Chapter 1
Nehemiah’s Prayer
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[These are] the words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: vvv In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa,
𐤃𐤁𐤓𐤉 𐤍𐤇𐤌𐤉𐤄 𐤁𐤍 𐤇𐤊𐤋𐤉𐤄 𐤅𐤉𐤄𐤉 𐤁𐤇𐤃𐤔 𐤊𐤎𐤋𐤅 𐤏𐤔𐤓𐤉𐤌 𐤔𐤍𐤕 𐤅𐤀𐤍𐤉 𐤄𐤉𐤉𐤕𐤉 𐤄𐤁𐤉𐤓𐤄 𐤁𐤔𐤅𐤔𐤍
דִּבְרֵ֥י נְחֶמְיָ֖ה בֶּן־ חֲכַלְיָ֑ה וַיְהִ֤י בְחֹֽדֶשׁ־ כִּסְלֵו עֶשְׂרִ֔ים שְׁנַ֣ת וַאֲנִ֥י הָיִ֖יתִי הַבִּירָֽה׃ בְּשׁוּשַׁ֥ן diḇ·rê nə·ḥem·yāh ben- ḥă·ḵal·yāh way·hî ḇə·ḥō·ḏeš- kis·lēw ‘eś·rîm šə·naṯ wa·’ă·nî hā·yî·ṯî hab·bî·rāh bə·šū·šan — WLC · 1
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Hanani, one of my brothers,… arrived with men from Judah. So I questioned them about the remnant of the Jews who had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.
𐤇𐤍𐤍𐤉 𐤀𐤇𐤃 𐤌𐤀𐤇𐤉 𐤄𐤅𐤀 𐤅𐤉𐤁𐤀 𐤅𐤀𐤍𐤔𐤉𐤌 𐤌𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤃𐤄 𐤅𐤀𐤔𐤀𐤋𐤌 𐤏𐤋 𐤄𐤐𐤋𐤉𐤈𐤄 𐤄𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤃𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤍𐤔𐤀𐤓𐤅 𐤌𐤍 𐤄𐤔𐤁𐤉 𐤅𐤏𐤋 𐤉𐤓𐤅𐤔𐤋𐤌
חֲנָ֜נִי אֶחָ֧ד מֵאַחַ֛י ה֥וּא וַיָּבֹ֨א וַאֲנָשִׁ֖ים מִֽיהוּדָ֑ה וָאֶשְׁאָלֵ֞ם עַל־ הַפְּלֵיטָ֛ה הַיְּהוּדִ֧ים אֲשֶֽׁר־ נִשְׁאֲר֥וּ מִן־ הַשֶּׁ֖בִי וְעַל־ יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ ḥă·nā·nî ’e·ḥāḏ mê·’a·ḥay hū way·yā·ḇō wa·’ă·nā·šîm mî·hū·ḏāh wā·’eš·’ā·lêm ‘al- hap·pə·lê·ṭāh hay·yə·hū·ḏîm ’ă·šer- niš·’ă·rū min- haš·še·ḇî wə·‘al- yə·rū·šā·lim — WLC · 2
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And they told me, “The remnant who survived… the exile [are] there in the province, in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem [is] broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
𐤅𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤅 𐤋𐤉 𐤄𐤍𐤔𐤀𐤓𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤍𐤔𐤀𐤓𐤅 𐤌𐤍 𐤄𐤔𐤁𐤉 𐤔𐤌 𐤁𐤌𐤃𐤉𐤍𐤄 𐤂𐤃𐤋𐤄 𐤁𐤓𐤏𐤄 𐤅𐤁𐤇𐤓𐤐𐤄 𐤅𐤇𐤅𐤌𐤕 𐤉𐤓𐤅𐤔𐤋𐤌 𐤌𐤐𐤓𐤑𐤕 𐤅𐤔𐤏𐤓𐤉𐤄 𐤍𐤑𐤕𐤅 𐤁𐤀𐤔
וַיֹּאמְרוּ֮ לִי֒ הַֽנִּשְׁאָרִ֞ים אֲשֶֽׁר־ נִשְׁאֲר֤וּ מִן־ הַשְּׁבִי֙ שָׁ֣ם בַּמְּדִינָ֔ה גְדֹלָ֖ה בְּרָעָ֥ה וּבְחֶרְפָּ֑ה וְחוֹמַ֤ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ מְפֹרָ֔צֶת וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ נִצְּת֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃ way·yō·mə·rū lî han·niš·’ā·rîm ’ă·šer- niš·’ă·rū min- haš·šə·ḇî šām bam·mə·ḏî·nāh ḡə·ḏō·lāh bə·rā·‘āh ū·ḇə·ḥer·pāh wə·ḥō·w·maṯ yə·rū·šā·lim mə·p̄ō·rā·ṣeṯ ū·šə·‘ā·re·hā niṣ·ṣə·ṯū ḇā·’êš — WLC · 3
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- When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days,… fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
𐤅𐤉𐤄𐤉 𐤊𐤔𐤌𐤏𐤉 𐤀𐤕 𐤄𐤀𐤋𐤄 𐤄𐤃𐤁𐤓𐤉𐤌 𐤉𐤔𐤁𐤕𐤉 𐤅𐤀𐤁𐤊𐤄 𐤅𐤀𐤕𐤀𐤁𐤋𐤄 𐤉𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤀𐤄𐤉 𐤑𐤌 𐤅𐤌𐤕𐤐𐤋𐤋 𐤋𐤐𐤍𐤉 𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉 𐤄𐤔𐤌𐤉𐤌
