1: The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to
pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan
the palace, |
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2: That Hanani, 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. |
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3:
And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the
captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach:
the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are
burned with fire. |
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4: And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down
and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the
God of heaven, |
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5: And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and
terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and
observe his commandments: |
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6: Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou
mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day
and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess 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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7: We have 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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8: Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy
servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among
the nations: |
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9: But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them;
though 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 place
that I have chosen to set my name there. |
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10: Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast
redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. |
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11: 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. |