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Nehemiah Prays for His People

The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capital, one of my brothers, Hanani, came with certain men from Judah; and I asked them about the Jews that survived, those who had escaped the captivity, and about Jerusalem. They replied, “The survivors there in the province who escaped captivity are in great trouble and shame; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.”

When I heard these words I sat down and wept, and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.’ 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great power and your strong hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man!”

At the time, I was cupbearer to the king.

Ko nga kupu a Nehemia tama a Hakaria. Na, i te marama Kihireu, i te rua tekau o nga tau, i ahau i Huhana, i te whare kingi,

Ka tae mai a Hanani, tetahi o oku teina, ratou ko etahi tangata o Hura; a ka ui ahau ki a ratou ki nga Hurai i mawhiti, i mahue o nga whakarau, ki Hiruharama hoki.

A ka mea ratou ki ahau, Ko nga oranga i mahue o nga whakarau i reira i taua kawanatanga he nui te he, te whakahaweatia: kua pakaru hoki te taiepa o Hiruharama, a kua wera ona keti i te ahi.

A, no toku rongonga i enei kupu, ka noho ahau, ka tangi, ka pouri hoki a taka noa etahi ra; na nohopuku ana ahau, inoi ana hoki ki te aroaro o te Atua o nga rangi,

A ka mea ahau, Aue, e Ihowa, e te Atua o te rangi, ko te Atua nui ia e wehingia ana, e pupuri ana i te kawenata, i te atawhai mo te hunga e aroha ana ki a ia, e pupuri ana i ana whakahau:

Tena, kia tahuri mai tou taringa, kia titiro mai ano ou kanohi, kia whakarongo mai ai koe ki te inoi a tau pononga, e inoi atu nei ki tou aroaro i te ao, i te po, mo au pononga, mo nga tama a Iharaira, i ahau e whaki nei i nga hara o nga tama a I haraira i hara ai matou ki a koe; ae ra, kua hara ahau me te whare o toku papa.

He rawa ta matou mahi ki a koe, kihai hoki i pupuri i nga whakahau, i nga tikanga, i nga whakaritenga i whakahaua e koe ki tau pononga ki a Mohi.

Tena, maharatia te kupu i whakahaua e koe ki tau pononga, ki a Mohi, i mea ra koe, Ki te poka ke ta koutou, ka whakamararatia atu koutou e ahau ki roto ki nga iwi;

Otiia ki te tahuri mai ano koutou ki ahau, a ka pupuri, ka mahi i aku whakahau, ahakoa i peia etahi o koutou ki te pito whakamutunga o te rangi, ka kohikohia mai ratou e ahau i reira, ka kawea mai ano ki te wahi i whiriwhiria e ahau kia noho toku ingoa ki reira.

10 Na ko au pononga enei, ko tau iwi i hokona e koe, ara e tou kaha nui, e tou ringa kaha.

11 Tena, e te Ariki, tahuri mai tou taringa ki te inoi a tau pononga, ki te inoi hoki a au pononga e mea nei kia wehi i tou ingoa: kia tika ra ta tau pononga aianei, homai hoki ki a ia kia atawhaitia e tenei tangata. Ko ahau hoki te kaiwhakainu a t e kingi.

The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,

That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

¶ And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:

Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.

We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:

But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.

Nehemiah’s Prayer

The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:

In the month of Kislev(A) in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa,(B) Hanani,(C) one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant(D) that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.(E)

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept.(F) For some days I mourned and fasted(G) and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said:

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

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

10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand.(R) 11 Lord, let your ear be attentive(S) to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor(T) in the presence of this man.”

I was cupbearer(U) to the king.