נחמיה 1

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

This is the account of Nehemiah, son of Hacaliah. In the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, I was in the fortress at Susa.

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

Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men. I asked them about the remnant of the Jewish exiles who had returned from captivity, and also about Jerusalem.

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

They told me, “The remnant who are left from the exile are there in the province, but they are having a great deal of trouble and feel humiliated. Jerusalem's walls have been knocked over, and its gates burned down.”

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

When I heard the news, I sat down, weeping and mourning for days, fasting and praying to the God of heaven.

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

Then I prayed, “Please, Lord God of heaven—the great and awesome God who keeps his agreement of trustworthy love 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׃

please listen and focus your attention on the prayer of your servant that I am praying to you now, day and night, on behalf of your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against you, including my own sins and those of my family.

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

We have done terrible things to offend you and we have not kept the commandments, laws, and regulations that you gave to your servant Moses.

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

Please remember what you told Moses when you said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,

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 you come back to me and follow my commandments and obey them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will gather them together and bring them to the place I have chosen where I will be honored.

10 וְהֵ֥ם עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ וְעַמֶּ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר פָּדִ֙יתָ֙ בְּכֹחֲךָ֣ הַגָּדֹ֔ול וּבְיָדְךָ֖ הַחֲזָקָֽה׃

They are your servants and our people. You saved them by your great power and incredible ability.

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

Lord, please respond to my prayer and to the prayers of those who love to worship you. Please let me be successful today and make the king sympathetic to me.” I was the king's cupbearer.