Nehemiah 9:32–37

³²“Now therefore, our God, ^athe great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and lovingkindness,

Do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before You,

Which has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers and on all Your people,

^bFrom the days of the kings of Assyria to this day.

³³“However, ^aYou are just in all that has come upon us;

For You have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly.

³⁴“For our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers have not kept Your law

Or paid attention to Your commandments and Your ¹admonitions with which You have ²admonished them.

³⁵“But ^athey, in their own kingdom,

^bWith Your great goodness which You gave them,

With the broad and rich land which You set before them,

Did not serve You or turn from their evil deeds.

³⁶“Behold, ^awe are slaves today,

And as to the land which You gave to our fathers to eat of its fruit and its bounty,

Behold, we are slaves in it.

³⁷“^aIts abundant produce is for the kings

Whom You have set over us because of our sins;

They also rule over our bodies

And over our cattle as they please,

So we are in great distress.