Nehemiah, understanding by Hanani the misery of Jerusalem, mourneth, fasteth, and prayeth.

1 ¶ The wordsº of Nehemiahº the sonº of Hachaliah.º And it came to pass² in the monthº Chisleu,º in the twentiethº year,º as I² was² in Shushanº the palace,º 2 That Hanani,º oneº of my brethren,º² came,ºª he² and [certain] men¹² of Judah;º² and I askedºª them concerning² the Jewsº that had escaped,º which² were leftºª of² the captivity,º and concerning² Jerusalem.º 3 And they saidºª unto me, The remnantºª that² are leftºª of² the captivityº there² in the provinceº [are] in greatº afflictionº and reproach:º the wallº of Jerusalemº also [is] broken down,ºª and the gatesº thereof are burnedºª with fire.º

4 ¶ And it came to pass,² when I heardºª² these² words,º that I sat downºª and wept,ºª and mournedºª [certain] days,º and fasted,ºª² and prayedºª beforeº the Godº of heaven,º

His prayer.

5 And said,ºª I beseechº thee, O LORDº Godº of heaven,º the greatº and terribleºª God,º that keepethºª covenantº and mercyº for them that loveºª him and observeºª his commandments:º 6 Let thine earº now² be² attentive,º and thine eyesº open,ºª that thou mayest hearºª² the prayerº of thy servant,º which² I² prayºª beforeº thee now,º dayº and night,º for² the childrenº of Israelº thy servants,º and confessºª² the sinsº of the childrenº of Israel,º which² we have sinnedºª against thee: both I² and my father'sº houseº have sinned.ºª 7 We have dealt very¹ª corruptlyºª against thee, and have not² keptºª² the commandments,º nor the statutes,º nor the judgments,º which² thou commandedstºª² thy servantº Moses.º 8 Remember,ºª I beseech² thee,² the wordº that² thou commandedstºª² thy servantº Moses,º saying,ºª [If] ye² transgress,ºª I² will scatter you abroadºª² among the nations:º 9 But [if] ye turnºª unto² me, and keepºª my commandments,º and doºª them; though² there were² of you cast outºª unto the uttermost partº of the heaven,º [yet] will I gatherºª them from thence,²² and will bringºª them unto² the placeº that² I have chosenºª to setºª² my nameº there.² 10 Now these² [are] thy servantsº and thy people,º whom² thou hast redeemedºª by thy greatº power,º and by thy strongº hand.º 11 O Lord,º I beseechº thee, let now² thine earº be² attentiveº to² the prayerº of thy servant,º and to² the prayerº of thy servants,º who desireº to fearºª² thy name:º and prosper,ºª I pray² thee, thy servantº this day,º and grantºª him mercyº in the sightº of this² man.º For I² was² the king'sº cupbearer.¹ª²