Dual Panel1On the twenty-fourth <0702> <06242> day <03117> of this <02088> same month <02320> the Israelites <03478> <01121> assembled <0622>; they were fasting <06685> and wearing sackcloth <08242>, their heads covered with dust <0127>.
2Those truly of Israelite <03478> descent <02233> separated <0914> from all <03605> the foreigners <05236> <01121>, standing <05975> and confessing <03034> their sins <02403> and the iniquities <05771> of their ancestors <01>.
3For one-fourth of the day <03117> they stood in their place <05977> and read <07121> from the book <05612> of the law <08451> of the LORD <03068> their God <0430>, and for another fourth <07243> they were confessing <03034> their sins and worshiping <07812> the LORD <03068> their God <0430>.
4Then the Levites <03881>– Jeshua <03442>, Binnui <01137>, Kadmiel <06934>, Shebaniah <07645>, Bunni <01138>, Sherebiah <08274>, Bani <01137>, and Kenani <03662>– stood <06965> on the steps <04608> and called out <02199> loudly <01419> <06963> to <0413> the LORD <03068> their God <0430>.
5The Levites <03881>– Jeshua <03442>, Kadmiel <06934>, Bani <01137>, Hashabneiah <02813>, Sherebiah <08274>, Hodiah <01941>, Shebaniah <07645>, and Pethahiah <06611>– said <0559>, “Stand up <06965> and bless <01288> the LORD <03068> your God <0430>!” “May you be blessed, O LORD our God, from <04480> age to age <05769> <05704> <05769>. May your glorious <03519> name <08034> be blessed <01288>; may it be lifted up <07311> above <05921> all <03605> blessing <01293> and praise <08416>.
6You <0859> alone <0905> are the LORD <03068>. You made <06213> the heavens <08064>, even the highest <08064> heavens <08064>, along with all <03605> their multitude of stars <06635>, the earth <0776> and all <03605> that <0834> is on <05921> it, the seas <03220> and all <03605> that <0834> is in them. You <0859> impart life <02421> to them all <03605>, and the multitudes <06635> of heaven <08064> worship <07812> you.
7“You <0859> are the LORD <03068> God <0430> who <0834> chose <0977> Abram <087> and brought <03318> him forth <03318> from Ur <0218> of the Chaldeans <03778>. You changed <07760> his name <08034> to Abraham <085>.
8When you perceived <04672> that his heart <03824> was faithful <0539> toward <06440> you, you established <03772> a covenant <01285> with <05973> him to give <05414> his descendants <02233> the land <0776> of the Canaanites <03669>, the Hittites <02850>, the Amorites <0567>, the Perizzites <06522>, the Jebusites <02983>, and the Girgashites <01622>. You have fulfilled <06965> your promise <01697>, for <03588> you <0859> are righteous <06662>.
9“You saw <07200> the affliction <06040> of our ancestors <01> in Egypt <04714>, and you heard <08085> their cry <02201> at the Red <05488> Sea <03220>.
10You performed <05414> awesome <04159> signs <0226> against Pharaoh <06547>, against his servants <05650>, and against all <03605> the people <05971> of his land <0776>, for <03588> you knew <03045> that <03588> the Egyptians had acted presumptuously <02102> against <05921> them. You made <06213> for yourself a name <08034> that is celebrated to this <02088> day <03117>.
11You split <01234> the sea <03220> before <06440> them, and they crossed <05674> through <08432> the sea <03220> on dry ground <03004>! But you threw <07993> their pursuers <07291> into the depths <04688>, like <03644> a stone <068> into surging <05794> waters <04325>.
12You guided <05148> them with a pillar <05982> of cloud <06051> by day <03119> and with a pillar <05982> of fire <0784> by night <03915> to illumine <0215> for them <01992> the path <01870> they were to travel <01980>.
13“You came down <03381> on <05921> Mount <02022> Sinai <05514> and spoke <01696> with <05973> them from heaven <08064>. You provided <05414> them with just <03477> judgments <04941>, true <0571> laws <08451>, and good <02896> statutes <02706> and commandments <04687>.
