1:1 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,
1:2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and [certain] men
of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had
escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning
Jerusalem.
1:3 And they said to 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 its
gates are burned with fire.
1:4 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,
1:5 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:
1:6 Let thy ear now be attentive, and thy 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.
1:7 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.
1:8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy
servant Moses, saying, [If] ye transgress, I will scatter you
abroad among the nations:
1:9 But [if] ye turn to me, and keep my commandments, and do
them; though there were of you driven to the uttermost part of
the heaven, [yet] will I gather them from thence, and will
bring them to the place that I have chosen to set my name
there.
1:10 Now these [are] thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast
redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
1:11 O LORD, I beseech thee, let now thy 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 cup-bearer.
|