Nehemiah 1:4-9

New International Version

⁴When I heard these things, I sat down and wept.^(A) For some days I mourned and fasted^(B) and prayed before the God of heaven. ⁵Then I said:

“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God,^(C) who keeps his covenant of love^(D) with those who love him and keep his commandments, ⁶let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear^(E) the prayer^(F) your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess^(G) the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. ⁷We have acted very wickedly^(H) toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

⁸“Remember^(I) the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter^(J) you among the nations, ⁹but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather^(K) them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’^(L)

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Nehemiah 2:17-20

New International Version

¹⁷Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.^(A) Come, let us rebuild the wall^(B) of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.^(C)” ¹⁸I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me^(D) and what the king had said to me.

They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

¹⁹But when Sanballat^(E) the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem^(F) the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us.^(G) “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”

²⁰I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding,^(H) but as for you, you have no share^(I) in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

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