Report from Jerusalem
Nehemiah 1The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.
Now in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the palace, Hanani, one of my brothers, came, he and certain men out of Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. They said to me, “The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
Nehemiah’s Prayer for His People
When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned several days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven, and said, “I beg you, YHWH, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love ʜɪᴍ and keep ʜɪꜱ commandments, let your ear now be attentive and your eyes open, that you may listen to the prayer of your servant that I am praying before you at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the children of Israel which we have committed against you. Both I and my father’s house have sinned. We have dealt corruptly-corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, or statutes, or the ordinances, that you commanded your servant Moses.
“Please remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If y’all are unfaithful, I will scatter y’all among the nations. But if y’all return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, even though y’all are exiled to the furthest horizon, I will gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen for my name to dwell.’
“Now these are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. Lord, I beg you, let your ear be attentive now to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name; and please prosper your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Now I was cup bearer to the king.