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The autobiography of Nehemiah, the son of Hecaliah:

In December of the twentieth year of the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia,[a] when I was at the palace at Shushan, one of my fellow Jews named Hanani came to visit me with some men who had arrived from Judah. I took the opportunity to inquire about how things were going in Jerusalem.

“How are they getting along—,” I asked, “the Jews who returned to Jerusalem from their exile here?”

“Well,” they replied, “things are not good; the wall of Jerusalem is still torn down, and the gates are burned.”

When I heard this, I sat down and cried. In fact, I refused to eat for several days, for I spent the time in prayer to the God of heaven.

“O Lord God,” I cried out; “O great and awesome God who keeps his promises and is so loving and kind to those who love and obey him! Hear my prayer! 6-7 Listen carefully to what I say! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you; yes, I and my people have committed the horrible sin of not obeying the commandments you gave us through your servant Moses. Oh, please remember what you told Moses! You said,

“‘If you sin, I will scatter you among the nations; but if you return to me and obey my laws, even though you are exiled to the farthest corners of the universe, I will bring you back to Jerusalem. For Jerusalem is the place in which I have chosen to live.’

10 “We are your servants, the people you rescued by your great power. 11 O Lord, please hear my prayer! Heed the prayers of those of us who delight to honor you. Please help me now as I go in and ask the king for a great favor—put it into his heart to be kind to me.” (I was the king’s cupbearer.)

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 1:1 King Artaxerxes of Persia, implied.

尼希米的禱告

以下是哈迦利亞的兒子尼希米的記述。

波斯王亞達薛西二十年基斯流月[a],我在書珊城裡。 從猶大來了我的一個兄弟哈拿尼和一些人,我問他們有關從流亡之地歸回的猶太餘民和耶路撒冷的情況。 他們回答說:「那些從流亡之地歸回猶大省的人深陷苦難,飽受凌辱。耶路撒冷的城牆已經倒塌,城門也被燒毀。」

我一聽見這消息,就坐下痛哭,悲傷了好幾天。我在天上的上帝面前禁食禱告,說:

「天上的上帝耶和華啊,你是偉大而可畏的上帝,你向愛你、守你誡命的人守約,施慈愛。 僕人在你面前晝夜為你的眾僕人以色列民祈禱,求你睜眼察看,側耳傾聽。我承認以色列人向你所犯的罪,以及我和我的家族所犯的罪。 我們行事敗壞,沒有遵守你賜給你僕人摩西的誡命、律例和典章。 求你顧念你對你僕人摩西所說的話,『如果你們不忠,我必把你們驅散到列邦中。 但如果你們轉向我,謹遵我的誡命,即使你們流落天涯,我也必從那裡把你們召集到我選為我名所在之地。』 10 我們是你的僕人、你的子民,是你用大能大力救贖的。 11 主啊,求你側耳聽你僕人的禱告,垂聽那些喜愛敬畏你名的眾僕人的祈求,使你僕人今天亨通,在王面前蒙恩。」

我是王的侍酒總管。

Footnotes

  1. 1·1 基斯流月」即希伯來曆的九月,陽曆是十一月中旬到十二月中旬。

Nehemiah Prays for His People

The words of (A)Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah.

It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the (B)twentieth year, as I was in (C)Shushan[a] the [b]citadel, that (D)Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the (E)province are there in great distress and (F)reproach. (G)The wall of Jerusalem (H)is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”

So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

And I said: “I pray, (I)Lord God of heaven, O great and (J)awesome God, (K)You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love [c]You and observe [d]Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and (L)Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and (M)confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. (N)We have acted very corruptly against You, and have (O)not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, (P)If you [e]are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; (Q)but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, (R)though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ 10 (S)Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. 11 O Lord, I pray, please (T)let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who (U)desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

For I was the king’s (V)cupbearer.

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 1:1 Or Susa
  2. Nehemiah 1:1 Or fortified palace, and so elsewhere in the book
  3. Nehemiah 1:5 Lit. Him
  4. Nehemiah 1:5 Lit. His
  5. Nehemiah 1:8 act treacherously

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.