1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the
month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, 2
That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and
I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of
the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3 And they said unto me, The
remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in
great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken
down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and
wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of
heaven, 5 And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and
terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him
and observe his commandments:
6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and
thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I
pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy
servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have
sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned. 7 We have
dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments,
nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant
Moses.
8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy
servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among
the nations: 9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do
them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the
heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the
place that I have chosen to set my name there.
10 Now these are thy
servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and
by thy strong hand.
11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be
attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy
servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy
servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I
was the king's cupbearer.