The People Confess Their Sins
1-2 On the twenty-fourth day of the same month the people of Israel gathered to fast in order to show sorrow for their sins. They had already separated themselves from all foreigners. They wore sackcloth and put dust on their heads as signs of grief. Then they stood and began to confess the sins that they and their ancestors had committed. 3 For about three hours the Law of the Lord their God was read to them, and for the next three hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God.
4 There was a platform for the Levites, and on it stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani. They prayed aloud to the Lord their God.
5 The following Levites gave a call to worship: Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah. They said:
“Stand up and praise the Lord your God;
praise him forever and ever!
Let everyone praise his glorious name,
although no human praise is great enough.”
The Prayer of Confession
6 And then the people of Israel prayed this prayer:
“You, Lord, you alone are Lord;
you made the heavens and the stars of the sky.
You made land and sea and everything in them;
you gave life to all.
The heavenly powers bow down and worship you.
7 You, Lord God, chose Abram
and led him out of Ur in Babylonia;
you changed his name to Abraham.
8 You found that he was faithful to you,
and you made a covenant with him.
You promised to give him the land of the Canaanites,
the land of the Hittites and the Amorites,
the land of the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Girgashites,
to be a land where his descendants would live.
You kept your promise, because you are faithful.
9 “You saw how our ancestors suffered in Egypt;
you heard their call for help at the Red Sea.
10 You worked amazing miracles against the king,
against his officials and the people of his land,
because you knew how they oppressed your people.
You won then the fame you still have today.
11 Through the sea you made a path for your people
and led them through on dry ground.
Those who pursued them drowned in deep water,
as a stone sinks in the raging sea.
12 With a cloud you led them in daytime,
and at night you lighted their way with fire.
13 At Mount Sinai you came down from heaven;
you spoke to your people
and gave them good laws and sound teachings.
14 You taught them to keep your Sabbaths holy,
and through your servant Moses you gave them your laws.
15 “When they were hungry, you gave them bread from heaven,
and water from a rock when they were thirsty.
You told them to take control of the land
which you had promised to give them.
16 But our ancestors grew proud and stubborn
and refused to obey your commands.
17 They refused to obey; they forgot all you did;
they forgot the miracles you had performed.
In their pride they chose a leader
to take them back to slavery in Egypt.
But you are a God who forgives;
you are gracious and loving, slow to be angry.
Your mercy is great; you did not forsake them.
18 They made an idol in the shape of a bull-calf
and said it was the god who led them from Egypt!
How much they insulted you, Lord!
19 But you did not abandon them there in the desert,
for your mercy is great.
You did not take away the cloud or the fire
that showed them the path by day and night.
20 In your goodness you told them what they should do;
you fed them manna and gave them water to drink.
21 Through forty years in the desert
you provided all that they needed;
their clothing never wore out,
and their feet were not swollen with pain.
22 “You let them conquer nations and kingdoms,
lands that bordered their own.
They conquered the land of Heshbon, where Sihon ruled,
and the land of Bashan, where Og was king.
23 You gave them as many children as there are stars in the sky,
and let them conquer and live in the land
that you had promised their ancestors to give them.
24 They conquered the land of Canaan;
you overcame the people living there.
You gave your people the power to do as they pleased
with the people and kings of Canaan.
25 Your people captured fortified cities,
fertile land, houses full of wealth,
cisterns already dug,
olive trees, fruit trees, and vineyards.
They ate all they wanted and grew fat;
they enjoyed all the good things you gave them.
26 “But your people rebelled and disobeyed you;
they turned their backs on your Law.
They killed the prophets who warned them,
who told them to turn back to you.
They insulted you time after time,
27 so you let their enemies conquer and rule them.
In their trouble they called to you for help,
and you answered them from heaven.
In your great mercy you sent them leaders
who rescued them from their foes.
28 When peace returned, they sinned again,
and again you let their enemies conquer them.
Yet when they repented and asked you to save them,
in heaven you heard, and time after time
you rescued them in your great mercy.
29 You warned them to obey your teachings,
but in pride they rejected your laws,
although keeping your Law is the way to life.
Hard-headed and stubborn, they refused to obey.
30 Year after year you patiently warned them.
You inspired your prophets to speak,
but your people were deaf,
so you let them be conquered by other nations.
31 And yet, because your mercy is great,
you did not forsake or destroy them.
You are a gracious and merciful God!
32 “O God, our God, how great you are!
How terrifying, how powerful!
You faithfully keep your covenant promises.
From the time when Assyrian kings oppressed us,
even till now, how much we have suffered!
Our kings, our leaders, our priests and prophets,
our ancestors, and all our people have suffered.
Remember how much we have suffered!
33 You have done right to punish us;
you have been faithful, even though we have sinned.
34 Our ancestors, our kings, leaders, and priests
have not kept your Law.
They did not listen to your commands and warnings.
