Nehemiah 1

Berean Standard Bible

Chapter summary

In the month of Chislev in the twentieth year, while Nehemiah was in the citadel of Susa, his brother Hanani and some men from Judah arrived. Nehemiah questioned them about the surviving Jewish remnant and Jerusalem, and they reported that the people were in great trouble and disgrace, with the city wall broken down and its gates burned. Upon hearing this, Nehemiah sat down, wept, mourned for days, fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven. He confessed the sins of the Israelites, including his own family, acknowledging their failure to keep the commandments given through Moses. He then petitioned God to remember His promise to gather the scattered exiles if they returned to Him and obeyed His commands. Concluding his prayer, Nehemiah asked God to grant him success and mercy in the sight of the king, whom he served as a cupbearer.

Summary automatically generated from the Bible text.

Words of Jesus in red

¹These are the words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, ²Hanani, 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. ³And 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.” ⁴When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. ⁵Then 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, ⁶let 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. ⁷We have behaved corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that You gave Your servant Moses. ⁸Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, ⁹but 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.’ ¹⁰They are Your servants and Your people. You redeemed them by Your great power and mighty hand. ¹¹O 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.)