< 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 Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,
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, 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.
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 down and wept, and mourned [certain] days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
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, 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 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 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.
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 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 transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
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 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.
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。
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 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.