The words¹⁶⁹⁷ of Nehemiah⁵¹⁶⁶ the son¹¹²¹ of Hachaliah.²⁴⁴⁶ And it came to pass in the month²³²⁰ Chisleu,³⁶⁹¹ in the twentieth⁶²⁴² year,⁸¹⁴¹ as I was in Shushan⁷⁸⁰⁰ the palace,¹⁰⁰²

That Hanani,²⁶⁰⁷ one²⁵⁹ of my brethren,²⁵¹ came,⁹³⁵ he and certain men⁵⁸² of Judah;³⁰⁶³ and I asked⁷⁵⁹² them concerning the Jews³⁰⁶⁴ that had escaped,⁶⁴¹³ which were left⁷⁶⁰⁴ of the captivity,⁷⁶²⁸ and concerning Jerusalem.³³⁸⁹

And they said⁵⁵⁹ unto me, The remnant⁷⁶⁰⁴ that are left⁷⁶⁰⁴ of the captivity⁷⁶²⁸ there in the province⁴⁰⁸² are in great¹⁴¹⁹ affliction⁷⁴⁵¹ and reproach:²⁷⁸¹ the wall²³⁴⁶ of Jerusalem³³⁸⁹ also is broken down,⁶⁵⁵⁵ and the gates⁸¹⁷⁹ thereof are burned³³⁴¹ with fire.⁷⁸⁴

And it came to pass, when I heard⁸⁰⁸⁵ these words,¹⁶⁹⁷ that I sat down³⁴²⁷ and wept,¹⁰⁵⁸ and mourned⁵⁶ certain days,³¹¹⁷ and fasted,⁶⁶⁸⁴ and prayed⁶⁴¹⁹ before⁶⁴⁴⁰ the Elohim⁴³⁰ of heaven,⁸⁰⁶⁴

And said,⁵⁵⁹ I beseech⁵⁷⁷ thee, O Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ Elohim⁴³⁰ of heaven,⁸⁰⁶⁴ the great¹⁴¹⁹ and awe inspiring ³³⁷² El,⁴¹⁰ that keepeth⁸¹⁰⁴ covenant¹²⁸⁵ and mercy²⁶¹⁷ for them that love¹⁵⁷ him and observe⁸¹⁰⁴ his commandments:⁴⁶⁸⁷

Let thine ear²⁴¹ now be attentive,⁷¹⁸³ and thine eyes⁵⁸⁶⁹ open,⁶⁶⁰⁵ that thou mayest hear⁸⁰⁸⁵ the prayer⁸⁶⁰⁵ of thy servant,⁵⁶⁵⁰ which I pray⁶⁴¹⁹ before⁶⁴⁴⁰ thee now,³¹¹⁷ day³¹¹⁹ and night,³⁹¹⁵ for the children¹¹²¹ of Israel³⁴⁷⁸ thy servants,⁵⁶⁵⁰ and confess³⁰³⁴ the sins²⁴⁰³ of the children¹¹²¹ of Israel,³⁴⁷⁸ which we have sinned²³⁹⁸ against thee: both I and my father's¹ house¹⁰⁰⁴ have sinned.²³⁹⁸

We have dealt very²²⁵⁴ corruptly²²⁵⁴ against thee, and have not kept⁸¹⁰⁴ the commandments,⁴⁶⁸⁷ nor the statutes,²⁷⁰⁶ nor the judgments,⁴⁹⁴¹ which thou commandedst⁶⁶⁸⁰ thy servant⁵⁶⁵⁰ Moses.⁴⁸⁷²

Remember,²¹⁴² I beseech thee, the word¹⁶⁹⁷ that thou commandedst⁶⁶⁸⁰ thy servant⁵⁶⁵⁰ Moses,⁴⁸⁷² saying,⁵⁵⁹ If ye transgress,⁴⁶⁰³ I will scatter⁶³²⁷ you abroad among the nations:⁵⁹⁷¹

But if ye turn⁷⁷²⁵ unto me, and keep⁸¹⁰⁴ my commandments,⁴⁶⁸⁷ and do⁶²¹³ them; though there were of you cast out⁵⁰⁸⁰ unto the uttermost part⁷⁰⁹⁷ of the heaven,⁸⁰⁶⁴ yet will I gather⁶⁹⁰⁸ them from thence, and will bring⁹³⁵ them unto the place⁴⁷²⁵ that I have chosen⁹⁷⁷ to set⁷⁹³¹ my name⁸⁰³⁴ there.

Now these are thy servants⁵⁶⁵⁰ and thy people,⁵⁹⁷¹ whom thou hast redeemed⁶²⁹⁹ by thy great¹⁴¹⁹ power,³⁵⁸¹ and by thy strong²³⁸⁹ hand.³⁰²⁷

O Yahweh,³⁰⁶⁸ I beseech⁵⁷⁷ thee, let now thine ear²⁴¹ be attentive⁷¹⁸³ to the prayer⁸⁶⁰⁵ of thy servant,⁵⁶⁵⁰ and to the prayer⁸⁶⁰⁵ of thy servants,⁵⁶⁵⁰ who desire²⁶⁵⁵ to fear³³⁷² thy name:⁸⁰³⁴ and prosper,⁶⁷⁴³ I pray thee, thy servant⁵⁶⁵⁰ this day,³¹¹⁷ and grant⁵⁴¹⁴ him mercy⁷³⁵⁶ in the sight⁶⁴⁴⁰ of this man.³⁷⁶ For I was the king's⁴⁴²⁸ cupbearer.⁸²⁴⁸