וַיְהִ֞י כְּשָׁמְעִ֣י׀ אֶת־ הָאֵ֗לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֣ים יָשַׁ֙בְתִּי֙ וָֽאֶבְכֶּ֔ה וָאֶתְאַבְּלָ֖ה יָמִ֑ים וָֽאֱהִ֥י צָם֙ וּמִתְפַּלֵּ֔ל לִפְנֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵ֥י הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ way·hî kə·šā·mə·‘î ’eṯ- hā·’êl·leh had·də·ḇā·rîm yā·šaḇ·tî wā·’eḇ·keh wā·’eṯ·’ab·bə·lāh yā·mîm wā·’ĕ·hî ṣām ū·miṯ·pal·lêl lip̄·nê ’ĕ·lō·hê haš·šā·mā·yim — WLC · 4
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Then I said: “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion with those who love Him and keep His commandments,
𐤅𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤀𐤍𐤀 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉 𐤄𐤔𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤄𐤂𐤃𐤅𐤋 𐤅𐤄𐤍𐤅𐤓𐤀 𐤄𐤀𐤋 𐤔𐤌𐤓 𐤄𐤁𐤓𐤉𐤕 𐤅𐤇𐤎𐤃 𐤋𐤀𐤄𐤁𐤉𐤅 𐤅𐤋𐤔𐤌𐤓𐤉 𐤌𐤑𐤅𐤕𐤉𐤅
וָאֹמַ֗ר אָֽנָּ֤א יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם הַגָּד֖וֹל וְהַנּוֹרָ֑א הָאֵ֥ל שֹׁמֵ֤ר הַבְּרִית֙ וָחֶ֔סֶד לְאֹהֲבָ֖יו וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מִצְוֺתָֽיו׃ wā·’ō·mar ’ān·nā Yah·weh ’ĕ·lō·hê haš·šā·ma·yim hag·gā·ḏō·wl wə·han·nō·w·rā hā·’êl šō·mêr hab·bə·rîṯ wā·ḥe·seḏ lə·’ō·hă·ḇāw ū·lə·šō·mə·rê miṣ·wō·ṯāw — WLC · 5
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let Your eyes be… open and Your ears attentive to hear… the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites… I confess… the sins that we Israelites… have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned.
𐤅𐤏𐤉𐤍𐤉𐤊 𐤕𐤄𐤉 𐤍𐤀 𐤐𐤕𐤅𐤇𐤅𐤕 𐤀𐤆𐤍𐤊 𐤒𐤔𐤁𐤕 𐤋𐤔𐤌𐤏 𐤀𐤋 𐤕𐤐𐤋𐤕 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤀𐤍𐤊𐤉 𐤏𐤁𐤃𐤊 𐤄𐤉𐤅𐤌 𐤌𐤕𐤐𐤋𐤋 𐤋𐤐𐤍𐤉𐤊 𐤉𐤅𐤌𐤌 𐤅𐤋𐤉𐤋𐤄 𐤏𐤋 𐤏𐤁𐤃𐤉𐤊 𐤁𐤍𐤉 𐤉𐤔𐤓𐤀𐤋 𐤅𐤌𐤕𐤅𐤃𐤄 𐤏𐤋 𐤇𐤈𐤀𐤅𐤕 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤁𐤍𐤉 𐤉𐤔𐤓𐤀𐤋 𐤇𐤈𐤀𐤍𐤅 𐤋𐤊 𐤅𐤀𐤍𐤉 𐤀𐤁𐤉 𐤅𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤇𐤈𐤀𐤍𐤅
וְֽעֵינֶ֪יךָ תְּהִ֣י נָ֣א פְתֻוּח֟וֹת אָזְנְךָֽ־ קַשֶּׁ֣בֶת לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ אֶל־ תְּפִלַּ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָנֹכִי֩ עַבְדְּךָ֡ הַיּוֹם֙ מִתְפַּלֵּ֨ל לְפָנֶ֤יךָ יוֹמָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה עַל־ עֲבָדֶ֑יךָ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וּמִתְוַדֶּ֗ה עַל־ חַטֹּ֤אות אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּנֵֽי־ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ חָטָ֣אנוּ לָ֔ךְ וַאֲנִ֥י אָבִ֖י וּבֵית־ חָטָֽאנוּ׃ wə·‘ê·ne·ḵā tə·hî nā p̄ə·ṯuw·w·ḥōṯ ’ā·zə·nə·ḵā- qaš·še·ḇeṯ liš·mō·a‘ ’el- tə·p̄il·laṯ ’ă·šer ’ā·nō·ḵî ‘aḇ·də·ḵā hay·yō·wm miṯ·pal·lêl lə·p̄ā·ne·ḵā yō·w·mām wā·lay·lāh ‘al- ‘ă·ḇā·ḏe·ḵā bə·nê yiś·rā·’êl ū·miṯ·wad·deh ‘al- ḥaṭ·ṭō·wṯ ’ă·šer bə·nê- yiś·rā·’êl ḥā·ṭā·nū lāḵ wa·’ă·nî ’ā·ḇî ū·ḇêṯ- ḥā·ṭā·nū — WLC · 6
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We have behaved corruptly… against You and have not kept the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that You gave Your servant Moses.
