Nehemiah 1 · נחמיה

The words of Neĥemya the son of Ḥakhalya. And it came to pass in the month Kislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the capital,

that Ḥanani, one of my brothers, came, he and certain men of Yehuda; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Yerushalayim.

And they said to me, The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province suffer much hardship and insult: and the wall of Yerushalayim is broken down, and its gates 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 I fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

and said, I pray thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, who keeps covenant and troth to those who love him and observe his commandments:

let Thy ear now be attentive, and Thy eyes open, that Thou mayst hear the prayer of Thy servant, which I pray before Thee now day and night, for the children of Yisra᾽el Thy servants, and I will confess the sins of the children of Yisra᾽el 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, or the statutes, or the judgments, which Thou didst command Thy servant Moshe.

Remember, I pray Thee, the word that Thou didst command Thy servant Moshe, saying, If you transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:

but if you turn to me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though your outcasts be at the utmost parts of heaven, from there will I gather them, and I will bring them to the place which 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 pray Thee, let now Thy ear be attentive to the prayer of Thy servant, and to the prayer of Thy servants, who delight 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.