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- THE WORDS of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.
Now it came to pass in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the castle,
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- that Hanani, one of my brethren, came out of Judah, he and certain men;
and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, that were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
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- 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."
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- And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days;
and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
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- and said: "I beseech Thee, O LORD, the God of heaven, the great and awful God, that keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments;
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- let Thine ear now be attentive, and Thine eyes open, that Thou mayest hearken unto the prayer of Thy servant, which I pray before Thee at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel Thy servants, while I confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against Thee;
yea, I and my father"s house have sinned.
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- We have dealt very corruptly against Thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which Thou didst command Thy servant Moses.
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- Remember, I beseech Thee, the word that Thou didst command Thy servant Moses, saying: If ye deal treacherously, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples;
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- but if ye return unto Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though your dispersed were in 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 cause My name to dwell there.
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- Now these are Thy servants and Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy great power, and by Thy strong hand.
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- 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 delight to fear Thy name;
and prosper, I pray Thee, Thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." Now I was cupbearer to the king.
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