14You made known <03045> to them your holy <06944> Sabbath <07676>; you issued <06680> commandments <04687>, statutes <02706>, and law <08451> to them through <03027> Moses <04872> your servant <05650>.
15You provided <05414> bread <03899> from heaven <08064> for them in their time of hunger <07458>, and you brought forth <03318> water <04325> from the rock <05553> for them in their time of thirst <06772>. You told <0559> them to enter <0935> in order to possess <03423> the land <0776> that <0834> you had sworn <03027> <05375> to give <05414> them.
16“But they <01992>– our ancestors <01>– behaved presumptuously <02102>; they rebelled <06203> <07185> and did not <03808> obey <08085> your commandments <04687>.
17They refused <03985> to obey <08085> and did not <03808> recall <02142> your miracles <06381> that <0834> you had performed <06213> among <05973> them. Instead, they rebelled <06203> <07185> and appointed <05414> a leader <07218> to return <07725> to their bondage <05659> in Egypt. But you <0859> are a God <0433> of forgiveness <05547>, merciful <02587> and compassionate <07349>, slow <0750> to get angry <0639> and unfailing in your loyal <07227> love <02617>. You did not <03808> abandon <05800> them,
18even <0637> when <03588> they made <06213> a cast image <04541> of a calf <05695> for themselves and said <0559>, ‘This <02088> is your God <0430> who <0834> brought <05927> you up <05927> from Egypt <04714>,’ or when they committed <06213> atrocious <01419> blasphemies <05007>.
19“Due to your <0859> great <07227> compassion <07356> you did not <03808> abandon <05800> them in the desert <04057>. The pillar <05982> of cloud <06051> did not <03808> stop <05921> <05493> guiding <05148> them in the path <01870> by day <03119>, nor did the pillar <05982> of fire <0784> stop illuminating <0215> for them by night <03915> the path <01870> on which <0834> they should travel <01980>.
20You imparted <05414> your good <02896> Spirit <07307> to instruct <07919> them. You did not <03808> withhold <04513> your manna <04478> from their mouths <06310>; you provided <05414> water <04325> for their thirst <06772>.
21For forty <0705> years <08141> you sustained <03557> them. Even in the desert <04057> they never <03808> lacked <02637> anything. Their clothes <08008> did not <03808> wear out <01086> and their feet <07272> did not <03808> swell <01216>.
22“You gave <05414> them kingdoms <04467> and peoples <05971>, and you allocated <02505> them to every corner <06285> of the land <0776>. They inherited <03423> the land <0776> of King <04428> Sihon <05511> of Heshbon <02809> and the land <0776> of King <04428> Og <05747> of Bashan <01316>.
23You multiplied <07235> their descendants <01121> like the stars <03556> of the sky <08064>. You brought <0935> them to <0413> the land <0776> you had told <0559> their ancestors <01> to enter <0935> in order to possess <03423>.
24Their descendants <01121> entered <0935> and possessed <03423> the land <0776>. You subdued <03665> before <06440> them the Canaanites <03669> who were the inhabitants <03427> of the land <0776>. You delivered <05414> them into their hand <03027>, together with their kings <04428> and the peoples <05971> of the land <0776>, to deal <06213> with as they pleased <07522>.
25They captured <03920> fortified <01219> cities <05892> and fertile <08082> land <0127>. They took possession <03423> of houses <01004> full <04392> of all sorts <03605> of good things <02898>– wells <0953> previously dug <02672>, vineyards <03754>, olive trees <02132>, and fruit <03978> trees <06086> in abundance <07230>. They ate <0398> until they were full <07646> and grew fat <08080>. They enjoyed <05727> to the full your great <01419> goodness <02898>.
26“Nonetheless they grew disobedient <04784> and rebelled against <04775> you; they disregarded <01458> <0310> <07993> your law <08451>. They killed <02026> your prophets <05030> who had <0834> solemnly admonished <05749> them in order to cause them to return <07725> to <0413> you. They committed <06213> atrocious <01419> blasphemies <05007>.
