Nehemiah

Ceremony of Atonement

On the twenty-fourth day of that same month, the Israelites assembled to fast. They put on sackcloth and sprinkled dust upon their heads.

The race of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood and confessed their sins and those of their ancestors.

They stood up in their place and read from the book of the law of the Lord, their God, for three hours. For another three hours, they confessed their sins and bowed before the Lord, their God.

Joshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Binnui, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the platform of the Levites. He cried out with a loud voice to the Lord, their God.

Then the Levites: Joshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethaliah said: “Arise, bless the Lord, our God, forever and ever. Blessed be your glorious Name, beyond all blessing and praise.”

Then Ezra said: “You, the Lord, you alone made the heavens, the heaven of heavens, and all their army, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all, and all the angels of heaven adore you.

You, the Lord, are the God Who chose Abram. You brought him out of Ur of Chaldea and gave him the name Abraham.

You found him faithful to you and made with him the Covenant to give him and his descendants the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have fulfilled your word, for you are just.

You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and listened to their cry by the Red Sea.

You worked signs and wonders against Pharaoh, his ministers, and all his people, for you knew that they had treated us harshly, and you have received fame to this day.

You divided the sea before our ancestors, who passed through the midst of the sea without their feet getting wet. You cast their pursuers into the depths of the sea as stones fall into the deep waters.

You guided them by day with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire, to light for them the way they should follow.

You came down upon Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them just decisions and laws that express the truth, excellent precepts, and commandments.

You taught them to consecrate The Sabbath to you. You gave them commandments, precepts, and the law through the hand of Moses, your servant.

You gave them bread from heaven and told them to satisfy their hunger. You made water gush forth from the rock to quench their thirst and commanded them to go and take possession of the land you had sworn to give them.

But our fathers became proud and hardheaded and did not listen to your commands.

They refused to listen and remember all the marvels you did for them. They hardened their hearts rebelliously and wanted to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you, God of forgiveness, merciful and gracious, slow to anger and rich in kindness, did not abandon them.

They even made for themselves a molten calf and said: ‘This is your god, Israel, who brought you out of Egypt,’and they insulted you and blasphemed you.

But you, in your great kindness, did not abandon them in the desert; the pillar of cloud did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, by which you showed them the way they should take.

You gave them your good spirit to guide them. You gave them manna to eat and water to quench their thirst.

For forty years, you cared for them in the desert, and they lacked nothing; neither did their clothes wear out nor their feet swell.

You gave them kingdoms and lands, including the frontier lands. They took possession of the land of Sihon, king of Heshbon, and the land of Og, king of Bashan.

And you multiplied their sons as the stars of heaven, bringing them to the land you promised their fathers.

Their children entered and took possession of the land. Before them, you crushed the land’s inhabitants, the Canaanites, whom you gave into their hands with their kings and all the inhabitants to do to them as they pleased.

They conquered fortified cities and fertile land, taking possession of well-stocked houses, wells, ready-hewn vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in great abundance. They ate, were satisfied, grew fat, and lived comfortably because of your great kindness.

But then, they were disobedient, and they rebelled against you. They threw your law behind their backs. They killed your prophets, and they blasphemed you.

You handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. They cried to you in their oppression, and you listened to them from heaven. By your immense kindness, you sent them saviors who freed them from their oppressors.

But when they were at peace, they did evil against you again, and you gave them over to the hands of the enemies who oppressed them. Once more, they cried to you, and you listened to them from heaven, and by your great kindness, you saved them many times.

You persistently asked them to return to your law. However, they were very proud and did not heed your commands and decisions. They did not observe what people should fulfill to have a life. They turned their backs and did not listen to you, for they were hardheaded.

You were patient with them for many years. You admonished them by your spirit, through the mouth of the prophets. But they did not listen.Then you gave them over to the people of these countries.

But because of your great kindness, you did not let them be destroyed, nor did you abandon them, for you are a God of kindness and mercy.

Now then, our God, great, powerful, and fearsome God, you who keep your Covenant and your love, consider this misery which has come upon us, upon our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, upon our fathers and all your people since the time of the kings of Assyria to the present day.

You have shown yourself just in all that has happened, for you have faithfully fulfilled your promises, but we have acted wickedly.

Our kings, leaders, priests, and fathers did not keep your law. They did not follow your commandments or the guidelines you provided.

While they were in their kingdoms, enjoying your prosperity and the very fertile and vast land you had prepared for them, they did not serve you nor turn away from their wicked deeds.

See, we are now slaves, enslaved in the land you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruits and its goodness.

The abundant fruits of the land go to the kings you have set over us because of our sins. They do what they please with us and our livestock, and because of this, we live in great distress.”