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, ^(A)Lord God of heaven, O great and ^(B)awesome God, ^(C)You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love ^[a]You and observe ^[b]Your commandments, ⁶ please let Your ear be attentive and ^(D)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 ^(E)confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. ^7 (F)We have acted very corruptly against You, and have ^(G)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, ^(H)‘If you ^[c]are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; ^9 (I)but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, ^(J)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 (K)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 ^(L)let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who ^(M)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 ^(N)cupbearer.