1 Ora, no dia vinte e quatro deste mês se ajuntaram os filhos de Israel em jejum, vestidos de saco e tendo as cabeças cobertas de terra.2 Os da linhagem de Israel separaram-se de todos os estrangeiros, puseram-se em pé e confessaram os seus pecados e as iniqüidades de seus pais.3 Tendo-se levantado no seu lugar, leram no livro da lei de Jeová, seu Deus, uma quarta parte do dia; e numa outra quarta parte fizeram confissão, e adoraram a Jeová, seu Deus.4 Puseram-se em pé sobre os degraus dos levitas, Jesua, Bani, Cadmiel, Sebanias, Buni, Serebias, Bani e Quenani, e clamaram em alta voz a Jeová, seu Deus.5 Os levitas: Jesua, Cadmiel, Bani, Hasabnéias, Serebias, Hodias, Sebanias e Petaías, disseram: Levantai-vos e bendizei a Jeová vosso Deus de eternidade em eternidade: e bendito seja o teu nome glorioso, que está exaltado acima de toda a bênção e louvor.6 Tu, só tu, és Jeová; tu fizeste o céu, o céu dos céus, e todo o seu exército, a terra e tudo quanto nela há, o mar e tudo quanto nele há, e tu os conservas a todos; e o exército do céu te adora.7 Tu és Deus Jeová, que escolheste a Abrão, e o tiraste de Ur dos Caldeus, e lhe deste o nome de Abraão;8 achaste o seu coração fiel diante de ti, e com ele fizeste aliança para dares à sua semente a terra dos cananeus, dos heteus, dos amorreus, dos ferezeus, dos jebuseus e dos girgaseus e cumpriste as tuas palavras; pois és justo.9 Viste a aflição de nossos pais no Egito, e ouviste o seu clamor junto ao Mar Vermelho;10 e obraste milagres e prodígios sobre Faraó, sobre todos os seus servos e sobre todo o povo da sua terra; pois sabias que eles os trataram com soberba; e alcançaste para ti nome como hoje se vê.11 Dividiste o mar diante deles, de maneira que passaram em seco pelo meio do mar; e lançaste os seus perseguidores nas profundezas, como uma pedra nas grandes águas.12 Também os guiaste de dia numa coluna de nuvem; e de noite numa nuvem de fogo, para lhes dares luz no caminho por que haviam de ir.13 Desceste sobre o monte Sinai, do céu falaste com eles, e deste-lhes juízos retos e leis verdadeiras, bons estatutos e mandamentos;14 fizeste-lhes saber o teu santo sábado, e lhes ordenaste mandamentos e estatutos e uma lei por intermédio de teu servo Moisés;15 do céu lhes deste pão quando tiveram fome, e da penha lhes fizeste arrebentar água, quando tiveram sede, e lhes ordenaste que entrassem para possuírem a terra que com juramento lhes tinhas prometido dar.16 Porém eles e nossos pais se houveram com soberba, endureceram a cerviz e não deram ouvidos aos teus mandamentos,17 recusaram obedecer e não se lembraram das maravilhas que fizeste no meio deles; mas endureceram a cerviz, e na sua rebeldia apontaram um capitão com o fim de voltarem para a sua servidão. Mas tu és um Deus pronto para perdoar, clemente e misericordioso, tardio em irar-te, e grande em beneficência, e não os abandonaste.18 Ainda mesmo quando tinham feito para si um bezerro fundido, e disseram: Este é o teu Deus que te tirou do Egito, e tinham cometido grandes provocações;19 todavia tu, na multidão de tuas misericórdias, não os abandonaste no deserto. A coluna de nuvem não se apartou deles de dia, para os guiar pelo caminho, nem a coluna de fogo de noite, para lhes dar luz e lhes mostrar o caminho por que haviam de ir.20 Também lhes deste o teu bom espírito que os instruísse, não retiraste o teu maná da sua boca e lhes deste água quando tiveram sede.21 Por quarenta anos os sustentaste no deserto, e não lhes faltou nada; os seus vestidos não se envelheceram e os