Nehemiah 1
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
1 The words of Nehemiah(A) son of Hacaliah:
News from Jerusalem
During the month of Chislev(B) in the twentieth year,(C) when I was in the fortress city of Susa,(D) 2 Hanani,(E) one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah, and I questioned them about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant(F) that had survived the exile.(G) 3 They said to me, ‘The remnant in the province,(H) who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned.’(I)
Nehemiah’s Prayer
4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying(J) before the God of the heavens.(K) 5 I said,(L)
Lord, the God of the heavens, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him(M) and keep his commands,(N) 6 let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive(O) to hear your servant’s prayer that I now pray to you day and night(P) for your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins[a] we have committed against you. Both I and my father’s family have sinned.(Q) 7 We have acted corruptly towards you and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances you gave your servant Moses.(R) 8 Please remember what you commanded your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples.(S) 9 But if you return to me and carefully observe my commands, even though your exiles were banished to the farthest horizon,[b] I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have my name dwell.’(T) 10 They are your servants and your people. You redeemed them by your great power and strong hand.(U) 11 Please, Lord, let your ear be attentive(V) to the prayer of your servant and to that of your servants who delight to revere your name. Give your servant success today,(W) and grant him compassion in the presence of this man.[c](X)
At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.(Y)
Nehemiah 1
New King James Version
Nehemiah Prays for His People
1 The words of (A)Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah.
It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the (B)twentieth year, as I was in (C)Shushan[a] the [b]citadel, 2 that (D)Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the (E)province are there in great distress and (F)reproach. (G)The wall of Jerusalem (H)is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
5 And I said: “I pray, (I)Lord God of heaven, O great and (J)awesome God, (K)You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love [c]You and observe [d]Your commandments, 6 please let Your ear be attentive and (L)Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and (M)confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. 7 (N)We have acted very corruptly against You, and have (O)not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. 8 Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, (P)‘If you [e]are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; 9 (Q)but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, (R)though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ 10 (S)Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. 11 O Lord, I pray, please (T)let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who (U)desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
For I was the king’s (V)cupbearer.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 1:1 Or Susa
- Nehemiah 1:1 Or fortified palace, and so elsewhere in the book
- Nehemiah 1:5 Lit. Him
- Nehemiah 1:5 Lit. His
- Nehemiah 1:8 act treacherously
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
