Nehemiah 1
1 word Nehemiah son: child Hacaliah and to be in/on/with month (Chislev *Q(k)*) year twenty and I to be in/on/with Susa [the] palace
[I am] Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah. [I am writing] this account [of what I did when I returned to Jerusalem. After King Artaxerxes had been ruling the Persian Empire] for almost 20 years, near the end of that year, I was in Susa, the capital [of Persia].
2 and to come (in): come Hanani one from brother: compatriot my he/she/it and human from Judah and to ask them upon [the] Jew [the] survivor which to remain from [the] captivity and upon Jerusalem
My brother Hanani came to visit me. He and some other men had just returned from Judah. I queried them about the Jews who were living there, whose [parents] had been (exiled/taken forcefully) [to Babylonia many years previously]. I also asked them about [what was happening in] Jerusalem.
3 and to say to/for me [the] to remain which to remain from [the] captivity there in/on/with province in/on/with distress: harm great: large and in/on/with reproach and wall Jerusalem to break through and gate her to kindle in/on/with fire
They said to me, “The Jews in Jerusalem who returned there from Babylonia are living in a very difficult situation. The walls of the city have been broken down, and even the city gates have been burned down.”
4 and to be like/as to hear: hear I [obj] [the] word [the] these to dwell and to weep and to mourn [emph?] day and to be to fast and to pray to/for face: before God [the] heaven
When I heard that, I sat down and cried. For several days I mourned, and I (fasted/abstained from eating food), and I prayed to our God, [who is/rules] in heaven.
5 and to say Please! LORD God [the] heaven [the] God [the] great: large and [the] to fear: revere to keep: obey [the] covenant and kindness to/for to love: lover him and to/for to keep: obey commandment his
I said, “Yahweh, [you who are/rule] in heaven, you are a wonderful and awesome God. You keep your promise to faithfully love those who love you and who obey your commands.
6 to be please ear your attentive and eye your to open to/for to hear: hear to(wards) prayer servant/slave your which I to pray to/for face: before your [the] day by day and night upon son: descendant/people Israel servant/slave your and to give thanks upon sin son: descendant/people Israel which to sin to/for you and I and house: household father my to sin
Now please look down and listen to what I am praying. I pray during the day and at night for your Israeli people. I confess that we Israeli people have sinned. Even my family and I have sinned against you.
7 to destroy to destroy to/for you and not to keep: obey [obj] [the] commandment and [obj] [the] statute: decree and [obj] [the] justice: judgement which to command [obj] Moses servant/slave your
We have acted very wickedly. [Many years ago] your servant Moses gave us your laws and all the things you commanded us to do [DOU], but we have not obeyed/done them.
8 to remember please [obj] [the] word which to command [obj] Moses servant/slave your to/for to say you(m. p.) be unfaithful I to scatter [obj] you in/on/with people
“But please remember what you told your servant Moses. You said, ‘If you sin, I will scatter you among the ([heathen nations/nations that do not believe in me]).
9 and to return: repent to(wards) me and to keep: obey commandment my and to make: do [obj] them if to be to banish you in/on/with end [the] heaven from there to gather them (and to come (in): bring them *Q(k)*) to(wards) [the] place which to choose to/for to dwell [obj] name my there
But if you return to me and obey my commands, even if you have been exiled to very remote/distant places on the earth, I will bring you back here [to Israel], the land that I [MTY] have chosen to be honored in.’
10 and they(masc.) servant/slave your and people your which to ransom in/on/with strength your [the] great: large and in/on/with hand: power your [the] strong
“We are your servants. We are the people whom you brought here by your very great power [MTY, DOU]
11 Please! Lord to be please ear your attentive to(wards) prayer servant/slave your and to(wards) prayer servant/slave your [the] delighting to/for to fear: revere [obj] name your and to prosper [emph?] please to/for servant/slave your [the] day and to give: give him to/for compassion to/for face: before [the] man [the] this and I to be cupbearer to/for king
Yahweh, please hear this prayer of mine, and the prayers of all your people who are delighted to revere you [MTY]. Today I will go to the king, to request that he do me a great favor. Please motivate him to act kindly toward me, in order that I will be successful [in obtaining what I want].” At that time, I was the one whose work was to taste all the food and drink before it was served to the king, [to be sure that no one had put poison in it].
