Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah’s Grief for the Exiles
1The words of aNehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in bthe month Chislev, c in the twentieth year, while I was in dSusa the ▼▼ Or palace or citadel
capitol, 2that fHanani, one of my brothers, and ▼▼ Lit he and some
some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. 3They said to me, “The remnant there in the hprovince who survived the captivity are in great distress and ireproach, and jthe wall of Jerusalem is broken down and kits gates are burned with fire.” 4When I heard these words, lI sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before mthe God of heaven. 5I said, “I beseech You, O Lord God of heaven, nthe great and awesome God, owho preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 6 plet Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, qconfessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; rI and my father’s house have sinned. 7 s“We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances twhich You commanded Your servant Moses. 8“Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘ uIf you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; 9 vbut if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I wwill gather them from there and will bring them xto the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.’ 10 y“They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. 11“O Lord, I beseech You, zmay Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to ▼▼ Or fear
revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man.” Now I was the abcupbearer to the king.
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