Nehemia 9:29-30

9:29 And you solemnly admonished them in order to return them to your law, but they behaved presumptuously and did not obey your commandments. They sinned against your ordinances – those by which an individual, if he obeys them, ¹  will live. They boldly turned from you; ²  they rebelled ³  and did not obey. 9:30 You prolonged your kindness ⁴  with them for many years, and you solemnly admonished them by your Spirit through your prophets. Still they paid no attention, ⁵  so you delivered them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. ⁶ 

Nehemia 13:21

13:21 But I warned them and said, ⁷  “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you repeat this, I will forcibly remove you!” ⁸  From that time on they did not show up on the Sabbath. ⁹ 

[9:29]  ¹ tn Heb “if a man keep.” See note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.

[9:29]  ² tn Heb “they gave a stubborn shoulder.”

[9:29]  ³ tn Heb “they stiffened their neck.”

[9:30]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew expression here is elliptical. The words “your kindness” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[9:30]  ⁵ tn Heb “did not give ear to.”

[9:30]  ⁶ tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”

[13:21]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew text includes the words “to them,” but they have been excluded from the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:21]  ⁸ tn Heb “I will send a hand on you.”

[13:21]  ⁹ sn This statement contains a great deal of restrained humor. The author clearly takes pleasure in the effectiveness of the measures that he had enacted.