Nehemiah 1

Modern

Literal

Nehemiah’s Prayer

¹These are the words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:

In the month of Chislev,^a in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa,

¹The words of Nehemiah son of Hachaliah: And it came to pass, in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, that I was in Susa the citadel.

²Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah. So I questioned them about the remnant of the Jews who had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

²And came in Hanani, one of my brothers—he and men from Judah—and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity of my brothers, and concerning Jerusalem.

³And they told me, “The remnant who survived the exile are there in the province, in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

³And they said to me, “The remnant who are left from the captivity there in the province are in great distress, and in reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with the fire.”

⁴When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

⁴And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I was fasting and praying before the face of the God of the heavens,

⁵Then I said:

“O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion^a with those who love Him and keep His commandments,

⁵and I said, “Please, O YHWH, God of the heavens, the great and awesome God, keeping the covenant and loving devotion for those loving Him and observing His commandments,

⁶let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites.

I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned.

⁶please let Your ear be attentive, and Your eyes be open, that You may listen to the prayer of Your servant, which I pray before You now, day and night, for the sons of Israel Your servants. And confessing on account of the sins of the sons of Israel, which we have sinned against You, both I and the house of my father have sinned.

⁷We have behaved corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that You gave Your servant Moses.

⁷We have acted very corruptly against You, and we have not kept the commandments, and the statutes, and the ordinances that You commanded Moses Your servant.

⁸Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,

⁸Remember, please, the word that You commanded Moses Your servant, saying, ‘You are unfaithful—I will scatter you among the nations;

⁹but if you return to Me and keep and practice My commandments, then even if your exiles have been banished to the farthest horizon,^a I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for My Name.’^b

⁹and if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though your outcast were in the end of the heavens, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen as a dwelling for My name there.’

¹⁰They are Your servants and Your people. You redeemed them by Your great power and mighty hand.

¹⁰And they are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power and by Your mighty hand.

¹¹O Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayer and to the prayers of Your servants^a who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

(At that time I was the cupbearer to the king.)

¹¹Please, O Lord, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name, and let prosper, please, Your servant this day, and grant him mercy in the eyes of this man.” (For I was cupbearer to the king.)