Nehemías 9

BIBLIA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 El día veinticuatro de aquel mismo mes, se congregaron los israelitas para ayunar, vestidos de sayal y la cabeza cubierta de polvo.	1 On the twenty-fourth day of this month the Israelites, in sackcloth and with dust on their heads,assembled for a fast.
2 La raza de Israel se separó de todos los extranjeros; y puestos en pie, confesaron sus pecados y las culpas de sus padres.	2 Then those of Israelite stock who had severed relations with al foreigners stood up and confessed theirsins and the iniquities of their ancestors.
3 (De pie y cada uno en su sitio, leyeron en el libro de la Ley de Yahveh su Dios, por espacio de un cuarto de día; durante otro cuarto hacían confesión y se postraban ante Yahveh su Dios.)	3 Standing, each man in his place, they read from the Book of the Law of Yahweh their God for onequarter of the day; for another quarter they confessed their sins and worshipped Yahweh their God.
4 (Josué, Binnuy, Cadmiel, Sebanías, Bunní, Serebías, Baní y Quenaní subieron al estrado de los levitas y clamaron en alta voz hacia Yahveh su Dios,	4 On the Levites' platform stood Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani andChenani, cal ing to Yahweh their God in ringing tones.
5 y los levitas Josué, Cadmiel, Baní, Jasabneías, Serebías, Hodiyías, Sebanías y Petajías dijeron: «¡Levantaos, bendecid a Yahveh nuestro Dios!») ¡Bendito seas, Yahveh Dios nuestro, de eternidad en eternidad! ¡Y sea bendito el Nombre de tu Gloria que supera toda bendición y alabanza!	5 The Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah said,'Stand up and bless Yahweh your God! 'Blessed are you, Yahweh our God from everlasting to everlasting, andblessed be your glorious name, surpassing al blessing and praise!
6 ¡Tú, Yahveh, tú el único! Tú hiciste los cielos, el cielo de los cielos y toda su mesnada, la tierra y todo cuanto abarca, los mares y todo cuanto encierran. Todo esto tú lo animas, y la mesnada de los cielos ante ti se prosterna.	6 'You, Yahweh, are the one, only Yahweh, you have created the heavens, the heaven of heavens andal their array, the earth and al it bears, the seas and all they hold. To al of them you give life, and the array ofheaven worships you.
7 Tú, Yahveh, eres el Dios que elegiste a Abram, le sacaste de Ur de Caldea y le diste el nombre de Abraham.	7 'You are Yahweh God, who chose Abram, brought him out of Ur in Chaldaea and changed his name toAbraham.
8 Hallaste su corazón fiel ante ti, con él hiciste alianza, para darle el país del cananeo, del hitita y del amorreo, del perizita, del jebuseo y del guirgasita, a él y a su posteridad. Y has mantenido tu palabra, porque eres justo.	8 Finding his heart was faithful to you, you made a covenant with him, to give the country of theCanaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites and the Girgashites to him and hisdescendants. And you have made good your promises, for you are upright.
9 Tú viste la aflicción de nuestros padres en Egipto, y escuchaste su clamor junto al mar de Suf.	9 'You saw the distress of our ancestors in Egypt, you heard their cry by the Sea of Reeds.
10 Contra Faraón obraste señales y prodigios, contra sus siervos y todo el pueblo de su país, pues supiste que eran altivos con ellos. ¡Te hiciste un nombre hasta el día de hoy!	10 You displayed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against al his servants and al the people of hisland; for you knew how arrogantly they treated them. You won a reputation which you keep to this day.
11 Tú hendiste el mar ante ellos: por medio del mar pasaron a pie enjuto. Hundiste en los abismos a sus perseguidores, como una piedra en aguas poderosas.	11 You opened up the sea in front of them: they walked on dry ground right through the sea. Into thedepths you hurled their pursuers like a stone into the raging waters.
12 Con columna de nube los guiaste de día, con columna de fuego por la noche, para alumbrar ante ellos el camino por donde habían de marchar.	12 With a pillar of cloud you led them by day, with a pil ar of fire by night: to light the way ahead of themby which they were to go.