𐤇𐤁𐤋 𐤇𐤁𐤋𐤍𐤅 𐤋𐤊 𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤔𐤌𐤓𐤍𐤅 𐤀𐤕 𐤄𐤌𐤑𐤅𐤕 𐤅𐤀𐤕 𐤄𐤇𐤒𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤀𐤕 𐤄𐤌𐤔𐤐𐤈𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤑𐤅𐤉𐤕 𐤀𐤕 𐤏𐤁𐤃𐤊 𐤌𐤔𐤄
חֲבֹ֖ל חָבַ֣לְנוּ לָ֑ךְ וְלֹא־ שָׁמַ֣רְנוּ אֶת־ הַמִּצְוֺ֗ת וְאֶת־ הַֽחֻקִּים֙ וְאֶת־ הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּ֖יתָ אֶת־ עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃ מֹשֶׁ֥ה ḥă·ḇōl ḥā·ḇal·nū lāḵ wə·lō- šā·mar·nū ’eṯ- ham·miṣ·wōṯ wə·’eṯ- ha·ḥuq·qîm wə·’eṯ- ham·miš·pā·ṭîm ’ă·šer ṣiw·wî·ṯā ’eṯ- ‘aḇ·de·ḵā mō·šeh — WLC · 7
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Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,
𐤆𐤊𐤓 𐤍𐤀 𐤀𐤕 𐤄𐤃𐤁𐤓 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤑𐤅𐤉𐤕 𐤀𐤕 𐤏𐤁𐤃𐤊 𐤌𐤔𐤄 𐤋𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤀𐤕𐤌 𐤕𐤌𐤏𐤋𐤅 𐤀𐤍𐤉 𐤀𐤐𐤉𐤑 𐤀𐤕𐤊𐤌 𐤁𐤏𐤌𐤉𐤌
זְכָר־ נָא֙ אֶת־ הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּ֛יתָ אֶת־ עַבְדְּךָ֖ מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵאמֹ֑ר אַתֶּ֣ם תִּמְעָ֔לוּ אֲנִ֕י אָפִ֥יץ אֶתְכֶ֖ם בָּעַמִּֽים׃ zə·ḵār- nā ’eṯ- had·dā·ḇār ’ă·šer ṣiw·wî·ṯā ’eṯ- ‘aḇ·də·ḵā mō·šeh lê·mōr ’at·tem tim·‘ā·lū ’ă·nî ’ā·p̄îṣ ’eṯ·ḵem bā·‘am·mîm — WLC · 8
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but [if] you return to Me and keep and practice My commandments, then even if your exiles have been {banished} to the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for My Name.’
𐤅𐤔𐤁𐤕𐤌 𐤀𐤋𐤉 𐤅𐤔𐤌𐤓𐤕𐤌 𐤅𐤏𐤔𐤉𐤕𐤌 𐤀𐤕𐤌 𐤌𐤑𐤅𐤕𐤉 𐤀𐤌 𐤍𐤃𐤇𐤊𐤌 𐤉𐤄𐤉𐤄 𐤁𐤒𐤑𐤄 𐤄𐤔𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤒𐤁𐤑𐤌 𐤌𐤔𐤌 𐤅𐤄𐤁𐤅𐤀𐤕𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤋 𐤄𐤌𐤒𐤅𐤌 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤁𐤇𐤓𐤕𐤉 𐤋𐤔𐤊𐤍 𐤀𐤕 𐤔𐤌𐤉 𐤔𐤌
וְשַׁבְתֶּ֣ם אֵלַ֔י וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם מִצְוֺתַ֔י אִם־ נִֽדַּחֲכֶ֜ם יִהְיֶ֨ה בִּקְצֵ֤ה הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ אֲקַבְּצֵ֔ם מִשָּׁ֣ם וַהֲבוֹאֹתִים אֶל־ הַמָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַ֔רְתִּי לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן אֶת־ שְׁמִ֖י שָֽׁם׃ wə·šaḇ·tem ’ê·lay ū·šə·mar·tem wa·‘ă·śî·ṯem ’ō·ṯām miṣ·wō·ṯay ’im- nid·da·ḥă·ḵem yih·yeh biq·ṣêh haš·šā·ma·yim ’ă·qab·bə·ṣêm miš·šām wa·hă·ḇō·ʾō·ṯīm ’el- ham·mā·qō·wm ’ă·šer bā·ḥar·tî lə·šak·kên ’eṯ- šə·mî šām — WLC · 9
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They are Your servants and Your people. You redeemed them by Your great power and mighty hand.
