Nehemiah’s Grief for the Exiles

1 The words of aNehemiah the son of Hacaliah.

Now it happened in bthe month Chislev, cin the twentieth year, while I was in dSusa the 1capitol,

2 that aHanani, one of my brothers, and 1some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem.

3 They said to me, “The remnant there in the aprovince who survived the captivity are in great distress and breproach, and bthe wall of Jerusalem is broken down and cits gates are burned with fire.”

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

5 I said, “I beseech You, O Lord God of heaven, athe great and awesome God, bwho preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,

6 alet 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, bconfessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; cI and my father’s house have sinned.

7 “aWe have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances bwhich You commanded Your servant Moses.

8 “Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘aIf you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples;

9 abut 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 bwill gather them from there and will bring them cto the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.’

10 “aThey are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand.

11 “O Lord, I beseech You, amay Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to 1revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man.”

Now I was the bcupbearer to the king.