28. But after they had rest from this, they again started doing evil against you.So you gave them over to the power of their enemies who ruled over them.Yet when they turned and cried to you,you heard from heaven and rescued them many times because of your great mercy.
29. You also warned them to return to your Instruction,but they acted arrogantly and didn’t obey your commands.They sinned against your judgments,even though life comes by keeping them.They turned a stubborn shoulder, became headstrong, and wouldn’t obey.
30. You were patient with them for many yearsand warned them by your spirit through the prophets.But they wouldn’t listen,so you handed them over to the neighboring peoples.
31. In your great mercy, however, you didn’t make an end of them.Neither did you forsake them, because you are a merciful and compassionate God.
32. Now, our God, great and mighty and awesome God,you are the one who faithfully keeps the covenant.Don’t treat lightly all of the hardship that has come upon us,upon our kings, our officials, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all your people,from the time of the kings of Assyria until today.
33. You have been just in all that has happened to us;you have acted faithfully, and we have done wrong.
34. Our kings, our officials, our priests, and our ancestors haven’t kept your Instruction.They haven’t heeded your commandments and the warnings that you gave them.
35. Even in their own kingdom, surrounded by the great goodness that you gave to them,even in the wide and rich land that you gave them,they didn’t serve you or turn from their wicked works.
36. So now today we are slaves,slaves in the land that you gave to our ancestorsto enjoy its fruit and its good gifts.
37. Its produce profits the kings whom you have placed over us because of our sins.They have power over our bodies and do as they please with our livestock.We are in great distress.
38. Because of all this, we are making a firm agreement in writing, with the names of our officials, our Levites, and our priests on the seal.