1tn Heb “the seed of Israel.”

2tn Heb “sons of a foreigner.”

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

4tn 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.

5tc Heb “Bani.” The translation reads “Binnui” (so also NAB) rather than the MT reading “Bani.” Otherwise there are two individuals with the same name in this verse. The name “Binnui” appears, for example, in Neh 10:10.

6tn Heb “in a great voice.”

7tc The MT reads here only “from age to age,” without the preceding words “May you be blessed, O LORD our God” which are included in the present translation. But apparently something has dropped out of the text. This phrase occurs elsewhere in the OT as a description of the Lord (see Ps 41:13; 106:48), and it seems best to understand it here in that light. The LXX adds “And Ezra said” at the beginning of v. 6 as a transition: “And Ezra said, ‘You alone are the LORD.” Without this addition (which is not included by most modern English translations) the speakers of vv. 9:5b-10:1 continue to be the Levites of v. 5a.

8tn Heb “the name of your glory.”

9tn Heb “the heavens of the heavens.”

10tn Heb “all their host.”

11tn Heb “the” (so NAB).

12tn Heb “seed.”

13tn Heb “your words.”

14tn Heb “the Sea of Reeds.” Traditionally this is identified as the Red Sea, and the modern designation has been used in the translation for clarity.

15tn Heb “signs and wonders.” This phrase is a hendiadys. The second noun functions adjectivally, while the first noun retains its full nominal sense: “awesome signs” or “miraculous signs.”

16tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Egyptians) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

17tn Or “arrogantly” (so NASB); NRSV “insolently.”

18tn Heb “in the midst of.”

19tn Heb “those who pursued them.”

20tn Heb “mighty.”

21tn Heb “by the hand of.”

22tn Heb “had lifted your hand.”

23tn Heb “and our fathers.” The vav is explicative.

24tn Heb “they stiffened their neck” (so also in the following verse).

25tc The present translation follows a few medieval Hebrew MSS and the LXX in reading בְּמִצְרָיִם (b˙mitsrayim, “in Egypt”; so also NAB, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT) rather than the MT reading בְּמִרְיָם (b˙miryam, “in their rebellion”).

26tc The translation follows the Qere reading חֶסֶד (khesed, “loyal love”) rather than the Kethib reading וְחֶסֶד (v˙khesed, “and loyal love”) of the MT.

27tn Heb “great.”

28tn Heb “did not turn from them by day to guide them in the path.”

29tn The words “of the land” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

30tc Most Hebrew MSS read “the land of Sihon and the land of the king of Heshbon.” The present translation (along with NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, CEV, NLT) follows the reading of one Hebrew MS, the LXX, and the Vulgate.

31tn Heb “the sons.”

32tn Heb “they ate and were sated.” This expression is a hendiadys. The first verb retains its full verbal sense, while the second functions adverbially: “they ate and were filled” = “they ate until they were full.”

33tn Heb “they cast your law behind their backs.”

34tn Heb “from the hand of” (so NASB, NIV); NAB “from the power of.”

35tn Heb “in the hand of” (so KJV, ASV); NAB “to the power of.”

36tn Heb “if a man keep.” See note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.

37tn Heb “they gave a stubborn shoulder.”

38tn Heb “they stiffened their neck.”

39tn 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.

40tn Heb “did not give ear to.”

41tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”

42tn Heb “the covenant and loyal love.” The expression is a hendiadys. The second noun retains its full nominal sense, while the first functions adjectivally: “the covenant and loyalty” = covenant fidelity.

43tn Heb “do not let it seem small in your sight.”

44tn Heb “you have done truth.”

45tn Heb “great.”

46tn Heb “given them.”

47tn Heb “given.”

48tn The expression “to enjoy” is not included in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

49tn Heb “according to their desire.”

50sn Beginning with 9:38, the verse numbers through 10:39 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 9:38 ET = 10:1 HT, 10:1 ET = 10:2 HT, 10:2 ET = 10:3 HT, etc., through 10:39 ET = 10:40 HT. Beginning with 11:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.

51tn Heb “we are cutting.”

52tn Heb “and writing.”

53tn Heb “our leaders, our Levites, and our priests on the sealed document.” The Hebrew text is elliptical here; the words “have affixed their names” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons. Cf. v. 2.