Nehemia 9:1-3

The People Acknowledge Their Sin before God

9:1 On the twenty-fourth day of this same month the Israelites assembled; they were fasting and wearing sackcloth, their heads covered with dust. 9:2 Those truly of Israelite descent ¹  separated from all the foreigners, ²  standing and confessing their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors. ³  9:3 For one-fourth of the day they stood in their place and read from the book of the law of the LORD their God, and for another fourth they were confessing their sins ⁴  and worshiping the LORD their God.

Nehemia 11:1-2

The Population of Jerusalem

11:1 So the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, ⁵  while the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to settle in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine ⁶  remained in other cities. 11:2 The people gave their blessing on all the men who volunteered to settle in Jerusalem.

[9:2]  ¹ tn Heb “the seed of Israel.”

[9:2]  ² tn Heb “sons of a foreigner.”

[9:2]  ³ tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 9, 16, 23, 32, 34, 36).

[9:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “confessing.” The words “their sins” are not present in the Hebrew text of v. 3, but are clearly implied here because they are explicitly stated in v. 2.

[11:1]  ⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “nine of the hands.” The word “hand” is used here in the sense or a part or portion.