⁴ Now when I heard these words, ^(A)I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before ^(B)the God of heaven. ⁵ I said, “Please, Lord God of heaven, ^(C)the great and awesome God, ^(D)who keeps the covenant and faithfulness for those who love Him and keep His commandments: ^6 (E)let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open, to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, ^(F)confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have committed against You; ^(G)I and my father’s house have sinned. ^7 (H)We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances ^(I)which You commanded Your servant Moses. ⁸ Remember, please, the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘^(J)If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; ^9 (K)but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I ^(L)will gather them from there and bring them ^(M)to the place where I have chosen to have My name dwell.’ ^10 (N)They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. ¹¹ Please, Lord, ^(O)may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to ^[a]revere Your name, and please make Your servant successful today and grant him mercy before this man.”

Now I was the ^(P)cupbearer to the king.