The words of Nehemiah1 son of Hacaliah.
Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, 2that Hanani, one of my brothers, came, he and certain men out of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3They said to me, “The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
4When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven, 5and said, “I beg you, YAHWEH2, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments: 6Let your ear now be attentive, and your eyes open, that you may listen to the prayer of your servant, which I pray before you at this time, day and night, for Bani-Israel your servants while I confess the sins of Bani-Israel, which we have sinned against you. Yes, I and my father’s house have sinned: 7we have dealt very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which you commanded your servant Musa.
8“Remember, I beg you, the Word that you commanded your servant Musa, saying,
‘If you trespass, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples3: 9but if you return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts be in a place beyond the horizon, yet I will gather them from there,4 and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause my Name to dwell there.’ 5
10“Now these are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power, and by your strong hand. 11Lord, I beg you, let now your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants, who delight to fear your Name; and please prosper your servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Now I was cupbearer6 to the king.
- 1:1 Nehemiah, a Hebrew name which means “YAHWEH comforts”. ↩︎
- 1:5 YAHWEH, God’s personal Name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15: ‘God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”’ ↩︎
- 1:8 Quoting the Taurat, Leviticus 26:33 which says: “I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you: and your land will be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.” ↩︎
- 1:9 Quoting the Taurat, Deuteronomy 30:1-4 which says: “It shall happen, when all these things are come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, where YAHWEH your God has driven you, and shall return to YAHWEH your God, and shall obey his voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart, and with all your soul; that then YAHWEH your God will turn your captivity, and have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the peoples, where YAHWEH your God has scattered you. If any of your outcasts are in a place beyond the horizon, from there will YAHWEH your God gather you, and from there will he bring you back.” ↩︎
- 1:9 Quoting the Taurat, Deuteronomy 12:5 which says: “But to the place which YAHWEH your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his Name there, even to his dwelling place shall you seek, and there you shall come.” ↩︎
- 1:11 cupbearer, a trusted official who ensured that the king’s drink was not poisoned. ↩︎