尼希米記 1
1 哈迦利亞的兒子尼希米的言語如下： 亞達薛西王二十年基斯流月，我在書珊城的宮中。
The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the fortress,
2 那時，有我一個弟兄哈拿尼，同着幾個人從猶大來。我問他們那些被擄歸回、剩下逃脫的猶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, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3 他們對我說：「那些被擄歸回剩下的人在猶大省遭大難，受凌辱；並且耶路撒冷的城牆拆毀，城門被火焚燒。」
And they said to me, Those who remain, that are left of the captivity there in the province, are in great affliction and reproach; and the wall of Jerusalem is in ruins, and its gates are burned with fire.
4 我聽見這話，就坐下哭泣，悲哀幾日，在天上的上帝面前禁食祈禱，說：
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat and wept, and mourned for days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of the heavens,
5 「耶和華－天上的上帝，大而可畏的上帝啊，你向愛你、守你誡命的人守約施慈愛。
and said, I beseech thee, Jehovah, God of the heavens, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and keep his commandments.
6 願你睜眼看，側耳聽，你僕人晝夜在你面前為你眾僕人以色列民的祈禱，承認我們以色列人向你所犯的罪；我與我父家都有罪了。
Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, to hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, confessing the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.
7 我們向你所行的甚是邪惡，沒有遵守你藉着僕人摩西所吩咐的誡命、律例、典章。
We have acted very perversely against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances that thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
8 求你記念所吩咐你僕人摩西的話，說：『你們若犯罪，我就把你們分散在萬民中；
Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye act unfaithfully, I will scatter you among the peoples;
9 但你們若歸向我，謹守遵行我的誡命，你們被趕散的人雖在天涯，我也必從那裏將他們招聚回來，帶到我所選擇立為我名的居所。』
but if ye return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heavens, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
10 這都是你的僕人、你的百姓，就是你用大力和大能的手所救贖的。
And they are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power and by thy strong hand.
11 主啊，求你側耳聽你僕人的祈禱，和喜愛敬畏你名眾僕人的祈禱，使你僕人現今亨通，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 delight to fear thy name; and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. Now I was the king's cupbearer.
