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Nehemiah's Grief for the Exiles

¹ The words of ^(C1)Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in ^(C2)the month Chislev, ^(C3)in the twentieth year, while I was in ^(C4)Susa the ^(F1)capitol,² that ^(C1)Hanani, one of my brothers, and ^(F1)some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem.³ They said to me, "The remnant there in the ^(C1)province who survived the captivity are in great distress and ^(C2)reproach, and ^(C2)the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and ^(C3)its gates are burned with fire."

⁴ When I heard these words, ^(C1)I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before ^(C2)the God of heaven.⁵ I said, "I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, ^(C1)the great and awesome God, ^(C2)who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,^6 (C1)let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, ^(C2)confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; ^(C3)I and my father's house have sinned.⁷ "^(C1)We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances ^(C2)which You commanded Your servant Moses.⁸ "Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, '^(C1)If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples;^9 (C1)but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I ^(C2)will gather them from there and will bring them ^(C3)to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.'¹⁰ "^(C1)They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand.

¹¹ "O Lord, I beseech You, ^(C1)may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to ^(F1)revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man." Now I was the ^(C2)cupbearer to the king.