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。

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.

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。

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。」

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：

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:

「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。

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.

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。

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。

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；

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。』

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

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。

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.

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。