Ἔσδρας Βʹ 1

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

The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the palace,

2 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

Hanani, one of my brothers, came, he and certain men out of Judah; and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

3 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

They said to me, “The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burnt with fire.”

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

When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned several days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,

5 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

and said, “I beg you, LORD, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments,

6 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

let your ear now be attentive and your eyes open, that you may listen to the prayer of your servant which I pray before you at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel your servants, while I confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against you. Yes, I and my father’s house have sinned.

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

We have dealt very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which you commanded your servant Moses.

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

“Remember, I beg you, the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you trespass, I will scatter you amongst the peoples;

9 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

but if you return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there.’

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

“Now these are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.

11 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

Lord, I beg you, let your ear be attentive now to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name; and please prosper your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cup bearer to the king.