^1-3 Then on the twenty-fourth day of this month, the People of Israel gathered for a fast, wearing burlap and faces smudged with dirt as signs of repentance. The Israelites broke off all relations with foreigners, stood up, and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their parents. While they stood there in their places, they read from the Book of The Revelation of God, their God, for a quarter of the day. For another quarter of the day they confessed and worshiped their God.

^4-5 A group of Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani—stood on the platform and cried out to God, their God, in a loud voice. The Levites Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, “On your feet! Bless God, your God, for ever and ever!”

^5-6 Blessed be your glorious name,

exalted above all blessing and praise!

You’re the one,

God, you alone;

You made the heavens,

the heavens of heavens, and all angels;

The earth and everything on it,

the seas and everything in them;

You keep them all alive;

heaven’s angels worship you!

^7-8 You’re the one, God, the God

who chose Abram

And brought him from Ur of the Chaldees

and changed his name to Abraham.

You found his heart to be steady and true to you

and signed a covenant with him,

A covenant to give him the land of the Canaanites,

the Hittites, and the Amorites,

The Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites,

—to give it to his descendants.

And you kept your word

because you are righteous.

^9-15 You saw the anguish of our parents in Egypt.

You heard their cries at the Red Sea;

You amazed Pharaoh, his servants, and the people of his land

with wonders and miracle-signs.

You knew their bullying arrogance against your people;

you made a name for yourself that lasts to this day.

You split the sea before them;

they crossed through and never got their feet wet;

You pitched their pursuers into the deep;

they sank like a rock in the storm-tossed sea.

By day you led them with a Pillar of Cloud,

and by night with a Pillar of Fire

To show them the way

they were to travel.

You came down onto Mount Sinai,

you spoke to them out of heaven;

You gave them instructions on how to live well,

true teaching, sound rules and commands;

You introduced them

to your Holy Sabbath;

Through your servant Moses you decreed

commands, rules, and instruction.

You gave bread from heaven for their hunger,

you sent water from the rock for their thirst.

You told them to enter and take the land,

which you promised to give them.

^16-19 But they, our ancestors, were arrogant;

bullheaded, they wouldn’t obey your commands.

They turned a deaf ear, they refused

to remember the miracles you had done for them;

They turned stubborn, got it into their heads

to return to their Egyptian slavery.

And you, a forgiving God,

gracious and compassionate,

Incredibly patient, with tons of love—

you didn’t dump them.

Yes, even when they cast a sculpted calf

and said, “This is your god

Who brought you out of Egypt,”

and continued from bad to worse,

You in your amazing compassion

didn’t walk off and leave them in the desert.

The Pillar of Cloud didn’t leave them;

daily it continued to show them their route;

The Pillar of Fire did the same by night,

showed them the right way to go.

^20-23 You gave them your good Spirit

to teach them to live wisely.

You never stinted with your manna,

gave them plenty of water to drink.

You supported them forty years in that desert;

they had everything they needed;

Their clothes didn’t wear out

and their feet never blistered.

You gave them kingdoms and peoples,

establishing generous boundaries.

They took over the country of Sihon king of Heshbon

and the country of Og king of Bashan.

You multiplied children for them,

rivaling the stars in the night skies,

And you brought them into the land

that you promised their ancestors

they would get and own.

^24-25 Well, they entered all right,

they took it and settled in.

The Canaanites who lived there

you brought to their knees before them.

You turned over their land, kings, and peoples

to do with as they pleased.

They took strong cities and fertile fields,

they took over well-furnished houses,

Cisterns, vineyards, olive groves,

and lush, extensive orchards.

And they ate, grew fat on the fat of the land;

they reveled in your bountiful goodness.

^26-31 But then they mutinied, rebelled against you,

threw out your laws and killed your prophets,

The very prophets who tried to get them back on your side—

and then things went from bad to worse.

You turned them over to their enemies,

who made life rough for them.

But when they called out for help in their troubles

you listened from heaven;

And in keeping with your bottomless compassion

you gave them saviors:

Saviors who saved them

from the cruel abuse of their enemies.

But as soon as they had it easy again

they were right back at it—more evil.

So you turned away and left them again to their fate,

to the enemies who came right back.

They cried out to you again; in your great compassion

you heard and helped them again.

This went on over and over and over.

You warned them to return to your Revelation,

they responded with haughty arrogance:

They flouted your commands, spurned your rules

—the very words by which men and women live!

They set their jaws in defiance,

they turned their backs on you and didn’t listen.

You put up with them year after year

and warned them by your spirit through your prophets;

But when they refused to listen

you abandoned them to foreigners.

Still, because of your great compassion,

you didn’t make a total end to them.

You didn’t walk out and leave them for good;

yes, you are a God of grace and compassion.

^32-37 And now, our God, the great God,

God majestic and terrible, loyal in covenant and love,

Don’t treat lightly the trouble that has come to us,

to our kings and princes, our priests and prophets,

Our ancestors, and all your people from the time

of the Assyrian kings right down to today.

You are not to blame

for all that has come down on us;

You did everything right,

we did everything wrong.

None of our kings, princes, priests, or ancestors

followed your Revelation;

They ignored your commands,

dismissed the warnings you gave them.

Even when they had their own kingdom

and were enjoying your generous goodness,

Living in that spacious and fertile land

that you spread out before them,

They didn’t serve you

or turn their backs on the practice of evil.

And here we are, slaves again today;

and here’s the land you gave our ancestors

So they could eat well and enjoy a good life,

and now look at us—no better than slaves on this land.

Its wonderful crops go to the kings

you put over us because of our sins;

They act like they own our bodies

and do whatever they like with our cattle.

We’re in deep trouble.

³⁸ “Because of all this we are drawing up a binding pledge, a sealed document signed by our princes, our Levites, and our priests.”