1 The 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;

2 and 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.

3 And 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.

4 And 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;

5 and 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;

6 thine 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;

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

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

9 and 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.

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

11 Lord, 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.