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
,
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
.
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
.
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
,
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
:
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
.
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
.
Remember, I beseech thee, the word
that thou commandedst
thy servant
Moses
, saying
, If ye transgress
, I will scatter you abroad
among the nations
:
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.
Now these are thy servants and thy people
, whom thou hast redeemed
by thy great
power
, and by thy strong
hand
.
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
.