OET interlinear NEH 9:38

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

וּ⁠בְ⁠כָל־זֹ֕את

(ū⁠ⱱə⁠kāl-zoʼt)

This phrase indicates that the sentence it introduces explains the actions that the people are taking in response to everything that the Levites have just said. That is, they are doing this because they and their ancestors had disobeyed and Yahweh had punished them. Alternate translation: “In light of all this”

אֲנַ֛חְנוּ כֹּרְתִ֥ים אֲמָנָ֖ה

(ʼₐnaḩnū kortim ʼₐmānāh)

The word faithful here does not mean that the covenant will act in a certain way, but that the people themselves are promising to be faithful to this covenant. Alternate translation: “we are making a covenant that we promise to keep”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

אֲנַ֛חְנוּ כֹּרְתִ֥ים

(ʼₐnaḩnū kortim)

As in 9:8, to “cut” a covenant is a Hebrew idiom for making a solemn agreement with a person. Review the note there if that would be helpful. Alternate translation: “we are making a covenant”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וְ⁠כֹתְבִ֑ים וְ⁠עַל֙ הֶֽ⁠חָת֔וּם שָׂרֵ֥י⁠נוּ לְוִיֵּ֖⁠נוּ כֹּהֲנֵֽי⁠נוּ

(və⁠kotⱱim və⁠ˊal he⁠ḩātūm sārēy⁠nū ləviyyē⁠nū kohₐnēy⁠nū)

The implication is that the Israelites had scribes write this covenant on a scroll, the leaders wrote their names on it representing all the people, and then the Israelites sealed the document to make it official and to preserve it. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say this explicitly. Alternate translation: “We are writing this covenant on a scroll. The community leaders, the Levites, and the priests will sign it. And then we will seal it”

שָׂרֵ֥י⁠נוּ

(sārēy⁠nū)

This means the community leaders. From the document itself, it appears that these included both Nehemiah as the governor (10:1) and various tribal and extended-family leaders (10:14–27).