1The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, 2That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and [certain] men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province [are] in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also [is] broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. 4And when I heard these wordes, I sate downe and wept, and mourned certeine dayes, & I fasted and prayed before the God of heauen, 5And sayde, O Lorde God of heauen, the great and terrible God, that keepeth couenant and mercy for them that loue him, and obserue his commandements, 6I pray thee, let thine eares be attet, & thine eies open, to heare the praier of thy seruat, which I pray before thee dayly, day & night for ye childre of Israel thy seruats, & confesse the sinnes of the children of Israel, which we haue sinned against thee, both I and my fathers house haue sinned: 7We haue grieuously sinned against thee, and haue not kept the commandements, nor the statutes, nor the iudgements, which thou commandedst thy seruant Moses. 8I beseeche thee, remember the worde that thou commandedst thy seruant Moses, saying, Ye wil transgresse, and I will scatter you abroade among the people. 9But if ye turne vnto me, & keepe my commandements, and doe them, though your scattering were to the vttermost part of the heauen, yet will I gather you from thence, and will bring you vnto the place that I haue chosen to place my Name there. 10Now these are thy seruants and thy people, whome thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy mightie hand. 11O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.