Nehemiah 1
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition
Nehemiah Prays for His People
1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capital, 2 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. 3 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.’
4 When I heard these words I sat down and wept, and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 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; 6 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. 7 We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. 8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; 9 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.
Néhémie 1
Nouvelle Edition de Genève – NEG1979
Prière de Néhémie en faveur des enfants d’Israël
1 Paroles de Néhémie, fils de Hacalia. Au mois de Kisleu, la vingtième année[a], comme j’étais à Suse, dans la capitale, 2 Hanani, l’un de mes frères, et quelques hommes arrivèrent de Juda. Je les questionnai au sujet des Juifs réchappés qui étaient restés de la captivité, et au sujet de Jérusalem. 3 Ils me répondirent: Ceux qui sont restés de la captivité sont là dans la province, au comble du malheur et de l’opprobre; les murailles de Jérusalem sont en ruines, et ses portes sont consumées par le feu. 4 Lorsque j’entendis ces choses, je m’assis, je pleurai, et je fus plusieurs jours dans la désolation. Je jeûnai et je priai devant le Dieu des cieux, 5 et je dis:
O Eternel, Dieu des cieux, Dieu grand et redoutable, toi qui gardes ton alliance et qui fais miséricorde à ceux qui t’aiment et qui observent tes commandements! 6 Que ton oreille soit attentive et que tes yeux soient ouverts: écoute la prière que ton serviteur t’adresse en ce moment, jour et nuit, pour tes serviteurs les enfants d’Israël, en confessant les péchés des enfants d’Israël, nos péchés contre toi; car moi et la maison de mon père, nous avons péché. 7 Nous t’avons offensé, et nous n’avons point observé les commandements, les lois et les ordonnances que tu prescrivis à Moïse, ton serviteur. 8 Souviens-toi de cette parole que tu donnas ordre à Moïse, ton serviteur, de prononcer: Lorsque vous pécherez, je vous disperserai parmi les peuples; 9 mais si vous revenez à moi, et si vous observez mes commandements et les mettez en pratique, alors, quand vous seriez exilés à l’extrémité du ciel, de là je vous rassemblerai et je vous ramènerai dans le lieu que j’ai choisi pour y faire résider mon nom. 10 Ils sont tes serviteurs et ton peuple, que tu as rachetés par ta grande puissance et par ta main forte. 11 Ah! Seigneur, que ton oreille soit attentive à la prière de ton serviteur, et à la prière de tes serviteurs qui veulent craindre ton nom! Donne aujourd’hui du succès à ton serviteur, et fais-lui trouver grâce devant cet homme!
J’étais alors échanson du roi.
Footnotes
- Néhémie 1:1 La vingtième année du règne d’Artaxerxes; Né 2:1
Nehemiah 1
New International Version
Nehemiah’s Prayer
1 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) 2 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.
3 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)”
4 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. 5 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, 6 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. 7 We have acted very wickedly(M) toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
8 “Remember(N) the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter(O) you among the nations, 9 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.
Nehemiah 1
New King James Version
Nehemiah Prays for His People
1 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, 2 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. 3 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.”
4 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.
5 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, 6 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. 7 (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. 8 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; 9 (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
- Nehemiah 1:1 Or Susa
- Nehemiah 1:1 Or fortified palace, and so elsewhere in the book
- Nehemiah 1:5 Lit. Him
- Nehemiah 1:5 Lit. His
- Nehemiah 1:8 act treacherously
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Nouvelle Edition de Genève Copyright © 1979 by Société Biblique de Genève
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

