1The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. It was in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year, and I was in Susa the citadel.
2Hanani, one of my brothers, came, he and some men from Judah; and I asked them about the Jews, the escaped remnant who had been left from the captivity, and about Jerusalem.
3And they said to me, The survivors who were left from the captivity there in the province are in great misery and in reproach; and the wall of Jerusalem is burst open, and its gates have been burned with fire.
4It happened, as I heard these words, that I dwelled and wept and mourned for days, and I fasted and prayed to the face of the God of the heavens.
5And I said, Yahweh, God of the heavens, the great God, who is feared, who keeps the covenant and loyal love to those who love him and to those who keep his commandments,
6Please let your ear be attentive and your eyes opened wide to hear the prayer of your slave, which I am praying before you today, day and night, for the children of Israel your slaves; and I am confessing concerning the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Both I and my father's house have sinned.
7We have utterly acted perversely toward you, and we have not kept the commandments, the statutes and the justices that you commanded Moses your slave.
8Please remember the word that you commanded Moses your slave, saying: You will act unfaithfully; I will scatter you among the peoples.
9But you will return to me and keep my commandments and do them. Even if your banished ones are at the end of the skies, from there I will gather them together and bring them to the place where I chose to make my name dwell there.
10And they are your slaves and your people, whom you ransomed by your great strength and by your mighty hand.
11I beg you, O Lord, please let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your slave and to the prayer of your slaves, who delight to fear your name; and please make your slave succeed today, and set him in compassion before this man. And I was cupbearer to the king.