1The words of Nehemiah, the son of Hachaliah. And it was done in the month of Chisleu, that is, November, in the twentieth year, and I was in the castle of Susa;

2and Hanani, one of my brethren, came to me, he and men of Judah; and I asked them of the Jews, that were left, and were alive of the captivity, and of Jerusalem.

3And they said to me, They that be left of the captivity, and that dwelled there still in the province, be in great torment, and shame; and the wall of Jerusalem is destroyed, and the gates of it be burnt with fire.

4And when I had heard such words, I sat and wept, and mourned many days, and I fasted, and prayed before the face of God of heaven;

5and I said, I beseech thee, Lord God of heaven, that art strong, great, and fearedful, that keepest covenant and mercy with them that love thee, and keep thy behests;

6thine ear be made hearkening, and thine eyes opened, that thou hear the prayer of thy servant, by which prayer I pray before thee now, by night and day, for the sons of Israel, thy servants, and I acknowledge for the sins of the sons of Israel, by which they have sinned to thee; both I and the house of my father have sinned;

7we were deceived by vanity, and we kept not thy commandments, and ceremonies, and dooms, which thou commandedest to Moses, thy servant.

8Have mind of the word, which thou commandedest to thy servant Moses, and saidest, When ye have trespassed, I shall scatter you into peoples;

9and if ye turn again to me, that ye keep my behests, and do those [or them], yea, though ye be led away to the furthest things of heaven, from thence I shall gather you together, and I shall bring you into the place, that I have chosen, that my name should dwell there.

10And we be thy servants, and thy people, which thou hast again-bought in thy great strength, and in thy strong hand.

11Lord, I beseech thee, thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, that will dread thy name; and dress thy servant today, and give thou mercy to him before this man, that is, Artaxerxes, king. For I was the bottler of the king.