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Upon hearing this, I sat down and wept,[a] mourning for several days while fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Then I offered this prayer: “O Lord, God of heaven, you are a great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of steadfast love with those who love him and obey his commandments. Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to heed the prayer of your servant that I now offer to you day and night in your presence on behalf of your servants, the people of Israel.

“I confess the sins that your servants, the Israelites, have committed against you. I and my family are equally guilty in this regard. Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 1:4 Sat down and wept: there was much for Nehemiah to be saddened by in Jerusalem. Walls represented safety for the people against intruders and a sense of independence and strength. The Jews needed to rebuild to gain a sense of control but were prevented from doing so by a previous edict (Ezr 4:6-23).