Nehemiah 1
1 [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].
哈迦利亚的儿子尼希米的言语如下： 亚达薛西王二十年基斯流月，我在书珊城的宫中。
2 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.
那时，有我一个弟兄哈拿尼，同着几个人从犹大来。我问他们那些被掳归回、剩下逃脱的犹大人和耶路撒冷的光景。
3 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.”
他们对我说：“那些被掳归回剩下的人在犹大省遭大难，受凌辱；并且耶路撒冷的城墙拆毁，城门被火焚烧。”
4 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.
我听见这话，就坐下哭泣，悲哀几日，在天上的 神面前禁食祈祷，说：
5 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.
“耶和华—天上的 神，大而可畏的 神啊，你向爱你、守你诫命的人守约施慈爱。
6 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.
愿你睁眼看，侧耳听，你仆人昼夜在你面前为你众仆人以色列民的祈祷，承认我们以色列人向你所犯的罪；我与我父家都有罪了。
7 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.
我们向你所行的甚是邪恶，没有遵守你借着仆人摩西所吩咐的诫命、律例、典章。
8 “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]).
求你记念所吩咐你仆人摩西的话，说：‘你们若犯罪，我就把你们分散在万民中；
9 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.’
但你们若归向我，谨守遵行我的诫命，你们被赶散的人虽在天涯，我也必从那里将他们招聚回来，带到我所选择立为我名的居所。’
10 “We are your servants. We are the people whom you brought here by your very great power [MTY, DOU]
这都是你的仆人、你的百姓，就是你用大力和大能的手所救赎的。
11 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].
主啊，求你侧耳听你仆人的祈祷，和喜爱敬畏你名众仆人的祈祷，使你仆人现今亨通，在王面前蒙恩。” 我是作王酒政的。