27Therefore you delivered <05414> them into the hand <03027> of their adversaries <06862>, who oppressed <03334> them. But in the time <06256> of their distress <06869> they called <06817> to <0413> you, and you <0859> heard <08085> from heaven <08064>. In your abundant <07227> compassion <07356> you provided <05414> them with deliverers <03467> to rescue <03467> them from their adversaries <06862>.
28“Then, when they were at rest <05117> again, they went back <07725> to doing <06213> evil <07451> before <06440> you. Then you abandoned <05800> them to their enemies <0341>, and they gained dominion <07287> over them. When they again <07725> cried out <02199> to you <0859>, in your compassion <07356> you heard <08085> from heaven <08064> and rescued <05337> them time <06256> and again <07227>.
29And you solemnly admonished <05749> them in order to return <07725> them to <0413> your law <08451>, but they <01992> behaved presumptuously <02102> and did not <03808> obey <08085> your commandments <04687>. They sinned <02398> against your ordinances <04941>– those by which <0834> an individual <0120>, if he obeys <06213> them, will live <02421>. They boldly turned from <05637> <03802> <05414> you; they rebelled <07185> <06203> and did not <03808> obey <08085>.
30You prolonged <04900> your kindness with <05921> them for many <07227> years <08141>, and you solemnly admonished <05749> them by your Spirit <07307> through <03027> your prophets <05030>. Still they paid <0238> no <03808> attention <0238>, so you delivered <05414> them into the hands <03027> of the neighboring <0776> peoples <05971>.
31However, due to your abundant <07227> mercy <07356> you did not <03808> do <06213> away with them altogether <03617>; you did not <03808> abandon <05800> them. For <03588> you <0859> are a merciful <02587> and compassionate <07349> God <0410>.
32“So now <06258>, our God <0430>– the great <01419>, powerful <01368>, and awesome <03372> God <0410>, who keeps <08104> covenant <01285> fidelity <02617>– do not <0408> regard as inconsequential <04591> all <03605> the hardship <08513> that <0834> has befallen <04672> us– our kings <04428>, our leaders <08269>, our priests <03548>, our prophets <05030>, our ancestors <01>, and all <03605> your people <05971>– from the days <03117> of the kings <04428> of Assyria <0804> until <05704> this <02088> very day <03117>!
33You <0859> are righteous <06662> with <05921> regard to all <03605> that has happened <0935> to <05921> us, for <03588> you have acted <06213> faithfully <0571>. It is we <0587> who have been in the wrong <07561>!
34Our kings <04428>, our leaders <08269>, our priests <03548>, and our ancestors <01> have not <03808> kept <06213> your law <08451>. They have not <03808> paid attention <07181> to <0413> your commandments <04687> or your testimonies <05715> by which <0834> you have solemnly admonished <05749> them.
35Even when they <01992> were in their kingdom <04438> and benefiting from your incredible <07227> goodness <02898> that <0834> you had lavished <05414> on them in the spacious <07342> and fertile <08082> land <0776> you had set <05414> before <06440> them, they did not <03808> serve <05647> you, nor <03808> did they turn <07725> from their evil <07451> practices <04611>.
36“So today <03117> we <0587> are slaves <05650>! In the very land <0776> you gave <05414> to our ancestors <01> to eat <0398> its fruit <06529> and to enjoy its good things <02898>– we <0587> are slaves <05650>!
37Its abundant <07235> produce <08393> goes to the kings <04428> you have placed <05414> over <05921> us due to our sins <02403>. They rule <04910> over <05921> our bodies <01472> and our livestock <0929> as they see fit <07522>, and we <0587> are in great <01419> distress <06869>!
38“Because of all <03605> of this <02063> we <0587> are entering <03772> into a binding covenant <0548> in written <03789> form; our leaders <08269>, our Levites <03881>, and our priests <03548> have affixed <02856> their names on <05921> the sealed document.”