Nehemiah 9:32–38

^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.