דִּבְרֵי נְחֶמְיָה בֶּן־חֲכַלְיָה וַיְהִי בְחֹדֶשׁ־כִּסְלֵו שְׁנַת עֶשְׂרִים וַאֲנִי הָיִיתִי בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה

The words of Nehemiah son of Hakhalya: It was in the month of Kislev, the twentieth year of King Artahshasta, and I was in the Shushan citadel.Shushan was a fortified city that contained the administrative center of the Persian Empire.

וַיָּבֹא חֲנָנִי אֶחָד מֵאַחַי הוּא וַאֲנָשִׁים מִיהוּדָה וָאֶשְׁאָלֵם עַל־הַיְּהוּדִים הַפְּלֵיטָה אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁאֲרוּ מִן־הַשֶּׁבִי וְעַל יְרוּשָׁלִָם;

Hanani, one of my brothers, colleagues, or his actual brother (see 7:2), he and some additional men from Judah came to Shushan. Hanani had traveled to the Land of Israel while Nehemiah had remained in exile, serving the king. And I asked them about the Judeans in Judah, the survivors that remained from the captivity, meaning the exiles from Babylonia that had reached Judah previously; alternatively, it refers to an unknown event that occurred closer to that time, in which Judean captives were taken from Jerusalem, and about the situation in Jerusalem. Nehemiah probably also asked about his family that had immigrated there.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ לִי הַנִּשְׁאָרִים אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁאֲרוּ מִן־הַשְּׁבִי שָׁם בַּמְּדִינָה בְּרָעָה גְדֹלָה וּבְחֶרְפָּה וְחוֹמַת יְרוּשָׁלִַם מְפֹרָצֶת וּשְׁעָרֶיהָ נִצְּתוּ בָאֵשׁ

They said to me: The remaining Judeans who remain from the captivity there in the province are living in great trouble and in disgrace. Their situation is dire, both economically and otherwise. The wall of Jerusalem is breached and in ruins, and its gates were set on fire. Perhaps the walls were somewhat breached when Ezra had arrived thirteen years before, and by Nehemiah’s time they were in an even worse state.

וַיְהִי כְּשָׁמְעִי אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה יָשַׁבְתִּי וָאֶבְכֶּה וָאֶתְאַבְּלָה יָמִים וָאֱהִי צָם וּמִתְפַּלֵּל לִפְנֵי אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמָיִם

It was when I heard these words that I sat down and cried and mourned for days; I was fasting and praying before God of the heavens, as I shared in the misery of Israel.

וָאֹמַר אָנָּא ה' אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא שֹׁמֵר הַבְּרִית וָחֶסֶד לְאֹהֲבָיו וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֹתָיו

I said: Please, Lord God of the heavens, the great and awesome God, who maintains the covenant and kindness for those who love Him and those who observe His commandments. This description of God “who maintains the covenant…” appears in the book of Deuteronomy (7:9), and Daniel also uses it when addressing God in prayer. A similar phrase can be found in Solomon’s prayer as well.

תְּהִי נָא אָזְנְךָ־קַשֶּׁבֶת וְעֵינֶיךָ פְתוּחוֹת לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶל־ תְּפִלַּת עַבְדְּךָ אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מִתְפַּלֵּל לְפָנֶיךָ הַיּוֹם יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה עַל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדֶיךָ וּמִתְוַדֶּה עַל־חַטֹּאות בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר חָטָאנוּ לָךְ וַאֲנִי וּבֵית־אָבִי חָטָאנוּ

Please let Your ear be attentive, and Your eyes open, to hear the prayer of Your servant that I am praying before You today, day and night, about the children of Israel Your servants. I confess the sins of the children of Israel that we have sinned against You; and that I and my father’s house have sinned. Nehemiah includes himself in his confession for his people, just as Daniel did.

חֲבֹל חָבַלְנוּ לָךְ וְלֹא־שָׁמַרְנוּ אֶת־הַמִּצְוֹת וְאֶת־הַחֻקִּים וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָ אֶת־מֹשֶׁה עַבְדֶּךָ

In our sins, we have done injury, caused various harms, to You, and have not observed the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that You commanded Your servant Moses.

זְכָר־נָא אֶת־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָ אֶת־מֹשֶׁה עַבְדְּךָ לֵאמֹר אַתֶּם תִּמְעָלוּ אֲנִי אָפִיץ אֶתְכֶם בָּעַמִּים

Remember, please, the matter that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying: You will trespass and betray Me, and I will scatter you among the peoples;

וְשַׁבְתֶּם אֵלַי וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם מִצְוֹתַי וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם אִם־יִהְיֶה נִדַּחֲכֶם בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם מִשָּׁם אֲקַבְּצֵם וַהֲבִיאֹתִים אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר בָּחַרְתִּי לְשַׁכֵּן אֶת־שְׁמִי שָׁם

and if you regret your former ways and you will return to Me, and observe My commandments and perform them, then if your banished brethren will be at the ends of the heavens, the far-flung corners of the world, from there I will gather them, and I will bring them to the place where I have chosen to rest My name.

והֵם עֲבָדֶיךָ וְעַמֶּךָ אֲשֶׁר פָּדִיתָ בְּכֹחֲךָ הַגָּדוֹל וּבְיָדְךָ הַחֲזָקָה

They are Your servants and Your people, whom You redeemed with Your great power, and with Your strong hand.

אָנָּא אֲדֹנָי תְּהִי נָא אָזְנְךָ־קַשֶּׁבֶת אֶל־תְּפִלַּת עַבְדְּךָ וְאֶל־תְּפִלַּת עֲבָדֶיךָ הַחֲפֵצִים לְיִרְאָה אֶת־שְׁמֶךָ וְהַצְלִיחָה־נָּא לְעַבְדְּךָ הַיּוֹם וּתְנֵהוּ לְרַחֲמִים לִפְנֵי הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה וַאֲנִי הָיִיתִי מַשְׁקֶה לַמֶּלֶךְ

Please Lord, 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, as Nehemiah is praying on behalf of the community; and please cause Your servant to succeed today, and dispose him for mercy before this man, the king. Nehemiah is about to seek permission from the king to take steps to amend the situation in Jerusalem. He therefore prays to God for success in the mission, that he will find favor in the eyes of the king. Before continuing the narrative, Nehemiah provides information about his official function, which is indicative of his closeness to the king: I was cupbearer to the king.