Nehemiah’s Grief for the Exiles

1 The words of ^(A)Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.

Now it happened in ^(B)the month Chislev, ^(C)in the twentieth year, while I was in ^(D)Susa the ^[a]capitol, ² that ^(E)Hanani, one of my brothers, ^[b]and some men from Judah came; and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped ^[c]and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. ³ And they said to me, “The remnant there in the ^(F)province who survived the captivity are in great distress and ^(G)disgrace, and ^(H)the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and ^(I)its gates have been burned with fire.”

⁴ Now when I heard these words, ^(J)I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before ^(K)the God of heaven.

¹¹ Please, Lord, ^(A)may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to ^[a]revere Your name, and please make Your servant successful today and grant him mercy before this man.”

Now I was the ^(B)cupbearer to the king.

¹¹ Please, Lord, ^(A)may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to ^[a]revere Your name, and please make Your servant successful today and grant him mercy before this man.”

Now I was the ^(B)cupbearer to the king.