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,

哈加里亞的兒子乃赫米雅的言行錄：在第二十年「基斯婁」月，我在穌撒禁城時，

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.

有我的一個兄弟哈納尼，和幾個人由猶大上來，我問及他們，關於那些由充軍回國的猶太遺民，和耶路撒冷的情形；

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.

他們回答我說：「充軍回國的那些遺民，在省裏遭大難，受污辱；耶路撒冷城垣坍塌，城門為火焚毀。」

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.

我一聽說這些事，就坐下涕哭，悲痛了幾天，同時也在上主天主前，禁食祈禱，

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:

說：「唉! 上主，天上的天主! 偉大可畏的天主! 那對愛你和守你誡命的人，履行信約，施行慈愛的，

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.

求你側耳，求你睜眼，俯聽你僕人的祈禱即我，現今在你面前，日夜為你的僕人以色列子民所行的祈禱。我承認以色列子民對你所犯的罪過，因為我和我父家都犯了罪。

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

我們的確作惡得罪了你，沒有遵守你吩咐你的僕人梅瑟，所立定的誡命、律令和典章。

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

求你記憶你向你的僕人梅瑟所吩咐的話說：如果你們不忠實，我要將你們分散在萬民之中；

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.

但如果你們又回心歸向我，遵守履行我的誡命，即便你們分散到天涯地角，我也要從那裏，將你們聚集起來，領你們到我所選，為作我名居所的地方去。──

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

他們都是你的僕人，你的人民，是你用強力和大能的手，所拯救出來的。

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.

我主，求你側耳俯聽你僕人的祈禱，傾聽這些喜愛敬畏你名的僕人的祈禱! 求你今天使你的僕人順利，使他在那人前獲得寵遇。」我當時是君王的酒政。