seus pés não se incharam.22 Além disto lhes deste reinos e povos, que lhes repartiste em porções. Assim possuíram a terra de Seom, rei de Hesbom, e a terra de Ogue, rei de Basã.23 Também multiplicaste seus filhos como as estrelas do céu, e os introduziste na terra, de que disseste a seus pais que nela entrariam para a possuírem.24 Entraram os filhos e possuíram a terra, e diante deles humilhaste os cananeus, habitantes da terra, e lhos entregaste nas mãos juntamente com os seus reis e os povos da terra, para fazerem deles como quisessem.25 Tomaram cidades fortificadas, e uma terra fértil, e possuíram casas cheias de todas as cousas boas, cisternas cavadas, vinhas e olivais e árvores frutíferas em abundância. Comeram, fartaram-se, engordaram e abundaram em delícias pela tua grande bondade.26 Não obstante foram desobedientes, e se rebelaram contra ti; lançaram a tua lei para trás das suas costas, mataram os teus profetas que protestaram contra eles para os fazerem voltar a ti, e cometeram grandes provocações.27 Portanto os entregaste nas mãos dos seus inimigos, que os afligiram. No tempo da sua angústia, quando clamaram a ti, tu os ouviste do céu; e segundo a multidão das tuas misericórdias lhes deste libertadores que os salvaram das mãos dos seus adversários.28 Mas depois que tiveram descanso, tornaram a fazer o mal diante de ti; portanto os deixaste nas mãos dos seus inimigos, de sorte que dominaram sobre eles. Todavia quando eles voltaram e clamaram a ti, tu os ouviste do céu, muitas vezes os livraste segundo a tua misericórdia29 e testificaste contra eles, para que os fizesse tornar para a tua lei. Contudo eles se houveram com soberba, e não deram ouvidos aos teus mandamentos, mas pecaram contra os teus juízos (os quais se alguém os observar, neles terá vida) e retiraram o ombro, endureceram a cerviz e não quiseram ouvir.30 Todavia muitos anos os aturaste, e contra eles testificaste pelo teu espírito mediante os teus profetas. Contudo não quiseram dar ouvidos, por isso os entregaste nas mãos dos povos de outras terras.31 Não obstante na multidão das tuas misericórdias não os consumiste de todo nem os abandonaste, pois és um Deus clemente e misericordioso.32 Agora, Deus nosso, Deus grande, poderoso e terrível, que conservas aliança e misericórdia, não te pareça de pouca monta todo o trabalho que nos tem sobrevindo a nós, aos nossos reis, aos nossos príncipes, aos nossos sacerdotes, aos nossos profetas, a nossos pais, e a todo o teu povo, desde os dias dos reis da Assíria até o dia de hoje.33 Contudo tu és justo em tudo quanto tem vindo sobre nós, pois tu tens procedido segundo a verdade, mas nós temos cometido o mal.34 Os nossos reis, os nossos príncipes, os nossos sacerdotes, e nossos pais não têm guardado a tua lei, nem têm dado ouvidos aos teus mandamentos e aos teus testemunhos, pelos quais testificaste contra eles.35 Pois eles, no seu reino e na muita abundância de bens que lhes deste, e na terra espaçosa e fértil que lhes entregaste não te serviram, nem se converteram de suas más obras.36 Eis que nós hoje somos servos, e quanto à terra que deste a nossos pais para lhe comerem os frutos e os bens, eis que nela somos servos.37 Ela dá muito lucro aos reis que puseste sobre nós por causa dos nossos pecados. Também eles dominam sobre nós e sobre o nosso gado, como bem lhes apraz, e nós estamos em grande angústia.38 Todavia, por causa de tudo isso nós fazemos uma firme aliança e a escrevemos; e selam-na os nossos príncipes, os nossos levitas e os nossos sacerdotes.

