Nehemiah 1:4-11
International Standard Version
Nehemiah’s Prayer
4 When I heard this, I sat down and cried, mourning for a number of days while I fasted and prayed in the presence of the God of Heaven. 5 I said, “Please, Lord, God of Heaven, the great and fearsome God who keeps the covenant, showing[a] gracious love to those who love you and keep your commands, 6 please turn your attention to observe carefully and listen to the prayer of your servant today that I am presenting to you day and night on behalf of your servants, the Israelis.
“I confess the sins that we Israelis have committed against you. Both I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have abandoned you by not keeping your commands, your ceremonies, and your judgments that you proscribed to your servant Moses. 8 Please remember what you spoke in commanding your servant Moses. You said,
‘If you rebel, I will scatter you among the nations[b] 9 but if you return to me, keeping my commands and doing them, even if your exiled people are in the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I have chosen to establish my Name.’[c]
10 These are your servants as well as your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.
11 “And now, Lord, I ask you to listen to the prayer of your servant—and to the prayers of your servants who delight in revering your Name. I ask you, please prosper your servant today by granting him to receive favor from this man.”[d]
Now I was the king’s senior security advisor.[e]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Nehemiah 1:5 The Heb. lacks showing
- Nehemiah 1:8 Lit. people
- Nehemiah 1:9 Cf. Deut 30:1-5
- Nehemiah 1:11 I.e. King Artaxerxes
- Nehemiah 1:11 Lit. king’s cupbearer; a servant who tested the king’s food and beverages for poison; cf. Gen 41:9
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