Bible Society of South Africa

Bible Reading Plan – Day 256

Bible text(s)

Nehemiah 9

The People Confess their Sins

1-2On the 24th day of the same month the people of Israel assembled to fast in order to show sorrow for their sins. They had already separated themselves from all foreigners. They wore sackcloth and put dust on their heads as signs of grief. Then they stood and began to confess the sins that they and their ancestors had committed. 3For about three hours the Law of the LORD their God was read to them, and for the next three hours they confessed their sins and worshipped the LORD their God.

4There was a platform for the Levites, and on it stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani. They prayed aloud to the LORD their God.

5The following Levites gave a call to worship: Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah. They said:

“Stand up and praise the LORD your God;

praise him for ever and ever!

Let everyone praise his glorious name,

although no human praise is great enough.”

The Prayer of Confession

6And then the people of Israel prayed this prayer:

“You, LORD, you alone are LORD;

you made the heavens and the stars of the sky.

You made land and sea and everything in them;

you gave life to all.

The heavenly powers bow down and worship you.

7You, LORD God, chose Abram

and led him out of Ur in Babylonia;

you changed his name to Abraham.

8You found that he was faithful to you,

and you made a covenant with him.

You promised to give him the land of the Canaanites,

the land of the Hittites and the Amorites,

the land of the Perizzites, the Jebusites, and the Girgashites,

to be a land where his descendants would live.

You kept your promise, because you are faithful.

9“You saw how our ancestors suffered in Egypt;

you heard their call for help at the Red Sea.

10You worked amazing miracles against the king,

against his officials and the people of his land,

because you knew how they oppressed your people.

You won then the fame you still have today.

11Through the sea you made a path for your people

and led them through on dry ground.

Those who pursued them drowned in deep water,

as a stone sinks in the raging sea.

12With a cloud you led them in daytime,

and at night you lighted their way with fire.

13At Mount Sinai you came down from heaven;

you spoke to your people

and gave them good laws and sound teachings.

14You taught them to keep your Sabbaths holy,

and through your servant Moses you gave them your laws.

15“When they were hungry, you gave them bread from heaven,

and water from a rock when they were thirsty.

You told them to take control of the land

which you had promised to give them.

16But our ancestors grew proud and stubborn

and refused to obey your commands.

17They refused to obey; they forgot all you did;

they forgot the miracles you had performed.

In their pride they chose a leader

to take them back to slavery in Egypt.

But you are a God who forgives;

you are gracious and loving, slow to be angry.

Your mercy is great; you did not forsake them.

18They made an idol in the shape of a bull calf

and said it was the god who led them from Egypt!

How much they insulted you, LORD!

19But you did not abandon them there in the desert,

for your mercy is great.

You did not take away the cloud or the fire

that showed them the path by day and night.

20In your goodness you told them what they should do;

you fed them with manna and gave them water to drink.

21Through forty years in the desert

you provided all that they needed;

their clothing never wore out,

and their feet were not swollen with pain.

22“You let them conquer nations and kingdoms,

lands that bordered their own.

They conquered the land of Heshbon, where Sihon ruled,

and the land of Bashan, where Og was king.

23You gave them as many children as there are stars in the sky,

and let them conquer and live in the land

that you had promised their ancestors to give them.

24They conquered the land of Canaan;

you overcame the people living there.

You gave your people the power to do as they pleased

with the people and kings of Canaan.

25Your people captured fortified cities,

fertile land, houses full of wealth,

cisterns already dug,

olive trees, fruit trees, and vineyards.

They ate all they wanted and grew fat;

they enjoyed all the good things you gave them.

26“But your people rebelled and disobeyed you;

they turned their backs on your Law.

They killed the prophets who warned them,

who told them to turn back to you.

They insulted you time after time,

27so you let their enemies conquer and rule them.

In their trouble they called to you for help,

and you answered them from heaven.

In your great mercy you sent them leaders

who rescued them from their foes.

28When peace returned, they sinned again,

and again you let their enemies conquer them.

Yet when they repented and asked you to save them,

in heaven you heard, and time after time

you rescued them in your great mercy.

