Nehemiah 1

1 Words of Nehemiah son of Hachaliah. And it comes to pass, in the month of Chisleu, the twentieth year, and I have been in Shushan the palace,

١ كَلَامُ نَحَمْيَا بْنِ حَكَلْيَا: حَدَثَ فِي شَهْرِ كَسْلُو فِي ٱلسَّنَةِ ٱلْعِشْرِينَ، بَيْنَمَا كُنْتُ فِي شُوشَنَ ٱلْقَصْرِ،

2 and Hanani, one of my brothers, he and men of Judah come in, and I ask them concerning the Jews, the escaped part that have been left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem;

٢ أَنَّهُ جَاءَ حَنَانِي، وَاحِدٌ مِنْ إِخْوَتِي، هُوَ وَرِجَالٌ مِنْ يَهُوذَا، فَسَأَلْتُهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْيَهُودِ ٱلَّذِينَ نَجَوْا، ٱلَّذِينَ بَقُوا مِنَ ٱلسَّبْيِ، وَعَنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ.

3 and they say to me, “Those left, who have been left of the captivity there in the province, [are] in great evil, and in reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

٣ فَقَالُوا لِي: «إِنَّ ٱلْبَاقِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ بَقُوا مِنَ ٱلسَّبْيِ هُنَاكَ فِي ٱلْبِلَادِ، هُمْ فِي شَرٍّ عَظِيمٍ وَعَارٍ. وَسُورُ أُورُشَلِيمَ مُنْهَدِمٌ، وَأَبْوَابُهَا مَحْرُوقَةٌ بِٱلنَّارِ».

4 And it comes to pass, at my hearing these words, I have sat down, and I weep and mourn [for] days, and I am fasting and praying before the God of the heavens.

٤ فَلَمَّا سَمِعْتُ هَذَا ٱلْكَلَامَ جَلَسْتُ وَبَكَيْتُ وَنُحْتُ أَيَّامًا، وَصُمْتُ وَصَلَّيْتُ أَمَامَ إِلَهِ ٱلسَّمَاءِ،

5 And I say, “Ah, now, O YHWH, God of the heavens, God, the great and the fearful, keeping the covenant and kindness for those loving Him, and for those keeping His commands,

٥ وَقُلْتُ: «أَيُّهَا ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُ ٱلسَّمَاءِ، ٱلْإِلَهُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ ٱلْمَخُوفُ، ٱلْحَافِظُ ٱلْعَهْدَ وَٱلرَّحْمَةَ لِمُحِبِّيهِ وَحَافِظِي وَصَايَاهُ،

6 please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, to listen to the prayer of Your servant, that I am praying before You today, by day and by night, concerning the sons of Israel, Your servants, and confessing concerning the sins of the sons of Israel, that we have sinned against You; indeed, I and the house of my father have sinned;

٦ لِتَكُنْ أُذْنُكَ مُصْغِيَةً وَعَيْنَاكَ مَفْتُوحَتَيْنِ لِتَسْمَعَ صَلَاةَ عَبْدِكَ ٱلَّذِي يُصَلِّي إِلَيْكَ ٱلْآنَ نَهَارًا وَلَيْلًا لِأَجْلِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ عَبِيدِكَ، وَيَعْتَرِفُ بِخَطَايَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ ٱلَّتِي أَخْطَأْنَا بِهَا إِلَيْكَ. فَإِنِّي أَنَا وَبَيْتُ أَبِي قَدْ أَخْطَأْنَا.

7 we have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commands, and the statutes, and the judgments, that You commanded Your servant Moses.

٧ لَقَدْ أَفْسَدْنَا أَمَامَكَ، وَلَمْ نَحْفَظِ ٱلْوَصَايَا وَٱلْفَرَائِضَ وَٱلْأَحْكَامَ ٱلَّتِي أَمَرْتَ بِهَا مُوسَى عَبْدَكَ.

8 Please remember the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, You trespass—I scatter you among peoples;

٨ ٱذْكُرِ ٱلْكَلَامَ ٱلَّذِي أَمَرْتَ بِهِ مُوسَى عَبْدَكَ قَائِلًا: إِنْ خُنْتُمْ فَإِنِّي أُفَرِّقُكُمْ فِي ٱلشُّعُوبِ،

9 and you have turned back to Me, and kept My commands, and done them—if your outcast is in the end of the heavens, there I gather them, and have brought them to the place that I have chosen to cause My Name to dwell there.

٩ وَإِنْ رَجَعْتُمْ إِلَيَّ وَحَفِظْتُمْ وَصَايَايَ وَعَمِلْتُمُوهَا، إِنْ كَانَ ٱلْمَنْفِيُّونَ مِنْكُمْ فِي أَقْصَاءِ ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ، فَمِنْ هُنَاكَ أَجْمَعُهُمْ وَآتِي بِهِمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَكَانِ ٱلَّذِي ٱخْتَرْتُ لِإِسْكَانِ ٱسْمِي فِيهِ.

10 And they [are] Your servants, and Your people, whom You have ransomed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand.

١٠ فَهُمْ عَبِيدُكَ وَشَعْبُكَ ٱلَّذِي ٱفْتَدَيْتَ بِقُوَّتِكَ ٱلْعَظِيمَةِ وَيَدِكَ ٱلشَّدِيدَةِ.

11 Ah, now, O Lord, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants, those delighting to fear Your Name; and please give prosperity to Your servant today, and give him for mercies before this man”; and I have been butler to the king.

١١ يَا سَيِّدُ، لِتَكُنْ أُذْنُكَ مُصْغِيَةً إِلَى صَلَاةِ عَبْدِكَ وَصَلَاةِ عَبِيدِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ مَخَافَةَ ٱسْمِكَ. وَأَعْطِ ٱلنَّجَاحَ ٱلْيَوْمَ لِعَبْدِكَ وَٱمْنَحْهُ رَحْمَةً أَمَامَ هَذَا ٱلرَّجُلِ». لِأَنِّي كُنْتُ سَاقِيًا لِلْمَلِكِ.