Nehemiah 9:9

9:9 “You saw the affliction of our ancestors in Egypt, and you heard their cry at the Red Sea. ¹ 

Nehemiah 9:16

9:16 “But they – our ancestors ²  – behaved presumptuously; they rebelled ³  and did not obey your commandments.

Nehemiah 9:23

9:23 You multiplied their descendants like the stars of the sky. You brought them to the land you had told their ancestors to enter in order to possess.

Nehemiah 9:32

9:32 “So now, our God – the great, powerful, and awesome God, who keeps covenant fidelity ⁴  – do not regard as inconsequential ⁵  all the hardship that has befallen us – our kings, our leaders, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all your people – from the days of the kings of Assyria until this very day!

Nehemiah 9:34

9:34 Our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our ancestors have not kept your law. They have not paid attention to your commandments or your testimonies by which you have solemnly admonished them.

Nehemiah 9:36

9:36 “So today we are slaves! In the very land you gave to our ancestors to eat its fruit and to enjoy ⁶  its good things – we are slaves!

[9:9]  ¹ tn Heb “the Sea of Reeds.” Traditionally this is identified as the Red Sea, and the modern designation has been used in the translation for clarity.

[9:16]  ² tn Heb “and our fathers.” The vav is explicative.

[9:16]  ³ tn Heb “they stiffened their neck” (so also in the following verse).

[9:32]  ⁴ tn Heb “the covenant and loyal love.” The expression is a hendiadys. The second noun retains its full nominal sense, while the first functions adjectivally: “the covenant and loyalty” = covenant fidelity.

[9:32]  ⁵ tn Heb “do not let it seem small in your sight.”

[9:36]  ⁶ tn The expression “to enjoy” is not included in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.