Nehemiah 1:4-11
New English Translation
4 When I heard these things I sat down abruptly,[a] crying and mourning for several days. I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said, “Please, O Lord God of heaven, great and awesome God, who keeps his loving covenant[b] with those who love him and obey[c] his commandments, 6 may your ear be attentive and your eyes be open to hear the prayer of your servant that I am praying to you today throughout both day and night on behalf of your servants the Israelites. I am confessing the sins of the Israelites that we have committed[d] against you—both I myself and my family[e] have sinned. 7 We have behaved corruptly against you, not obeying the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments that you commanded your servant Moses. 8 Please recall the word you commanded your servant Moses: ‘If you act unfaithfully, I will scatter you among the nations.[f] 9 But if you repent[g] and obey[h] my commandments and do them, then even if your dispersed people are in the most remote location,[i] I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen for my name to reside.’ 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your mighty strength and by your powerful hand. 11 Please,[j] Lord, listen attentively[k] to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take pleasure in showing respect to[l] your name. Grant your servant success today and show compassion to me[m] in the presence of this man.”
Now[n] I was cupbearer for the king.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Nehemiah 1:4 tn Heb “sat down.” Context suggests that this was a rather sudden action, resulting from the emotional shock of the unpleasant news, so “abruptly” has been supplied in the present translation.
- Nehemiah 1:5 tn Heb “the covenant and loyal love.” The phrase is a hendiadys: the first noun retains its full nominal sense, while the second noun functions adjectivally (“loyal love” = loving). Alternately, the first might function adjectivally and the second noun function as the noun: “covenant and loyal love” = covenant fidelity (see Neh 9:32).
- Nehemiah 1:5 tn Heb “keep.” The Hebrew verb שָׁמַר (shamar, “to observe; to keep”) is often used as an idiom that means “to obey” the commandments of God (e.g., Exod 20:6; Deut 5:16; 23:24; 29:8; Judg 2:22; 1 Kgs 2:43; 11:11; Ps 119:8, 17, 34; Jer 35:18; Ezek 17:14; Amos 2:4). See BDB 1036 s.v. 3.c.
- Nehemiah 1:6 tn Heb “have sinned.” For stylistic reasons—to avoid redundancy in English—this was translated as “committed.”
- Nehemiah 1:6 tn Heb “the house of my father.”
- Nehemiah 1:8 tn Heb “peoples.”
- Nehemiah 1:9 tn Heb “turn to me.”
- Nehemiah 1:9 tn Heb “keep.” See the note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.
- Nehemiah 1:9 tn Heb “at the end of the heavens.”
- Nehemiah 1:11 tn The interjection אָנָּא (ʾannaʾ) is an emphatic term of entreaty: “please!” (BDB 58 s.v.; HALOT 69-70 s.v.). This term is normally reserved for pleas for mercy from God in life-and-death situations (2 Kgs 20:3 = Isa 38:3; Pss 116:4; 118:25; Jonah 1:14; 4:2) and for forgiveness of heinous sins that would result or have resulted in severe judgment from God (Exod 32:31; Dan 9:4; Neh 1:5, 11).
- Nehemiah 1:11 tn Heb “let your ear be attentive.”
- Nehemiah 1:11 tn Heb “fear.”
- Nehemiah 1:11 tn Heb “grant compassion.” The words “to me” are supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness and style in English.
- Nehemiah 1:11 tn The vav (ו) on וַאֲנִי (vaʾani, “Now, I”) introduces a disjunctive parenthetical clause that provides background information to the reader.
Nehemiah 1:4-11
English Standard Version
Nehemiah's Prayer
4 As soon as I heard these words I (A)sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the (B)God of heaven. 5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, (C)the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 (D)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 the people of Israel your servants, (E)confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even (F)I and my father's house have sinned. 7 (G)We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules (H)that you commanded your servant Moses. 8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, (I)I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 (J)but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, (K)though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them (L)to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ 10 (M)They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11 O Lord, (N)let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Now I was (O)cupbearer to the king.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
