1The 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 , 2That 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 . 3And 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 . 4And 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 ,
Nehemiah's Prayer
5And 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 : 6Let 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 . 7We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments , nor the statutes , nor the judgments , which thou commandedst thy servant Moses . 8Remember , I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses , saying , If ye transgress , I will scatter you abroad among the nations : 9But 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. 10Now these are thy servants and thy people , whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power , and by thy strong hand . 11O 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 .