The Book of Nehemiah, Chapter 1נחמיה 1

דִּבְרֵ֥י נְחֶמְיָ֖ה בֶּן חֲכַלְיָ֑ה וַיְהִ֤י בְחֹֽדֶשׁ כסלו כִּסְלֵיו֙ שְׁנַ֣ת עֶשְׂרִ֔ים וַאֲנִ֥י הָיִ֖יתִי בְּשׁוּשַׁ֥ן הַבִּירָֽה

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,

וַיָּבֹ֨א חֲנָ֜נִי אֶחָ֧ד מֵאַחַ֛י ה֥וּא וַאֲנָשִׁ֖ים מִֽיהוּדָ֑ה וָאֶשְׁאָלֵ֞ם עַל הַיְּהוּדִ֧ים הַפְּלֵיטָ֛ה אֲשֶֽׁר נִשְׁאֲר֥וּ מִן הַשֶּׁ֖בִי וְעַל יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם

That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ֮ לִי֒ הַֽנִּשְׁאָרִ֞ים אֲשֶֽׁר נִשְׁאֲר֤וּ מִן הַשְּׁבִי֙ שָׁ֣ם בַּמְּדִינָ֔ה בְּרָעָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה וּבְחֶרְפָּ֑ה וְחוֹמַ֤ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ מְפֹרָ֔צֶת וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ נִצְּת֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ

And they said to me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

וַיְהִ֞י כְּשָׁמְעִ֣י אֶת הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה יָשַׁ֨בְתִּי֙ וָֽאֶבְכֶּ֔ה וָאֶתְאַבְּלָ֖ה יָמִ֑ים וָֽאֱהִ֥י צָם֙ וּמִתְפַּלֵּ֔ל לִפְנֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵ֥י הַשָּׁמָֽיִם

And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

וָאֹמַ֗ר אָֽנָּ֤א יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם הָאֵ֥ל הַגָּד֖וֹל וְהַנּוֹרָ֑א שֹׁמֵ֤ר הַבְּרִית֙ וָחֶ֔סֶד לְאֹהֲבָ֖יו וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מִצְוֺתָֽיו

And said, I beseech you, O YHWH God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:

תְּהִ֣י נָ֣א אָזְנְךָֽ קַשֶּׁ֣בֶת וְֽעֵינֶ֪יךָ פְתֻוּח֟וֹת לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ אֶל תְּפִלַּ֣ת עַבְדְּךָ֡ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָנֹכִי֩ מִתְפַּלֵּ֨ל לְפָנֶ֤יךָ הַיּוֹם֙ יוֹמָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה עַל בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עֲבָדֶ֑יךָ וּמִתְוַדֶּ֗ה עַל חַטֹּ֤אות בְּנֵֽי יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָטָ֣אנוּ לָ֔ךְ וַאֲנִ֥י וּבֵית אָבִ֖י חָטָֽאנוּ

Let your ear now be attentive, and your eyes open, that you mayest hear the prayer of your servant, which I pray before you now, day and night, for the children of Israel your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against you: both I and my father's house have sinned.

חֲבֹ֖ל חָבַ֣לְנוּ לָ֑ךְ וְלֹא שָׁמַ֣רְנוּ אֶת הַמִּצְוֺ֗ת וְאֶת הַֽחֻקִּים֙ וְאֶת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּ֖יתָ אֶת מֹשֶׁ֥ה עַבְדֶּֽךָ

We have dealt very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which you commandedst your servant Moses.

זְכָר נָא֙ אֶת הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּ֛יתָ אֶת מֹשֶׁ֥ה עַבְדְּךָ֖ לֵאמֹ֑ר אַתֶּ֣ם תִּמְעָ֔לוּ אֲנִ֕י אָפִ֥יץ אֶתְכֶ֖ם בָּעַמִּֽים

Remember, I beseech you, the word that you commandedst your servant Moses, saying, you transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:

וְשַׁבְתֶּ֣ם אֵלַ֔י וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ מִצְוֺתַ֔י וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם אִם יִהְיֶ֨ה נִֽדַּחֲכֶ֜ם בִּקְצֵ֤ה הַשָּׁמַ֨יִם֙ מִשָּׁ֣ם אֲקַבְּצֵ֔ם והבואתים וַהֲבִֽיאוֹתִים֙ אֶל הַמָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַ֔רְתִּי לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן אֶת שְׁמִ֖י שָֽׁם

But you turn to me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out to the uttermost part of the heaven, will I gather them from thence, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

וְהֵ֥ם עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ וְעַמֶּ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר פָּדִ֨יתָ֙ בְּכֹחֲךָ֣ הַגָּד֔וֹל וּבְיָדְךָ֖ הַחֲזָקָֽה

Now these your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power, and by your strong hand.

אָנָּ֣א אֲדֹנָ֗י תְּהִ֣י נָ֣א אָזְנְךָֽ קַ֠שֶּׁבֶת אֶל תְּפִלַּ֨ת עַבְדְּךָ֜ וְאֶל תְּפִלַּ֣ת עֲבָדֶ֗יךָ הַֽחֲפֵצִים֙ לְיִרְאָ֣ה אֶת שְׁמֶ֔ךָ וְהַצְלִֽיחָה נָּ֤א לְעַבְדְּךָ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם וּתְנֵ֣הוּ לְרַחֲמִ֔ים לִפְנֵ֖י הָאִ֣ישׁ הַזֶּ֑ה וַאֲנִ֛י הָיִ֥יתִי מַשְׁקֶ֖ה לַמֶּֽלֶךְ

O Lord, I beseech you, let now your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants, who desire to fear your name: and prosper, I pray you, your servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.