35 With your blessing, kings ruled your people
when they lived in the broad, fertile land you gave them;
but they failed to turn from sin and serve you.
36 And now we are slaves in the land that you gave us,
this fertile land which gives us food.
37 What the land produces goes to the kings
that you put over us because we sinned.
They do as they please with us and our livestock,
and we are in deep distress!”
The People Sign an Agreement
38 Because of all that has happened, we, the people of Israel, hereby make a solemn written agreement, and our leaders, our Levites, and our priests put their seals to it.
Elidilululo lovanhu
1 Ndele mefiku etimilongo mbali netine lohani ei ovana vaIsrael va ongala ndele ve lidilika va djala oikutu yeefya ndele ve liunda edu komitwe davo. 2 Noludalo laIsrael le likufa mo movanailongo aveshe li likalele, ndele va kala ofika tava hepaulula omatimba avo noulunde wooxe. 3 Ndele va kala ofika peenhele davo ndele va leshelwa membo lomhango yOmwene Kalunga kavo mokafimbo okatine komefiku, ndele va hepaulula omatimba nokwiilikana Omwene Kalunga kavo mokafimbo okatine komefiku. 4 Ndele mOvalevi Josua naBani, Kadmiel, Sebanja, Bunni, Serebja, Bani, Kenani va londa keenhele dOvalevi opo pa tumba ndele va indila nondaka yopombada Omwene Kalunga kavo. 5 NOvalevi Josua naKadmiel, Bani, Hasabneja, Serebja, Hodia, Sebanja, Petahja tava ti: “Kaleni ofika! Hambeleleni Omwene Kalunga keni alushe fiyo omoukwaalushe! Edina loye la fimana nali hambelelwe, lo ola yeluka kombada omapandulo nomahambelelo aeshe!”
6 Esra okwa ti: “Oove auke Omwene, Ove wa ninga eulu, eulu lopombadelela neengudi dalo adishe, nedu naaishe i li ko, nefuta naaishe i li mo, naaishe oyo Ove to i diinine i kale nomwenyo, nomatanga omeulu tae linyongamene koshipala shoye. 7 Oove Omwene Kalunga, wa hoolola Abram ndele we mu kufa mo muUr shomuKaldea ndele we mu lukulula Abraham. 8 Ndele wa mona omutima waye wa li omudiinini koshipala shoye, ndele wa ninga naye ehangano, nokutya u pe oludalo laye edu lOvakaanan nOvaheti nOvaamori nOvaperesi nOvajebusi nOvagirgasi; ndele wa wanifa eendjovo doye, osheshi Ove omuyuki.
9 “Ndele wa mona oluhepo lootate muEgipiti nowa uda onghuwo yavo pEfuta Litilyana. 10 Ndele Farao novapiya vaye aveshe novanhu aveshe vomoshilongo shaye we va ningila omadidiliko noikumwifalonga. Osheshi wa li u shi shii, nokutya vo ove va hepeka mokulinenepeka, Ove we liningila edina ngaashi li li nena eli. 11 Owa tukula efuta komesho yavo, onghee va tauluka efuta va enda poukukutu. Ndelenee ovataatai vavo we va ekela moule mwi, ngaashi emanya momeva manene. 12 Ndele we va kwatela komesho omutenya moluudi loshilemo ndele oufiku moluudi lomundilo u va minikilile ondjila nayo va li ve nokweenda. 13 Ove wa londoloka komhunda yaSinai ndele we va popifa, owe va pa omalombwelo a yuka neemhango di shii kulineekelwa, eenghedimhango diwa noipango. 14 Owe va shiivifila Eshabata loye liyapuki ndele we va pefifa omupiya woye Moses, oipango neenghedimhango. 15 Mondjala yavo Ove we va pa omungome tau di keulu, ndele menota lavo we va kungulukifila omeva taa di memanya, nowe va lombwela va ye va ka nangale oshilongo osho we shi va udanekela neano u shi va pe. 16 Ndelenee venya, nokutya ootate, va li va shishimana nova kukutika eefingo davo ndele inava dulika koipango yoye, 17 heeno, va anya okudulika noinava dimbulukwa oikumwifalonga yoye, oyo we i va longela mokati kavo. Ndelenee va kukutika eefingo davo ndele moku ku twila ondubo ve lihoololela omukulunhu va shune moupika muEgipiti. Ndelenee Ove Kalunga ho dimi po omatimba, u nonghenda nolune, u nonheni ndele Oove omunene mouwanghenda: Ove wa li ino va ekelashi. 18 Nande ve li ningila onhana ya telekwa monhelekelo ndele tava ti: ‘Kalunga koye oyoo, e ku pitifa mo muEgipiti!’ Nande va ninga oinima inene yoixuna yokusheka Kalunga, 19 Ove omolwefilonghenda loye linene ino va efa mombuwa. Oluudi loshilemo inali kanduka po puvo omutenya, le va endifa nondjila, noluudi lomundilo yo oufiku le va minikilila ondjila vo va li ve nokweenda nayo. 20 Ndele we va pa Omhepo yoye iwa, i va longe, omakanya avo ino a anyena omanna, ndele we va pa omeva menota lavo. 21 Nomido omilongo nhee we va kalela noshisho mombuwa. Vo inava hepa sha. Noikutu yavo inai kulupa neemhadi davo inadi dinda.
