Nehemiah 1

1 This is the account of Nehemiah, son of Hacaliah. In the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, I was in the fortress at Susa.

λόγοι Νεεμια υἱοῦ Αχαλια καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν μηνὶ Χασεηλου ἔτους εἰκοστοῦ καὶ ἐγὼ ἤμην ἐν Σουσαν αβιρα

2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men. I asked them about the remnant of the Jewish exiles who had returned from captivity, and also about Jerusalem.

καὶ ἦλθεν Ανανι εἷς ἀπὸ ἀδελφῶν μου αὐτὸς καὶ ἄνδρες Ιουδα καὶ ἠρώτησα αὐτοὺς περὶ τῶν σωθέντων οἳ κατελείφθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας καὶ περὶ Ιερουσαλημ

3 They told me, “The remnant who are left from the exile are there in the province, but they are having a great deal of trouble and feel humiliated. Jerusalem's walls have been knocked over, and its gates burned down.”

καὶ εἴποσαν πρός με οἱ καταλειπόμενοι οἱ καταλειφθέντες ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἐκεῖ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ ἐν πονηρίᾳ μεγάλῃ καὶ ἐν ὀνειδισμῷ καὶ τείχη Ιερουσαλημ καθῃρημένα καὶ αἱ πύλαι αὐτῆς ἐνεπρήσθησαν ἐν πυρί

4 When I heard the news, I sat down, weeping and mourning for days, fasting and praying to the God of heaven.

καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἀκοῦσαί με τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἐκάθισα καὶ ἔκλαυσα καὶ ἐπένθησα ἡμέρας καὶ ἤμην νηστεύων καὶ προσευχόμενος ἐνώπιον θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ

5 Then I prayed, “Please, Lord God of heaven—the great and awesome God who keeps his agreement of trustworthy love with those who love him and keep his commandments—

καὶ εἶπα μὴ δή κύριε ὁ θεὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὁ ἰσχυρὸς ὁ μέγας καὶ ὁ φοβερός φυλάσσων τὴν διαθήκην καὶ τὸ ἔλεος τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν καὶ τοῖς φυλάσσουσιν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ

6 please listen and focus your attention on the prayer of your servant that I am praying to you now, day and night, on behalf of your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against you, including my own sins and those of my family.

ἔστω δὴ τὸ οὖς σου προσέχον καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ἀνεῳγμένοι τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι προσευχὴν δούλου σου ἣν ἐγὼ προσεύχομαι ἐνώπιόν σου σήμερον ἡμέραν καὶ νύκτα περὶ υἱῶν Ισραηλ δούλων σου καὶ ἐξαγορεύω ἐπὶ ἁμαρτίαις υἱῶν Ισραηλ ἃς ἡμάρτομέν σοι καὶ ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ οἶκος πατρός μου ἡμάρτομεν

7 We have done terrible things to offend you and we have not kept the commandments, laws, and regulations that you gave to your servant Moses.

διαλύσει διελύσαμεν πρὸς σὲ καὶ οὐκ ἐφυλάξαμεν τὰς ἐντολὰς καὶ τὰ προστάγματα καὶ τὰ κρίματα ἃ ἐνετείλω τῷ Μωυσῇ παιδί σου

8 Please remember what you told Moses when you said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,

μνήσθητι δὴ τὸν λόγον ὃν ἐνετείλω τῷ Μωυσῇ παιδί σου λέγων ὑμεῖς ἐὰν ἀσυνθετήσητε ἐγὼ διασκορπιῶ ὑμᾶς ἐν τοῖς λαοῖς

9 but if you come back to me and follow my commandments and obey them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will gather them together and bring them to the place I have chosen where I will be honored.

καὶ ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψητε πρός με καὶ φυλάξητε τὰς ἐντολάς μου καὶ ποιήσητε αὐτάς ἐὰν ᾖ ἡ διασπορὰ ὑμῶν ἀπ’ ἄκρου τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐκεῖθεν συνάξω αὐτοὺς καὶ εἰσάξω αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν τόπον ὃν ἐξελεξάμην κατασκηνῶσαι τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐκεῖ

10 They are your servants and our people. You saved them by your great power and incredible ability.

καὶ αὐτοὶ παῖδές σου καὶ λαός σου οὓς ἐλυτρώσω ἐν δυνάμει σου τῇ μεγάλῃ καὶ ἐν τῇ χειρί σου τῇ κραταιᾷ

11 Lord, please respond to my prayer and to the prayers of those who love to worship you. Please let me be successful today and make the king sympathetic to me.” I was the king's cupbearer.

μὴ δή κύριε ἀλλ’ ἔστω τὸ οὖς σου προσέχον εἰς τὴν προσευχὴν τοῦ δούλου σου καὶ εἰς τὴν προσευχὴν παίδων σου τῶν θελόντων φοβεῖσθαι τὸ ὄνομά σου καὶ εὐόδωσον δὴ τῷ παιδί σου σήμερον καὶ δὸς αὐτὸν εἰς οἰκτιρμοὺς ἐνώπιον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τούτου καὶ ἐγὼ ἤμην οἰνοχόος τῷ βασιλεῖ