Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

In the twenty-fourth day of this month, the people of Israel gathered with fasting and sackcloth on their bodies, covered in dust. They separated themselves from all foreigners and stood, confessing their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. Standing up in their place, they read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day; then they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God for another quarter of the day.

Jeshua and his companions, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Chenaniah, and others, stood up upon the stairs of the Levites. They cried out with a loud voice to the Lord their God, saying, "Blessed be your glorious name, exalted above all! You are the one and only Lord; you created the heavens, including all that is in them, the earth with everything on it, the seas and all they contain, and you preserve them all. The heavenly host worships you."

You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees, giving him the name Abraham. You saw the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt and heard their cries by the Red Sea. You showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, his servants, and all the people of his land, because you knew they were acting proudly against them. This established your reputation as it is known today.

You divided the sea before them, so they went through the midst of the sea on dry land; and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into the mighty waters. You led them in the day by a cloudy pillar and at night by a pillar of fire to give them light on the path they were to follow. You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven, giving them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments.

And you made known to them your holy Sabbath, and commanded them precepts, statutes, and laws by the hand of Moses your servant. You gave them bread from heaven to satisfy their hunger, and brought forth water from the rock to quench their thirst, promising that they would enter and possess the land which you had sworn to give them.

Their ancestors acted proudly, hardened their necks, and refused to obey your commands. They refused to obey, nor were mindful of your wonders that you did among them; but hardened their necks and in their rebellion appointed a leader to return to their bondage. Yet you are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.

You didn't forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud did not depart from them by day to lead them on their way, nor the pillar of fire by night to show them light and the path they should follow. You gave them your good Spirit to guide and instruct them, and you did not withhold their food from their mouths, providing them with water when they were thirsty.

Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, so their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell. You gave them kingdoms and nations, dividing them into their territories, so they possessed the land of Sihon, the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og, king of Bashan.

Their children multiplied like the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had promised to their fathers, so they could possess it. So the children went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, along with their kings and the people of the land, giving them into their hands to do as they pleased.

They took strong cities and a fertile land, possessing houses filled with all sorts of goods, wells dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. They ate and were satisfied, became fat, and delighted themselves in your great goodness. Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you, casting your law behind their backs and killing your prophets who testified to turn them back to you.

While committing great provocations, you delivered them into the hands of their enemies, who oppressed them. Yet in times of trouble, when they cried out to you from heaven, you heard them and gave them saviors who rescued them from the grasp of their enemies. But after they had rest, they did evil again before you; therefore you left them in the land of their enemies.

You testified against them to bring them back to your law, yet they acted proudly and refused to obey your commands, instead sinning against your judgments, which declare that anyone who follows them will live. Yet many years you patiently endured them, and through your Spirit testified against them by your prophets; yet they refused to listen, so you gave them into the hand of the people of the lands.

For your great mercies' sake, you did not utterly destroy them nor forsake them; for you are a gracious and merciful God. Our God, who is great, mighty, and terrible, yet keeps covenant and shows mercy, do not consider our troubles insignificant, despite all that has happened to us - our kings, princes, priests, prophets, fathers, and your entire people - since the time of the Assyrian kings until now.

You are just in all that has been brought upon us, for you have acted righteously, but we have acted wickedly. Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers kept your law, nor heeded your commands and testimonies by which you testified against them. For they have not served you in their kingdom, nor turned from their wicked ways despite your great goodness and the abundant blessings of the land you gave them.

We are servants today, laboring in the land you gave our ancestors to cultivate and enjoy its fruit. And it yields abundant produce to the kings you have appointed over us because of our sins, allowing them dominion over our lives and livestock at their discretion, and we are in great distress. We make a solemn covenant and write it down, sealed by our leaders, Levites, and priests.