22 “Ndele mepangelo lavo wa yandja oilongo noiwana Ove we i taulila eengaba. Ovo ova nangala oshilongo shaSihon, heeno, oshilongo shohamba yaHesbon, noshilongo shaOg, ohamba yaBasan. 23 Novana vavo we va hapupalifa ve fike peenyofi dokeulu. Ndele we va twala mo moshilongo, osho we shi lombwela ooxe nokutya, vo va ye mo ve ke shi nangale. 24 Novana va ya mo ndele va nangala oshilongo noonakukalamo moshilongo, Ovakaanan, we va taataa komesho yavo, ndele we va yandja meke lavo, neehamba davo ngaashi yo ovanhu voilongo, ve va ningile ngaashi va hala. 25 Ndele va nangala oilando i neehotekuma nedu liwa, nova tinha eengulu di yadi oinima iwa i lili nai lili, eendungu da pandwa memanya, oikokola yomiviinyu nomiti domalumono nomiti dihapu doiimati. Ova lya ndele va kuta ndele va ondoka nova kala ve noshishipo omolwouwa woye munene. 26 Ndele inava dulika vo ve ku twila ondubo nova ekela omhango yoye kombuda yavo. Novaxunganeki voye ovo ve va londwela, ve va alulile kwoove, ve va dipaa ndele va ninga oinima inene yoixuna yokusheka Kalunga. 27 Onghee hano Ove we va yandja momake ovatondadi vavo, ndele ovo ve va fininika. Ndelenee alushe ngeenge va kuwa kwoove mefimbo loudjuu wavo, Ove we va uda meulu omolwefilonghenda loye linene, we va pa ovaxupifi, ve va xupife momake ovatondadi vavo. 28 Ndelenee shamha va mono etulumuko, va ninga vali owii koshipala shoye, ndele Ove we va yandja momake ovatondadi vavo, vo ve va pangele. Vo eshi ve ku ifana vali, Ove we va uda meulu, ndele omolwefilonghenda loye we va xupifa luhapu. 29 Ndele Ove we va londwela va aluke komhango yoye, ndelenee ve linenepeka ndele inava pwilikina oipango yoye, ndele va nyona keenghedimhango doye, nande: omunhu ou te di diinine, ota ka kala e nomwenyo molwado. Ndelenee vo ove ku pilamena, ve ku pa ombuda ndele va kukutika eefingo davo ndele inava pwilikina. 30 Nomido dihapu wa li u nolukeno navo ndele we va londola nOmhepo yoye nomakanya ovaxunganeki. Ndelenee vo va li inava hala okuuda. Onghee hano we va yandja momake oiwana yoilongo. 31 Ndelenee omolwefilonghenda loye linene Ove ino va mana po sheke ndele ino va efa, osheshi Oove Kalunga u nefilonghenda nonghenda.
32 “Hano paife Kalunga ketu, munene, omunamapangelo, Kalunga onakutilika, ou ho diinine ehangano loye nouwanghenda woye: oupyakadi oo aushe, uhe u tale oo unini, we tu hanga ko neehamba detu novakulunhu vetu novapristeli vetu novaxunganeki vetu, ootate novanhu voye aveshe, okudja komafimbo eehamba daAsiria fiyo okefiku eli. 33 Ndelenee Ove omuyuki mwaashishe she tu hanga, osheshi Ove wa li omudiininini moilonga yoye, ndelenee fye twa li ovahenakalunga. 34 Neehamba detu novakulunhu vetu novapristeli vetu nootate vetu inava wanifa omhango yoye ndele inava dulika koipango yoye nokeendobwedi doye we tu londola nado. 35 Ndele nande va kala moshilongo shavo vene nomouyadi weeshali doye, odo we di va pele, ndele va kala medu la tandavela noli nouwa, vo inava aluluka moilonga yavo ii. 36 Paife fye ovapika. Moshilongo tuu osho we shi pele ootate vetu, vo va lye oiimati noipewa yasho, moshilongo tuu osho tu nokukala fye ovapika. 37 Oshishipo shasho tashi pewa eehamba odo we di tula po di tu pangele omolwomatimba etu, ndele do otadi pangele omalutu etu noimuna yetu pahalo lavo, ndele fye otu li moudjuu munene.”
Ovanhu tava ningi ehangano naKalunga
38 Ndelenee molwoinima aishe ei ohatu ningi ehangano la pama ndele hatu li pameke mokushanga omadina etu. Momushangwa wa hakwa ovakulunhu vetu nOvalevi vetu novapristeli vetu va shanga.