1 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel came together, taking no food and putting sackcloth and dust on their bodies.2 The seed of Israel made themselves separate from all the men of other nations. They publicly requested forgiveness for their sins and the wrongdoing of their fathers.3 For a fourth part of the day, upright in their places, they read from the book of the Law of their God. For a fourth part of the day they requested forgiveness and worshipped Jehovah their God.4 Then Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani took their places on the steps of the Levites and cried in a loud voice to Jehovah their God.5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said: »Get up and give praise to Jehovah your God forever and ever. Praise your great name that is lifted up high over all, blessing and praise.6 »You are Jehovah, even you only! You made heaven, the heaven of heavens with all their armies, the earth and all things in it, the seas and everything in them. You keep them from destruction and the armies of heaven are your worshippers.7 »You are Jehovah, the true God, who took Abram and made him yours, guiding him from Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name of Abraham;8 »You saw that his heart was true to you, and made an agreement with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite and the Girgashite, even to give it to his seed, and you have done what you said; for righteousness is yours.9 »You saw the trouble of our fathers in Egypt, and their cry came to your ears by the Red Sea.10 »You did signs and wonders on Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land. You saw how cruel they were to them. So you made a name for yourself as it is today.11 »You parted the sea before them, so that they went through the sea on dry land; and those who went after them went down into the deep, like a stone into great waters.12 »And you went before them by day in a pillar of cloud and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light on the way they were to go.13 »You came down on Mount Sinai, and your voice came to them from heaven, giving them right decisions and true laws, good rules and orders.14 »They received word of your holy Sabbath from you. You gave them orders and rules and a law, by the hand of Moses your servant.15 »They received bread from heaven when they were in need, and you made water come out of the rock for their drink, and gave them orders to go in and take for their heritage the land that your hand give them.16 »But they and our fathers, in their pride, made their necks stiff, and paid no attention to your orders.17 »They would not obey you and gave no thought to the wonders you did among them. They became stubborn and turning away from you. They appointed a leader over themselves to take them back to their prison in Egypt. However, you are a God of forgiveness, full of grace and pity, slow to wrath and great in mercy, and you did not give them up.18 »Even when they made for themselves a bull out of metal, and said: ‘This is your God who took you up out of Egypt, and had done so much to make you angry.’19 »Even then, in your great mercy, you did not give them up in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still went before them by day, guiding them on their way, and the pillar of fire by night, to give them light, and make clear the way they were to go.20 »You gave your good Spirit to be their teacher. You did not hold back your manna from their mouths. You gave them water when they had need of it.21 »Truly, for forty years you were their support in the wilderness. They needed nothing. Their clothing did not get old or their feet become tired.22 »You gave them kingdoms and peoples, making distribution to them in every part of the land. They took for their heritage the land of Sihon, even the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og, king of Bashan.23 »You made their children as great in number as the stars of heaven. You took them into the land, of which you had said to their fathers that they were to go in and take it for themselves.24 »So the children went in and took the land. You overcame before them the people of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them up into their hands, with their kings and the people of the land, so that they might do with them whatever it was their pleasure to do.25 »And they took walled towns and a fat land. They became the owners of houses full of all good things, water-holes cut in the rock, vine-gardens and olive-gardens and a wealth of fruit-trees. They had food enough and became fat, and had joy in the good you gave them.26 »But they were hard-hearted, and went against your authority. They turned their backs on your law, and murdered your prophets. These prophets gave witness against them with the purpose of turning them back again to you. They did much to make you angry.27 »So you gave them up into the hands of their enemies who were cruel to them. In the time of their trouble, when they prayed to you, you listened to them from heaven. In your great mercy you gave them saviors, who made them free from the hands of their enemies.28 »When they had rest, they did evil again before you: so you gave them into the hands of their enemies who ruled over them. When they came back and prayed to you, you listened to them from heaven; again and again, in your mercy, you gave them salvation.29 »You admonished them so that you might make them come back again to your law. Their hearts were lifted up, and they paid no attention to your orders. They went against your life giving decisions and turned their backs on you. They were stubborn and did not listen.30 »You put up with them for years. You admonished them by your Spirit through your prophets. Still they did not listen. So you gave them up into the hands of the peoples of the lands.31 »Even then, in your great mercy, you did not put an end to them completely, or give them up; for you are a God of grace loving-kindness and mercy.32 »Now, our God, the great, the strong, the God who is to be respected, who keeps faith and mercy, do not let his trouble seem small to you. It has come on us, and on our kings and our rulers and on our priests and our prophets and our fathers and on all your people from the time of the kings of Assyria till this day.33 »You have been in the right in everything that happened to us. You have been true to us, but we have done evil!34 »Our kings, our rulers, our priests, and our fathers have not obeyed your Law or given attention to your orders and your witness, with which you gave witness against them.35 »They have not been your servants in their kingdom! In all the good things you gave them, and in the great and fat land you gave them they have not turned away from their evil doing.36 »Today, we are servants! As for the land you gave to our fathers, so that the produce of it and the good might be theirs, see, we are servants in it!37 »And it gives much increase to the kings whom you have put over us because of our sins. They have power over our bodies and over our cattle at their pleasure, and we are in great trouble.38 »And because of all this we are making an agreement in good faith, and putting it in writing. Our rulers, our Levites, and our priests are putting their names to it.«