13 Bajaste sobre el monte Sinaí y del cielo les hablaste; les diste normas justas, leyes verdaderas, preceptos y mandamientos excelentes;	13 You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven; you gave them right rules, reliablelaws, good statutes and commandments;
14 les diste a conocer tu santo sábado; les ordenaste mandamientos, preceptos y Ley por mano de Moisés, tu siervo.	14 you revealed your holy Sabbath to them; you laid down commandments, statutes and law for themthrough your servant Moses.
15 Del cielo les mandaste el pan para su hambre, para su sed hiciste brotar el agua de la roca. Y les mandaste ir a apoderarse de la tierra que tú juraste darles mano en alto.	15 For their hunger you gave them bread from heaven, for their thirst you brought them water out of arock, and you told them to go in and take possession of the country which you had sworn to give them.
16 Altivos se volvieron nuestros padres, su cerviz endurecieron y desoyeron tus mandatos.	16 'But they and our ancestors acted arrogantly, grew obstinate and flouted your commands.
17 No quisieron oír, no recordaron los prodigios que con ellos hiciste; endurecieron la cerviz y se obstinaron en volver a Egipto y a su servidumbre. Pero tú eres el Dios de los perdones, clemente y entrañable, tardo a la cólera y rico en bondad. ¡No los desamparaste!	17 They refused to obey, forgetful of the wonders which you had worked for them; they grew obstinateand made up their minds to return to their slavery in Egypt. But because you are a forgiving God, gracious andcompassionate, patient and rich in faithful love, you did not abandon them!
18 Ni siquiera cuando se fabricaron un becerro de metal fundido y exclamaron: «¡Este es tu dios que te sacó de Egipto!» (grandes desprecios te hicieron).	18 'Even when they cast themselves a calf out of molten metal and said, "This is your God who brought you up from Egypt!" and committed monstrous impieties,
19 Tú, en tu inmensa ternura, no los abandonaste en el desierto: la columna de nube no se apartó de ellos, para guiarles de día por la ruta, ni la columna de fuego por la noche, para alumbrar ante ellos el camino por donde habían de marchar.	19 you, in your great compassion, did not abandon them in the desert: the pillar of cloud did not leavethem, leading them on their path by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, lighting the way ahead of them by whichthey were to go.
20 Tu Espíritu bueno les diste para instruirles, el maná no retiraste de su boca, y para su sed les diste agua.	20 You gave them your good spirit to instruct them, you did not withhold your manna from their mouths,you gave them water for their thirst.
21 Cuarenta años los sustentaste en el desierto, y nada les faltó: ni sus vestidos se gastaron ni se hincharon sus pies.	21 For forty years you cared for them in the desert, so that they went short of nothing, their clothes didnot wear out, nor were their feet swol en.
22 Reinos y pueblos les donaste y las tierras vecinas repartiste: se apoderaron del país de Sijón, rey de Jesbón, y del país de Og, rey de Basán.	22 'You gave them kingdoms and peoples, al otting them these as frontier lands; they occupied thecountry of Sihon king of Heshbon, and the country of Og king of Bashan.
23 Y multiplicaste sus hijos como estrellas del cielo, los llevaste a la tierra que a sus padres dijiste que entrarían a poseer.	23 You gave them as many children as there are stars in the sky, and brought them into the countrywhich you had promised their ancestors that they would enter and possess.
24 Llegaron los hijos y tomaron el país, y tú ante ellos aplastaste a los habitantes del país, los cananeos, los pusiste en sus manos, con sus reyes y las gentes del país, para que los trataran a merced de su capricho.	24 The children entered and took possession of the country and before them you subdued the country'sinhabitants, the Canaanites, whom you put at their mercy, with their kings and the peoples of the country, forthem to treat as they pleased;
25 Ciudades fuertes conquistaron y una tierra generosa; y heredaron casas de toda suerte de bienes rebosantes, cisternas ya excavadas, viñas y olivares, árboles frutales sin medida: comieron, se saciaron, engordaron, se deleitaron en tus inmensos bienes.	25 they captured fortified towns and a fertile countryside, they took possession of houses stocked with alkinds of goods, of storage-wel s ready-hewn, of vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in profusion; so they ate,were ful , grew fat and revelled in your great goodness.
