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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, ^(F1)and some men from Judah came; and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped ^(F2)and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem.³ And they said to me, "The remnant there in the ^(C1)province who survived the captivity are in great distress and ^(C2)disgrace, and ^(C2)the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and ^(C3)its gates have been burned with fire."

⁴ Now 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, "Please, LORD God of heaven, ^(C1)the great and awesome God, ^(C2)who keeps the covenant and faithfulness 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 committed 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, please, 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 bring them ^(C3)to the place where I have chosen to have My name dwell.'¹⁰ "^(C1)They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand.

¹¹ "Please, Lord, ^(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 please make Your servant successful today and grant him mercy before this man." Now I was the ^(C2)cupbearer to the king.