Nehemiah 1

1 The words of Nehemias the son of Helchias. And it came to pass in the month of Casleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in the castle of Susa,

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

2 That Hanani one of my brethren came, he and some men of Juda; and I asked them concerning the Jews, that remained and were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

That there came Chanani, one of my brethren, himself with certain men of Judah: and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

3 And they said to me: They that have remained, and are left of the captivity there in the province, are in great affliction, and reproach: and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire.

And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great misery and in disgrace; and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and her gates are burnt with fire.

4 And when I had heard these words, I sat down, and wept, and mourned for many days: and I fasted, and prayed before the face of the God of heaven.

And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned some days, and I was fasting, and praying before the God of heaven.

5 And I said: I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, strong, great, and terrible, who keepest covenant and mercy with those that love thee, and keep thy commandments:

And I said, I beseech thee, O Lord the God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth the covenant and kindness for those that love him and for those that keep his commandments:

6 Let thy ears be attentive, and thy eyes open, to hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, night and day, for the children of Israel thy servants: and I confess the sins of the children of Israel, by which they have sinned against thee: I and my father’s house have sinned.

Let thy ear now be attentive, and thy eyes be open, I entreat thee, to hearken unto the prayer of thy servant, which I am praying this day before thee, by day and by night, in behalf of the children of Israel thy servants, and [as] I confess for the sins of the children of Israel, [with] which we have sinned against thee: yea, I also and my father's house have sinned.

7 We have been seduced by vanity, and have not kept thy commandments, and ceremonies and judgments, which thou hast commanded thy servant Moses.

We have dealt very corruptly toward thee: and we have not kept the commandments, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which thou didst command Moses thy servant.

8 Remember the word that thou commandedst to Moses thy servant, saying: If you shall transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:

Remember, I beseech thee, the word with which thou didst charge Moses thy servant, saying, If ye become truly unfaithful, I will indeed scatter you among the nations.

9 But if you return to me, and keep my commandments, and do them, though you should be led away to the uttermost parts of the world, I will gather you from thence, and bring you back to the place which I have chosen for my name to dwell there.

But if ye return unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them: [then] though your outcasts should be at the utmost parts of heaven, from there will I gather them, and I will bring them unto the place which I have chosen to let my name dwell there.

10 And these are thy servants, and thy people: whom thou hast redeemed by thy great strength, and by thy mighty hand.

And they are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

11 I beseech thee, O Lord, let thy ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants who desire to fear thy name: and direct thy servant this day, and give him mercy before this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.

I beseech thee, O Lord, do let thy ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who are desirous to fear thy name; and grant success, I pray thee, to thy servant this day, and let him find mercy in the sight of this man —But I was butler by the king.