26 Pero después, indóciles, se rebelaron contra ti, arrojaron tu Ley a sus espaldas, mataron a los profetas que les conjuraban a convertirse a ti; (grandes desprecios te hicieron).	26 'But they grew disobedient, rebelled against you and thrust your law behind their backs; theyslaughtered your prophets who had reproved them to bring them back to you, and committed monstrousimpieties.
27 Tú los entregaste en poder de sus enemigos que los oprimieron. Durante su opresión clamaban hacia ti, y tú los escuchabas desde el cielo; y en tu inmensa ternura les mandabas salvadores que los libraron de las manos opresoras.	27 So you put them at the mercy of their enemies who oppressed them. But when they were beingoppressed and cal ed to you, you heard them from heaven and because of your great compassion you gavethem deliverers who rescued them from their oppressors' clutches.
28 Pero, apenas en paz, volvían a hacer el mal ante ti, y tú los dejabas en mano de sus enemigos que los oprimían. Ellos de nuevo gritaban hacia ti, y tú escuchabas desde el cielo: ¡muchas veces, por ternura, los salvaste!	28 But once at peace again, again they did what was wrong before you; so you put them at the mercy oftheir enemies who then became their rulers. When they cal ed to you again, you heard them from heaven and,because of your compassion, rescued them many times.
29 Les conminaste para volverlos a tu Ley, pero ellos en su orgullo no escucharon tus mandatos; contra tus normas pecaron, contra aquellas que, cumplidas, dan la vida; dieron la espalda, endurecieron su cerviz y no escucharon.	29 You warned them, to bring them back to your law, but they became arrogant, did not obey yourcommandments and sinned against your rules, in whose observance is life; they turned a stubborn shoulder,were obstinate, and disobeyed.
30 Tuviste paciencia con ellos durante muchos años; les advertiste por tu Espíritu, por boca de tus profetas; pero ellos no escucharon. Y los pusiste en manos de las gentes de los países.	30 You were patient with them for many years and warned them by your spirit through your prophets, butthey would not listen; so you put them at the mercy of the people of the country.
31 Mas en tu inmensa ternura no los acabaste, no los abandonaste, porque eres tú Dios clemente y lleno de ternura.	31 But, because of your great compassion, you did not destroy them completely nor abandon them, foryou are a gracious, compassionate God.
32 Ahora, pues, oh Dios nuestro, tú, Dios grande, poderoso y temible, que mantienes la alianza y el amor, no menosprecies esta miseria que ha caído sobre nosotros, sobre nuestros reyes y príncipes, nuestros sacerdotes y profetas, sobre todo tu pueblo, desde los tiempos de los reyes de Asiria hasta el día de hoy.	32 Now, our God -- the great God, the Mighty and Awe-inspiring One, maintaining the covenant and yourfaithful love- count as no small thing this misery which has befal en us, our kings, our princes, our priests, ourprophets, and al your people from the times of the Assyrian kings to the present day.
33 Has sido justo en todo lo que nos ha sobrevenido, pues tú fuiste fiel, y nosotros malvados:	33 You have been upright in al that has happened to us, for you acted faithful y, while we did wrong.
34 nuestros reyes y jefes, nuestros sacerdotes y padres no guardaron tu Ley, no hicieron caso de los mandamientos y dictámenes que tú les diste.	34 Our kings, our princes, our priests and our ancestors did not keep your law or pay attention to yourcommandments and obligations which you imposed upon them.
35 Mientras vivían en su reino, entre los grandes bienes que tú les regalabas, y en la espaciosa y generosa tierra que tú les habías preparado, no te sirvieron ellos ni se convirtieron de sus malas acciones.	35 Even in their own kingdom, despite your great goodness which you bestowed on them, despite thewide and fertile country which you had lavished on them, they did not serve you or renounce their evil deeds.
36 Míranos hoy a nosotros esclavos, y en el país que habías dado a nuestros padres para gozar de sus frutos y bienes, mira que aquí en servidumbre nos sumimos.	36 See, we are slaves today, slaves in the country which you gave to our ancestors for them to eat thegood things it produces.
37 Sus muchos frutos son para los reyes, que por nuestros pecados tú nos impusiste, y que a capricho dominan nuestras personas, cuerpos y ganados. ¡En gran angustia nos hallamos!	37 Its abundant produce goes to the kings whom, for our sins, you have set over us, who rule over ourpersons and over our cattle as they please. We are in great distress.'