Nehemias hearing the miserable state of his countrymen in Judea,
lamenteth, fasteth, and prayeth to God for their relief.
1:1. The words of Nehemias the son of Helchias. And it came to pass in
the month of Casleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in the castle of
Susa,
1:2. That Hanani one of my brethren came, he and some men of Juda; and I
asked them concerning the Jews, that remained and were left of the
captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
1:3. And they said to me: They that have remained, and are left of the
captivity there in the province, are in great affliction, and reproach:
and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and the gates thereof are
burnt with fire.
1:4. And when I had heard these words, I sat down, and wept, and mourned
for many days: and I fasted, and prayed before the face of the God of
heaven.
1:5. And I said: I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, strong, great,
and terrible, who keepest covenant and mercy with those that love thee,
and keep thy commandments:
1:6. Let thy ears be attentive, and thy eyes open, to hear the prayer of
thy servant, which I pray before thee now, night and day, for the
children of Israel thy servants: and I confess the sins of the children
of Israel, by which they have sinned against thee: I and my father's
house have sinned.
1:7. We have been seduced by vanity, and have not kept thy commandments,
and ceremonies and judgments, which thou hast commanded thy servant
Moses.
1:8. Remember the word that thou commandedst to Moses thy servant,
saying: If you shall transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the
nations:
1:9. But if you return to me, and keep my commandments, and do them,
though you should be led away to the uttermost parts of the world, I
will gather you from thence, and bring you back to the place which I
have chosen for my name to dwell there.
1:10. And these are thy servants, and thy people: whom thou hast
redeemed by thy great strength, and by thy mighty hand.
1:11. I beseech thee, O Lord, let thy ear be attentive to the prayer of
thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants who desire to fear thy
name: and direct thy servant this day, and give him mercy before this
man. For I was the king's cupbearer.