Nehemiah 1:4-11 - Nehemiah's Prayer

⁴ After I heard these words I sat down on the ground and cried for days. I ate no food and offered prayer to the God of heaven. ⁵ I said: O Jehovah (YHWH), the God of heaven, the great God, greatly to be respected, keeping faith and mercy with those who have love for him and are true to his laws: ⁶ Let your ear now take note and let your eyes be open. Please give ear to the prayer of your servant. At this time, day and night I pray for the children of Israel, your servants. I put before you the sins of the children of Israel that we have done against you: truly, my father's people and I are sinners. ⁷ We have done great wrong against you. We have not obeyed the orders, the rules, and the decisions, which you gave to your servant Moses. ⁸ Keep in mind, O Jehovah, the order you gave your servant Moses, saying: 'If you do wrong I will send you wandering among the peoples: ⁹ If you come back to me and obey my orders, even if you have been forced out and are living in the farthest horizons, I will gather you from there, and bring you to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my name.' ¹⁰ These are your servants and your people, whom you have made yours by your great power and by your strong hand. ¹¹ O Jehovah, let your ear take note of the prayer of your servant. Of the prayers of all your servants, who take delight in worshipping your name: give help, O Jehovah, to your servant this day, and let him have mercy in the eyes of this man. Now I was the king's wine-servant.