Nehemiah 1

New Jerusalem Bible	King James Bible
¹ The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. It happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year,while I was in the citadel of Susa,	¹ The 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,
² that Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with some men from Judah. I asked them about the Jews --those who had escaped and those who survived from the captivity -- and about Jerusalem.	² That 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.
³ They replied, 'The survivors remaining there in the province since the captivity are in a very bad anddemoralised condition: the wal s of Jerusalem are in ruins and its gates have been burnt down.'	³ And 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.
⁴ On hearing this I sat down and wept; for some days I mourned, fasting and praying before the God ofheaven.	⁴ And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
⁵ I said, 'Yahweh, God of heaven -- the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps a covenant of faithfullove with those who love him and obey his commandments-	⁵ And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
⁶ let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to listen to your servant's prayer, which I now offer to youday and night on behalf of your servants the Israelites. I admit the sins of the Israelites, which we havecommitted against you. Both I and my father's House have sinned;	⁶ Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.
⁷ we have acted very wickedly towards you by not keeping the commandments, laws and rulings whichyou enjoined on your servant Moses.	⁷ We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
⁸ Remember, I beg you, the promise which you solemnly made to your servant Moses, "If you areunfaithful, I shal scatter you among the peoples;	⁸ Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
⁹ but if you come back to me and keep my commandments and practise them, even though those whohave been banished are at the very sky's end, I shal gather them from there and bring them back to the placewhich I have chosen as a dwel ing-place for my name."	⁹ But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
¹⁰ Since they are your servants, your people, whom you have redeemed with your mighty power andstrong hand,	¹⁰ Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
¹¹ O Lord, let your ear now be attentive to your servant's prayer and to the prayer of your servants whowant to revere your name. I beg you let your servant be successful today and win this man's compassion.' At thetime I was cupbearer to the king.	¹¹ O 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.