³ Then I turned my face to the Lord God to seek him by prayer and pleas for mercy,^[a] in fasting and in sackcloth and ashes. ⁴ And I prayed to Yahweh my God, and I made confession and I said, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, keeping the covenant and loyal love with those who love him and with those who keep his commandments, ⁵ we have sinned and we have done wrong and we acted wickedly and we rebelled and have been turning aside from your commandments and from your ordinances.