𐤅𐤄𐤌 𐤏𐤁𐤃𐤉𐤊 𐤅𐤏𐤌𐤊 𐤐𐤃𐤉𐤕 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤄𐤂𐤃𐤅𐤋 𐤁𐤊𐤇𐤊 𐤄𐤇𐤆𐤒𐤄 𐤅𐤁𐤉𐤃𐤊
וְהֵ֥ם עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ וְעַמֶּ֑ךָ פָּדִ֙יתָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הַגָּד֔וֹל בְּכֹחֲךָ֣ הַחֲזָקָֽה׃ וּבְיָדְךָ֖ wə·hêm ‘ă·ḇā·ḏe·ḵā wə·‘am·me·ḵā pā·ḏî·ṯā ’ă·šer hag·gā·ḏō·wl bə·ḵō·ḥă·ḵā ha·ḥă·zā·qāh ū·ḇə·yā·ḏə·ḵā — WLC · 10
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O Lord, may Your ear be… attentive to [my] prayer… and to the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” (At that time I was the cupbearer to the king.)
𐤀𐤃𐤍𐤉 𐤀𐤍𐤀 𐤀𐤆𐤍𐤊 𐤕𐤄𐤉 𐤍𐤀 𐤒𐤔𐤁𐤕 𐤀𐤋 𐤕𐤐𐤋𐤕 𐤏𐤁𐤃𐤊 𐤅𐤀𐤋 𐤕𐤐𐤋𐤕 𐤏𐤁𐤃𐤉𐤊 𐤄𐤇𐤐𐤑𐤉𐤌 𐤋𐤉𐤓𐤀𐤄 𐤀𐤕 𐤔𐤌𐤊 𐤋𐤏𐤁𐤃𐤊 𐤅𐤄𐤑𐤋𐤉𐤇𐤄 𐤄𐤉𐤅𐤌 𐤍𐤀 𐤅𐤕𐤍𐤄𐤅 𐤋𐤓𐤇𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤋𐤐𐤍𐤉 𐤄𐤆𐤄 𐤄𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤅𐤀𐤍𐤉 𐤄𐤉𐤉𐤕𐤉 𐤌𐤔𐤒𐤄 𐤋𐤌𐤋𐤊𐤐
אֲדֹנָ֗י אָנָּ֣א אָזְנְךָֽ־ תְּהִ֣י נָ֣א קַ֠שֶּׁבֶת אֶל־ תְּפִלַּ֨ת עַבְדְּךָ֜ וְאֶל־ תְּפִלַּ֣ת עֲבָדֶ֗יךָ הַֽחֲפֵצִים֙ לְיִרְאָ֣ה אֶת־ שְׁמֶ֔ךָ לְעַבְדְּךָ֙ וְהַצְלִֽיחָה־ הַיּ֔וֹם נָּ֤א וּתְנֵ֣הוּ לְרַחֲמִ֔ים לִפְנֵ֖י הַזֶּ֑ה הָאִ֣ישׁ וַאֲנִ֛י הָיִ֥יתִי מַשְׁקֶ֖ה לַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃פ ’ă·ḏō·nāy ’ān·nā ’ā·zə·nə·ḵā- tə·hî nā qaš·še·ḇeṯ ’el- tə·p̄il·laṯ ‘aḇ·də·ḵā wə·’el- tə·p̄il·laṯ ‘ă·ḇā·ḏe·ḵā ha·ḥă·p̄ê·ṣîm lə·yir·’āh ’eṯ- šə·me·ḵā lə·‘aḇ·də·ḵā wə·haṣ·lî·ḥāh- hay·yō·wm nā ū·ṯə·nê·hū lə·ra·ḥă·mîm lip̄·nê haz·zeh hā·’îš wa·’ă·nî hā·yî·ṯî maš·qeh lam·me·leḵ — WLC · 11