[[Ezra 10|<< Ezra 10]] | [[Nehemiah|Nehemiah]] | [[Nehemiah 2|Nehemiah 2 >>]] ### Nehemiah 1 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, ^1 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. ^2 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. ^3 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, ^4 5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keeps covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: ^5 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. ^6 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. ^7 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: ^8 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. ^9 10 Now these _are_ thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. ^10 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. ^11