1Nehemiah, informed by Hanani concerning the afflicted state of Jerusalem, mourneth, fasteth, and prayeth. 5His prayer.
1THE 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,
a ch. 10.1. b Ezr. 10.9. Zec. 7.1. c ch. 2.1. Ezr. 7.7. d Es. 1.2. Da. 8.2.
2That 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.
3And 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.
f Ezr. 2.1; 5.8. g Is. 32.10. Ps. 44.11-16. h 2Ki. 25.10. Je. 5.10; 39.8; 52.13. ch. 2.13.
4¶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,
i 1Sa. 4.19,22. Zep. 3.18. Ro. 12.15. Ps. 69.9. La. 2.10. Ezr. 9. Da. 9.
5And 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:
j ch. 4.14. De. 7.21. 1Ch. 17.21. Ps. 47.2. k Da. 9.4. De. 7.9,12. 1Ki. 8.22. Ex. 20.6. ch. 9.32. Ps. 89.2,28,33,34.
6Let 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.
l 1Ki. 8.29. Ps. 34.15; 130.2; 119.132. v.11. m Ps. 55.17. Ep. 6.18. Lu. 18.1-7. n Le. 26.40,41. Je. 3.13. Ps. 51.4. Ezr. 10.1.
7We ohave dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
o Da. 9.4-16. Ezr. 9.5-15.
8pRemember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, qIf ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
p Ps. 119.49; 105.8. Is. 43.26. q Le. 26.33. De. 4.25-27; 28.64.
9rBut 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.
*uttermost-outermost.
r Le. 26.39-42. De. 4.29-31; 30.2,3. s De. 30.4; 12.5. t Ps. 78.68,69; 132.13,14. 2Ch. 6.6.
10Now these are uthy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
u Ex. 19.5-7; 6.1; 13.9; 14.8; 32.11.
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.