נחמיה 1

1 דִּבְרֵ֥י נְחֶמְיָ֖ה בֶּן־חֲכַלְיָ֑ה וַיְהִ֤י בְחֹֽדֶשׁ־כִּסְלֵו (כִּסְלֵיו֙) שְׁנַ֣ת עֶשְׂרִ֔ים וַאֲנִ֥י הָיִ֖יתִי בְּשׁוּשַׁ֥ן הַבִּירָֽה׃

The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it came to pass in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,

2 וַיָּבֹ֨א חֲנָ֜נִי אֶחָ֧ד מֵאַחַ֛י ה֥וּא וַאֲנָשִׁ֖ים מִֽיהוּדָ֑ה וָאֶשְׁאָלֵ֞ם עַל־הַיְּהוּדִ֧ים הַפְּלֵיטָ֛ה אֲשֶֽׁר־נִשְׁאֲר֥וּ מִן־הַשֶּׁ֖בִי וְעַל־יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

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

3 וַיֹּאמְרוּ֮ לִי֒ הַֽנִּשְׁאָרִ֞ים אֲשֶֽׁר־נִשְׁאֲר֤וּ מִן־הַשְּׁבִי֙ שָׁ֣ם בַּמְּדִינָ֔ה בְּרָעָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה וּבְחֶרְפָּ֑ה וְחֹומַ֤ת יְרוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ מְפֹרָ֔צֶת וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ נִצְּת֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃

And they said to me, The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. Also the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and the gates of it are burned with fire.

4 וַיְהִ֞י כְּשָׁמְעִ֣י ׀ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה יָשַׁ֙בְתִּי֙ וָֽאֶבְכֶּ֔ה וָאֶתְאַבְּלָ֖ה יָמִ֑ים וָֽאֱהִ֥י צָם֙ וּמִתְפַּלֵּ֔ל לִפְנֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵ֥י הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days. And I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,

5 וָאֹמַ֗ר אָֽנָּ֤א יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם הָאֵ֥ל הַגָּדֹ֖ול וְהַנֹּורָ֑א שֹׁמֵ֤ר הַבְּרִית֙ וָחֶ֔סֶד לְאֹהֲבָ֖יו וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מִצְוֹתָֽיו׃

and said, I beseech thee, O Jehovah, 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 תְּהִ֣י נָ֣א אָזְנְךָֽ־קַשֶּׁ֣בֶת וְֽעֵינֶ֪יךָ פְתֻוּחֹ֟ות לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ אֶל־תְּפִלַּ֣ת עַבְדְּךָ֡ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָנֹכִי֩ מִתְפַּלֵּ֨ל לְפָנֶ֤יךָ הַיֹּום֙ יֹומָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה עַל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עֲבָדֶ֑יךָ וּמִתְוַדֶּ֗ה עַל־חַטֹּ֤אות בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָטָ֣אנוּ לָ֔ךְ וַאֲנִ֥י וּבֵית־אָבִ֖י חָטָֽאנוּ׃

Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou may hearken to the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee at this time, day and night, for the sons of Israel thy servants while I confess the sins of the sons of Israel, which we have sinned against thee. Yea, I and my father's house have sinned.

7 חֲבֹ֖ל חָבַ֣לְנוּ לָ֑ךְ וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֣רְנוּ אֶת־הַמִּצְוֹ֗ת וְאֶת־הַֽחֻקִּים֙ וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּ֖יתָ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֥ה עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃

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

8 זְכָר־נָא֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּ֛יתָ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֥ה עַבְדְּךָ֖ לֵאמֹ֑ר אַתֶּ֣ם תִּמְעָ֔לוּ אֲנִ֕י אָפִ֥יץ אֶתְכֶ֖ם בָּעַמִּֽים׃

Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commanded thy servant Moses, saying, If ye trespass, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples,

9 וְשַׁבְתֶּ֣ם אֵלַ֔י וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ מִצְוֹתַ֔י וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם אִם־יִהְיֶ֨ה נִֽדַּחֲכֶ֜ם בִּקְצֵ֤ה הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ מִשָּׁ֣ם אֲקַבְּצֵ֔ם וַהֲבֹואֹתִים (וַהֲבִֽיאֹותִים֙) אֶל־הַמָּקֹ֔ום אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַ֔רְתִּי לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן אֶת־שְׁמִ֖י שָֽׁם׃

but if ye return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the outermost 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 וְהֵ֥ם עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ וְעַמֶּ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר פָּדִ֙יתָ֙ בְּכֹחֲךָ֣ הַגָּדֹ֔ול וּבְיָדְךָ֖ הַחֲזָקָֽה׃

Now these are thy servants and thy people whom thou have redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

11 אָנָּ֣א אֲדֹנָ֗י תְּהִ֣י נָ֣א אָזְנְךָֽ־קַ֠שֶּׁבֶת אֶל־תְּפִלַּ֨ת עַבְדְּךָ֜ וְאֶל־תְּפִלַּ֣ת עֲבָדֶ֗יךָ הַֽחֲפֵצִים֙ לְיִרְאָ֣ה אֶת־שְׁמֶ֔ךָ וְהַצְלִֽיחָה־נָּ֤א לְעַבְדְּךָ֙ הַיֹּ֔ום וּתְנֵ֣הוּ לְרַחֲמִ֔ים לִפְנֵ֖י הָאִ֣ישׁ הַזֶּ֑ה וַאֲנִ֛י הָיִ֥יתִי מַשְׁקֶ֖ה לַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ פ

O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who delight to fear thy name, and, I pray thee, prosper thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. Now I was cupbearer to the king.