A solemn feast, and repentance of the people.

1 ¶ Now in the twentyº and fourthº dayº of this² monthº the childrenº of Israelº were assembledºª with fasting,º and with sackclothes,º and earthº upon² them. 2 And the seedº of Israelº separated¹ª themselves² from all²² strangers,ºº and stoodºª and confessedºª² their sins,º and the iniquitiesº of their fathers.º 3 And they stood upºª in² their place,º and readºª in the bookº of the lawº of the LORDº their Godº [one] fourth² part¹ of the day;º and [another] fourth² part¹ they confessed,ºª and worshippedºª the LORDº their God.º

The Levites make a religious confession of God's goodness, and their wickedness.

4 ¶ Then stood upºª upon² the stairs,º of the Levites,º Jeshua,º and Bani,º Kadmiel,º Shebaniah,º Bunni,º Sherebiah,º Bani,º [and] Chenani,º and criedºª with a loudº voiceº unto² the LORDº their God.º 5 Then the Levites,º Jeshua,º and Kadmiel,º Bani,º Hashabniah,º Sherebiah,º Hodijah,º Shebaniah,º [and] Pethahiah,º said,ºª Stand upºª [and] blessºª² the LORDº your Godº for everº² and² ever:º and blessedºª be thy gloriousº name,º which is exaltedºª above² all² blessingº and praise.º 6 Thou,² [even] thou,² [art] LORDº alone;² thou² hast madeºª² heaven,º the heavenº of heavens,º with all² their host,º the earth,º and all² [things] that² [are] therein,² the seas,º and all² that² [is] therein, and thou² preservestºª² them all;² and the hostº of heavenº worshippethºª thee. 7 Thou² [art] the LORDº the God,º who² didst chooseºª Abram,º and broughtest him forthºª out of Urº² of the Chaldees,º and gavestºª him the nameº of Abraham;º 8 And foundestºª² his heartº faithfulºª beforeº thee, and madestºª a covenantº with² him to giveºª² the landº of the Canaanites,º the Hittites,º the Amorites,º and the Perizzites,º and the Jebusites,º and the Girgashites,º to giveºª [it, I say], to his seed,º and hast performedºª² thy words;º for² thou² [art] righteous:º 9 And didst seeºª² the afflictionº of our fathersº in Egypt,º and heardestºª their cryº by² the Redº sea;º 10 And shewedstºª signsº and wondersº upon Pharaoh,º and on all² his servants,º and on all² the peopleº of his land:º for² thou knewestºª that² they dealt proudlyºª against² them. So didst thou getºª thee a name,º as [it is] this² day.º 11 And thou didst divideºª the seaº beforeº them, so that they went throughºª the midstº of the seaº on the dry land;º and their persecutorsºª thou threwestºª into the deeps,º as² a stoneº into the mightyº waters.º 12 Moreover thou leddestºª them in the dayº by a cloudyº pillar;º and in the nightº by a pillarº of fire,º to give them lightºª in² the wayº wherein² they should go.¹ª² 13 Thou camest downºª also upon² mountº Sinai,º and spakestºª with² them from heaven,º² and gavestºª them rightº judgments,º and trueº laws,º goodº statutesº and commandments:º 14 And madest knownºª unto them thy holyº sabbath,º and commandedstºª them precepts,º statutes,º and laws,º by the handº of Mosesº thy servant:º 15 And gavestºª them breadº from heavenº² for their hunger,º and broughtest forthºª waterº for them out of the rockº² for their thirst,º and promisedstºª them that they should go inºª to possessºª² the landº which² thou hadst swornººª² to giveºª them. 16 But they² and our fathersº dealt proudly,ºª and hardenedºª² their necks,º and hearkenedºª not² to² thy commandments,º 17 And refusedºª to obey,ºª neither² were mindfulºª of thy wondersºª that² thou didstºª among² them; but hardenedºª² their necks,º and in their rebellionº appointedºª a captainº to returnºª to their bondage:º but thou² [art] a Godº ready to pardon,º graciousº and merciful,º slowº to anger,º and of greatº kindness,º and forsookestºª them not.² 18 Yea,² when² they had madeºª them a moltenº calf,º and said,ºª This² [is] thy Godº that² brought thee upºª out of Egypt,º² and had wroughtºª greatº provocations;º 19 Yet thou² in thy manifoldº merciesº forsookestºª them not² in the wilderness:º² the pillarº of the cloudº departedºª not² from²² them by day,º to leadºª them in the way;º neither the pillarº of fireº by night,º to shew them light,ºª and the wayº wherein² they should go.¹ª² 20 Thou gavestºª also thy goodº spiritº to instructºª them, and withheldestºª not² thy mannaº from their mouth,º² and gavestºª them waterº for their thirst.