11; Nehemiah 13:30; Daniel 9:20
- 3 Nehemiah 8:3–4; Nehemiah 8:7–8
- 4 Nehemiah 8:7; Nehemiah 12:8; 2 Chronicles 20:19; Nehemiah 9:5; Nehemiah 10:9–13
- 5 Psalm 103:1–2; 2 Corinthians 4:6; 1 Peter 1:3; Psalm 106:2; Matthew 11:25
- 6 Isaiah 37:16; Genesis 1:1; Revelation 4:11; Deuteronomy 10:14; Deuteronomy 6:4
- 7 Genesis 11:31; Genesis 17:5; Isaiah 51:2; Acts 7:2–4; Deuteronomy 10:15
- 8 Hebrews 6:18; Genesis 15:18–21; Genesis 15:6; Joshua 23:14; Genesis 12:7
- 9 Exodus 3:7–9; Exodus 2:25; Exodus 14:10–14; Exodus 3:16; Acts 7:34
- 10 Daniel 9:15; Jeremiah 32:20; Exodus 5:2; Exodus 14:1–31; Isaiah 63:12
- 11 Psalm 78:13; Exodus 14:21–22; Exodus 14:27–28; Isaiah 63:11–13; Psalm 66:6
- 12 Exodus 13:21–22; Nehemiah 9:19; Psalm 107:7; Psalm 78:14; Psalm 105:39
- 13 Psalm 119:160; Exodus 20:1; Exodus 19:11; Psalm 119:127–128; Ezekiel 20:11–13
- 14 Exodus 20:8–11; Genesis 2:3; Ezekiel 20:12; Ezekiel 20:20; Exodus 16:29
- 15 1 Corinthians 10:3–4; Deuteronomy 1:8; Exodus 17:6; Exodus 16:14–15; Exodus 16:4
- 16 Nehemiah 9:29; Psalm 81:11–14; Hebrews 3:15; Deuteronomy 31:27; Nehemiah 9:10
- 17 Joel 2:13; Psalm 86:5; Psalm 145:8–9; Psalm 86:15; Exodus 34:6–7
- 18 Psalm 106:19–23; Exodus 32:4–8; Exodus 32:31–32; Ezekiel 20:7–44; Deuteronomy 9:12–16
- 19 Psalm 106:45; Nehemiah 9:27; Malachi 3:6; Nehemiah 9:12; Numbers 14:14
- 20 Psalm 143:10; Numbers 11:17; Isaiah 63:11–14; John 4:10; 2 Peter 1:21
- 21 Deuteronomy 2:7; Deuteronomy 8:4; Deuteronomy 29:5; Psalm 34:10; Numbers 14:33–34
- 22 Numbers 21:21–35; Psalm 105:44; Joshua 11:23; Psalm 78:65; Deuteronomy 3:1–17
- 23 Genesis 22:17; Genesis 15:5; Genesis 15:18; Genesis 17:8; Genesis 12:7
- 24 Joshua 18:1; Joshua 21:43; 1 Chronicles 22:18; Psalm 44:2–3; Joshua 11:23
- 25 Deuteronomy 32:15; Deuteronomy 3:5; Nehemiah 9:35; 1 Kings 8:66; Deuteronomy 32:13
- 26 1 Kings 14:9; Judges 2:11–12; Nehemiah 9:18; Acts 7:52; 1 Kings 19:10
- 27 Psalm 106:41–45; 2 Kings 14:27; Daniel 9:10–14; 2 Kings 13:5; Judges 2:18
- 28 Judges 5:31–6:1; 1 Kings 8:33–34; 1 Kings 8:39; Judges 4:1; Judges 3:11–12
- 29 Nehemiah 9:16; Leviticus 18:5; Nehemiah 9:26; Nehemiah 9:10; James 4:6–10
- 30 Romans 2:4; 2 Chronicles 36:15–16; Isaiah 63:10; Isaiah 42:24; Acts 7:51
- 31 Lamentations 3:22; Psalm 103:8–9; Nehemiah 9:17; Jeremiah 4:27; Exodus 34:6–7
- 32 Deuteronomy 7:9; Nehemiah 1:5; Daniel 9:4; Daniel 9:8; Micah 7:18–20
- 33 Psalm 106:6; Daniel 9:5–14; Genesis 18:25; Job 34:23; Psalm 119:137
- 34 Jeremiah 29:19; 2 Kings 17:13; Deuteronomy 31:21; 2 Kings 17:15; Nehemiah 9:30
- 35 Deuteronomy 28:47; Deuteronomy 32:12–15; Jeremiah 5:19; Deuteronomy 8:7–10; Deuteronomy 31:21
- 36 Ezra 9:9; Deuteronomy 28:48; 2 Chronicles 12:8
- 37 Deuteronomy 28:33; Deuteronomy 28:48; Ezra 7:24; Deuteronomy 28:39; Nehemiah 5:8
- 38 Nehemiah 10:1; Nehemiah 10:29; 2 Chronicles 34:31; Ezra 10:3; 2 Kings 23:3
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
And Ezra says, Thou gavest also Thy good Spirit to instruct them.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)