1. Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. / 2. And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. →

Norm here, and it's time for a deep dive into the Bible - specifically Nehemiah 9! In this chapter, we've got a bunch of people gathering together in Jerusalem to confess their sins. They start off by praising the Lord and His covenant with the Israelites, but then the Israelites start to complain about all the evil things they've done. →

Joe: Alright so let's get into the Bible! What's going on in Nehemiah Chapter 9? Bible Expert: Well, the chapter starts with the people of Israel gathering together and confessing all the ways they've sinned against God. →

Alex Trebek: Alright, contestant, so tell me something about yourself! Contestant: Well, Alex, I'd like to tell you about Nehemiah 9. Alex Trebek: *Sighs* What is it about Nehemiah 9 that you want to tell me? →

Listen up recruits! This is Nehemiah 9! A bunch of Israelites gathered together to acknowledge the mighty power of God, and to confess the sins of their ancestors. They separated themselves from all the foreigners and made a covenant with God. →

Batman: Old Nehemiah, he was something else! He gathered the people of Judah together, and they all confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. Robin: Wow, that's a big deal, Batman. Even the most hardened criminals can show some remorse. →

Folks, here's the deal. Nehemiah 9 is about God's people taking an oath to follow his laws, and no malarkey! They were literally devoting themselves to God, and weren't gonna let anyone or anything get in their way. →

Wow, Nehemiah 9 is amazing! The people of Israel confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors - so sad! They remember how God freed them from slavery, and how He gave them many laws. They recall the great things He did for them, and how He made them great again. →

Peter: Alright, so this is Nehemiah 9. So, uh, the Israelites confessed their sins and God's greatness, and praised him for being so merciful and forgiving. Lois: Oh wow, that sounds really nice. Stewie: Yeah, but then they started talking about how they had disobeyed God's commands, and how they had been taken into captivity because of their sins. →