1
The
words
of
Nehemiah
the
son
of
Hachaliah.
And
it
came
to
pass
in
the
month
Chisleu,
in
the
twentieth
year,
as
I
was
in
Shushan
the
palace,
2
That
Hanani,
one
of
my
brethren,
came,
he
and
[certain]
men
of
Judah;
and
I
asked
them
concerning
the
Jews
that
had
escaped,
which
were
left
of
the
captivity,
and
concerning
Jerusalem.
3
And
they
said
unto
me,
The
remnant
that
are
left
of
the
captivity
there
in
the
province
[are]
in
great
affliction
and
reproach:
the
wall
of
Jerusalem
also
[is]
broken
down,
and
the
gates
thereof
are
burned
with
fire.
4
And
it
came
to
pass,
when
I
heard
these
words,
that
I
sat
down
and
wept,
and
mourned
[certain]
days,
and
fasted,
and
prayed
before
the
God
of
heaven,
5
And
said,
I
beseech
thee,
O
LORD
God
of
heaven,
the
great
and
terrible
God,
that
keepeth
covenant
and
mercy
for
them
that
love
him
and
observe
his
commandments:
6
Let
thine
ear
now
be
attentive,
and
thine
eyes
open,
that
thou
mayest
hear
the
prayer
of
thy
servant,
which
I
pray
before
thee
now,
day
and
night,
for
the
children
of
Israel
thy
servants,
and
confess
the
sins
of
the
children
of
Israel,
which
we
have
sinned
against
thee:
both
I
and
my
father’s
house
have
sinned.
7
We
have
dealt
very
corruptly
against
thee,
and
have
not
kept
the
commandments,
nor
the
statutes,
nor
the
judgments,
which
thou
commandedst
thy
servant
Moses.
8
Remember,
I
beseech
thee,
the
word
that
thou
commandedst
thy
servant
Moses,
saying,
[If]
ye
transgress,
I
will
scatter
you
abroad
among
the
nations:
9
But
[if]
ye
turn
unto
me,
and
keep
my
commandments,
and
do
them;
though
there
were
of
you
cast
out
unto
the
uttermost
part
of
the
heaven,
[yet]
will
I
gather
them
from
thence,
and
will
bring
them
unto
the
place
that
I
have
chosen
to
set
my
name
there.
10
Now
these
[are]
thy
servants
and
thy
people,
whom
thou
hast
redeemed
by
thy
great
power,
and
by
thy
strong
hand.
11
O
Lord,
I
beseech
thee,
let
now
thine
ear
be
attentive
to
the
prayer
of
thy
servant,
and
to
the
prayer
of
thy
servants,
who
desire
to
fear
thy
name:
and
prosper,
I
pray
thee,
thy
servant
this
day,
and
grant
him
mercy
in
the
sight
of
this
man.
For
I
was
the
king’s
cupbearer.