29You warned them to obey your teachings,

but in pride they rejected your laws,

although keeping your Law is the way to life.

Obstinate and stubborn, they refused to obey.

30Year after year you patiently warned them.

You inspired your prophets to speak,

but your people were deaf,

so you let them be conquered by other nations.

31And yet, because your mercy is great,

you did not forsake or destroy them.

You are a gracious and merciful God!

32“O God, our God, how great you are!

How terrifying, how powerful!

You faithfully keep your covenant promises.

From the time when Assyrian kings oppressed us,

even till now, how much we have suffered!

Our kings, our leaders, our priests and prophets,

our ancestors, and all our people have suffered.

Remember how much we have suffered!

33You have done right to punish us;

you have been faithful, even though we have sinned.

34Our ancestors, our kings, leaders, and priests

have not kept your Law.

They did not listen to your commands and warnings.

35With your blessing, kings ruled your people

when they lived in the broad, fertile land you gave them;

but they failed to turn from sin and serve you.

36And now we are slaves in the land that you gave us,

this fertile land which gives us food.

37What the land produces goes to the kings

that you put over us because we sinned.

They do as they please with us and our livestock,

and we are in deep distress!”

The People Sign an Agreement

38Because of all that has happened, we, the people of Israel, hereby make a solemn written agreement, and our leaders, our Levites, and our priests put their seals to it.

Nehemiah 10

1The first to sign was the governor, Nehemiah son of Hacaliah, and then Zedekiah signed. The following also signed:

2-8Priests:
    Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
    Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,
    Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,
    Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
    Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
    Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
    Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah.
9-13Levites:
    Jeshua son of Azaniah,
    Binnui of the clan of Henadad,
    Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Hodiah,
    Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
    Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,
    Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
    Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.
14-27Leaders of the people:
    Parosh, Pahath Moab,
    Elam, Zattu, Bani,
    Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
    Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,
    Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
    Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,
    Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
    Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
    Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,
    Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
    Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,
    Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
    Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
    Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,
    Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.

The Agreement

28We, the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, the temple guards, the temple musicians, the temple workmen, and all others who in obedience to God's Law have separated themselves from the foreigners living in our land, we, together with our wives and all our children old enough to understand, 29do hereby join with our leaders in an oath, under penalty of a curse if we break it, that we will live according to God's Law, which God gave through his servant Moses; that we will obey all that the LORD, our Lord, commands us; and that we will keep all his laws and requirements.

30We will not intermarry with the foreigners living in our land.

31If foreigners bring corn or anything else to sell to us on the Sabbath or on any other holy day, we will not buy from them.

Every seventh year we will not farm the land, and we will cancel all debts.

32Every year we will each contribute five grammes of silver to help pay the expenses of the Temple.

33We will provide for the temple worship the following: the sacred bread, the daily grain offering, the animals to be burnt each day as sacrifices, the sacred offerings for Sabbaths, New Moon Festivals, and other festivals, the other sacred offerings, the offerings to take away the sins of Israel, and anything else needed for the Temple.

34We, the people, priests, and Levites, will draw lots each year to determine which clans are to provide wood to burn the sacrifices offered to the LORD our God, according to the requirements of the Law.

35We will take to the Temple each year an offering of the first corn we harvest and of the first fruit that ripens on our trees.

36The first son born to each of us we will take to the priests in the Temple and there, as required by the Law, dedicate him to God. We will also dedicate the first calf born to each of our cows, and the first lamb or kid born to each of our sheep or goats.

37We will take to the priests in the Temple the dough made from the first corn harvested each year and our other offerings of wine, olive oil, and all kinds of fruit.

We will take to the Levites, who collect tithes in our farming villages, the tithes from the crops that grow on our land. 38Priests who are descended from Aaron are to be with the Levites when tithes are collected, and for use in the Temple the Levites are to take to the temple storerooms one tenth of all the tithes they collect. 39The people of Israel and the Levites are to take the contributions of corn, wine, and olive oil to the storerooms where the utensils for the Temple are kept and where the priests who are on duty, the temple guards, and the members of the temple choir have their quarters.

We will not neglect the house of our God.

Nehemiah 9:1-10:39GNBOpen in Bible reader
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