º 21 Yea, fortyº yearsº didst thou sustainºª them in the wilderness,º [so that] they lackedºª nothing;² their clothesº waxed not old,ºª² and their feetº swelledºª not.² 22 Moreover thou gavestºª them kingdomsº and nations,º and didst divideºª them into corners:º so they possessedºª² the landº of Sihon,º and the landº of the kingº of Heshbon,º and the landº of Ogº kingº of Bashan.º 23 Their childrenº also multipliedstºª thou as the starsº of heaven,º and broughtestºª them into² the land,º concerning which² thou hadst promisedºª to their fathers,º that they should go inºª to possessºª [it]. 24 So the childrenº went inºª and possessedºª² the land,º and thou subduedstºª beforeº them² the inhabitantsºª of the land,º the Canaanites,º and gavestºª them into their hands,º with their kings,º and the peopleº of the land,º that they might doºª with them as they would.º 25 And they tookºª strongºª cities,º and a fatº land,º and possessedºª housesº fullº of all² goods,º wellsº digged,ºª vineyards,º and oliveyards,º and fruitº treesº in abundance:º so they did eat,ºª and were filled,ºª and became fat,ºª and delighted¹ª themselves² in thy greatº goodness.º 26 Nevertheless they were disobedient,ºª and rebelledºª against thee, and castºª² thy lawº behindº their backs,º and slewºª thy prophetsº which² testifiedºª against them to turnºª them to² thee, and they wroughtºª greatº provocations.º 27 Therefore thou deliveredstºª them into the handº of their enemies,º who vexedºª them: and in the timeº of their trouble,º when they criedºª unto² thee, thou² heardestºª [them] from heaven;º² and according to thy manifoldº merciesº thou gavestºª them saviours,ºª who savedºª them out of the handº² of their enemies.º 28 But after they had rest,ºª they didºª evilº againºª beforeº thee: therefore leftestºª thou them in the handº of their enemies,ºª so that they had the dominionºª over them: yet when they returned,ºª and criedºª unto thee, thou² heardestºª [them] from heaven;º² and manyº timesº didst thou deliverºª them according to thy mercies;º 29 And testifiedstºª against them, that thou mightest bring them againºª unto² thy law:º yet they² dealt proudly,ºª and hearkenedºª not² unto thy commandments,º but sinnedºª against thy judgments,º (which² if a manº do,ºª he shall liveºª in them;) and withdrewººªª the shoulder,º and hardenedºª their neck,º and would not² hear.ºª 30 Yet manyº yearsº didst thou forbearºª² them, and testifiedstºª against them by thy spiritº inº thy prophets:º yet would they not² give ear:ºª therefore gavestºª thou them into the handº of the peopleº of the lands.º 31 Nevertheless for thy greatº mercies'º sake thou didst¹ª not² utterly consumeº² them, nor² forsakeºª them; for² thou² [art] a graciousº and mercifulº God.º 32 Now² therefore, our God,º the great,º the mighty,º and the terribleºª God,º who keepestºª covenantº and mercy,º let not²² all² the troubleº seem littleºª beforeº thee, that² hath come¹ª upon² us, on our kings,º on our princes,º and on our priests,º and on our prophets,º and on our fathers,º and on all² thy people,º since the timeº² of the kingsº of Assyriaº unto² this² day.º 33 Howbeit thou² [art] justº in² all² that is broughtºª upon² us; for² thou hast doneºª right,º but we² have done wickedly:ºª 34 Neither have our kings,º our princes,º our priests,º nor² our fathers,º keptºª thy law,º nor² hearkenedºª unto² thy commandmentsº and thy testimonies,º wherewith² thou didst testifyºª against them. 35 For they² have not² servedºª thee in their kingdom,º and in thy greatº goodnessº that² thou gavestºª them, and in the largeº and fatº landº which² thou gavestºª beforeº them, neither² turnedºª they from their wickedº works.º² 36 Behold,² we² [are] servantsº this day,º and [for] the landº that² thou gavestºª unto our fathersº to eatºª² the fruitº thereof and the goodº thereof, behold,² we² [are] servantsº in² it: 37 And it yieldeth muchºª increaseº unto the kingsº whom² thou hast setºª over² us because of our sins:º also they have dominionºª over² our bodies,º and over our cattle,º at their pleasure,º and we² [are] in greatº distress.º 38 And because of all² this² we² makeºª a sureº [covenant], and writeºª [it]; and our princes,º Levites,º [and] priests,º sealºª² [unto it].