Nehemiah

Nehemiah 1 ©

1 Nehemiah, informed by Hanani concerning the afflicted state of Jerusalem, mourneth, fasteth, and prayeth. 5 His prayer.

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THE words of aNehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in bthe month Chisleu, in the ctwentieth year, as I was in dShushan the palace,

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That eHanani, 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.

e ch. 7.2.
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And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the fprovince are gin great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also his broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

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¶And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I isat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

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And said, I beseech thee, jO LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, kthat keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:

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Let lthine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, mday and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and nconfess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.

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We ohave dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

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pRemember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, qIf ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:

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rBut if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; sthough 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 tplace that I have chosen to set my name there.

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Now these are uthy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

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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.