< 尼希米记 1 >
1 哈迦利亚的儿子尼希米的言语如下: 亚达薛西王二十年基斯流月,我在书珊城的宫中。
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 那时,有我一个弟兄哈拿尼,同着几个人从犹大来。我问他们那些被掳归回、剩下逃脱的犹大人和耶路撒冷的光景。
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 他们对我说:“那些被掳归回剩下的人在犹大省遭大难,受凌辱;并且耶路撒冷的城墙拆毁,城门被火焚烧。”
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 我听见这话,就坐下哭泣,悲哀几日,在天上的 神面前禁食祈祷,说:
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 “耶和华—天上的 神,大而可畏的 神啊,你向爱你、守你诫命的人守约施慈爱。
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 愿你睁眼看,侧耳听,你仆人昼夜在你面前为你众仆人以色列民的祈祷,承认我们以色列人向你所犯的罪;我与我父家都有罪了。
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 我们向你所行的甚是邪恶,没有遵守你借着仆人摩西所吩咐的诫命、律例、典章。
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 求你记念所吩咐你仆人摩西的话,说:‘你们若犯罪,我就把你们分散在万民中;
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 但你们若归向我,谨守遵行我的诫命,你们被赶散的人虽在天涯,我也必从那里将他们招聚回来,带到我所选择立为我名的居所。’
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 这都是你的仆人、你的百姓,就是你用大力和大能的手所救赎的。
Now these [are] thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
11 主啊,求你侧耳听你仆人的祈祷,和喜爱敬畏你名众仆人的祈祷,使你仆人现今亨通,在王面前蒙恩。” 我是作王酒政的。
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.