“Lord God of heaven, great and awe-inspiring God, you faithfully keep your promise^aand show mercy to those who love you and obey your commandments. ⁶Open your eyes, and pay close attention with your ears to what I, your servant, am praying. I am praying to you day and night about your servants the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against you as well as the sins that my father’s family and I have committed. ⁷We have done you a great wrong. We haven’t obeyed the commandments, laws, or regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses. ⁸Please remember what you told us through your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations. ⁹But if you return to me and continue to obey my commandments, though your people may be driven to the most distant point on the horizon, I will come and get you from there and bring you to the place where I chose to put my name.’ ¹⁰These are your servants and your people whom you have saved by your great power and your strong hand. ¹¹Lord, please pay attention to my prayer and to the prayers of all your other servants who want to worship your name. Please give me success today and make this man, King Artaxerxes, show me compassion.”

I was cupbearer^bto the king at this time.

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Footnotes

a 1:5 Or “covenant.”
b 1:11 A cupbearer was a trusted official who ensured that the king’s drink was not poisoned.