Nehemiah 1

¹ The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,[*a] when I was in the citadel of Susa,

² one of my kinsmen, Hanani, arrived with some men from Judah. I asked them about the Jews-the remnant rescued from captivity-and about Jerusalem.

³ ‘Those who escaped from captivity,’ they replied ‘who are back there in the province, are in great trouble and humiliation: the walls of Jerusalem are in ruins and its gates burnt down.’

⁴ On hearing this I sank down and wept; for several days I mourned, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

⁵ And I said, ‘Yahweh, God of heaven, great God who must be feared, maintaining covenant and kindness with those who love you and obey your commandments,

⁶ let your ear be listening, and your eyes open, to hear your servant’s prayer. I am making this to you now day and night on behalf of the sons of Israel, your servants; and I confess the sins of the sons of Israel which we have committed against you: I and my father’s House have sinned.

⁷ We have acted very wickedly towards you: we have not kept the commandments, laws and customs you laid down for Moses your servant.

⁸ Remember, I beg you, the charge you gave to Moses your servant: “If you prove faithless, I will scatter you among the peoples;

⁹ but if you come back to me and keep my commandments and practise them, even if your outcasts were at the very sky’s end, I would gather them from there and bring them back to the place I have chosen for my name to dwell in”.

¹⁰ Now these are your servants, your own people: you have redeemed them with your mighty power and outstretched arm.

¹¹ O Lord, let your ear be attentive to your servant’s prayer and to the prayer of your servants who delight to reverence your name. I beg you, let your servant be successful today; make him acceptable to this man.’ At that time I was cupbearer to the king.