| א דִּבְרֵי נְחֶמְיָה, בֶּן-חֲכַלְיָה: וַיְהִי בְחֹדֶשׁ-כִּסְלֵו שְׁנַת עֶשְׂרִים, וַאֲנִי הָיִיתִי בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה. | 1 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, |
| ב וַיָּבֹא חֲנָנִי אֶחָד מֵאַחַי, הוּא וַאֲנָשִׁים--מִיהוּדָה; וָאֶשְׁאָלֵם עַל-הַיְּהוּדִים הַפְּלֵיטָה, אֲשֶׁר-נִשְׁאֲרוּ מִן-הַשֶּׁבִי--וְעַל-יְרוּשָׁלִָם. | 2 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. |
| ג וַיֹּאמְרוּ, לִי--הַנִּשְׁאָרִים אֲשֶׁר-נִשְׁאֲרוּ מִן-הַשְּׁבִי שָׁם בַּמְּדִינָה, בְּרָעָה גְדֹלָה וּבְחֶרְפָּה; וְחוֹמַת יְרוּשָׁלִַם מְפֹרָצֶת, וּשְׁעָרֶיהָ נִצְּתוּ בָאֵשׁ. | 3 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.' |
| ד וַיְהִי כְּשָׁמְעִי אֶת-הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, יָשַׁבְתִּי וָאֶבְכֶּה, וָאֶתְאַבְּלָה, יָמִים; וָאֱהִי צָם וּמִתְפַּלֵּל, לִפְנֵי אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמָיִם. | 4 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, |
| ה וָאֹמַר, אָנָּא יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם--הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל, וְהַנּוֹרָא: שֹׁמֵר הַבְּרִית וָחֶסֶד, לְאֹהֲבָיו וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֺתָיו. | 5 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; |
| ו 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. | 6 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. |
| ז חֲבֹל, חָבַלְנוּ לָךְ; וְלֹא-שָׁמַרְנוּ אֶת-הַמִּצְוֺת, וְאֶת-הַחֻקִּים וְאֶת-הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים, אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָ, אֶת-מֹשֶׁה עַבְדֶּךָ. | 7 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. |
| ח זְכָר-נָא, אֶת-הַדָּבָר, אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָ אֶת-מֹשֶׁה עַבְדְּךָ, לֵאמֹר: אַתֶּם תִּמְעָלוּ--אֲנִי, אָפִיץ אֶתְכֶם בָּעַמִּים. | 8 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; |
| ט וְשַׁבְתֶּם אֵלַי--וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם מִצְוֺתַי, וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם: אִם-יִהְיֶה נִדַּחֲכֶם בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם, מִשָּׁם אֲקַבְּצֵם, והבואתים וַהֲבִיאֹתִים אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם, אֲשֶׁר בָּחַרְתִּי לְשַׁכֵּן אֶת-שְׁמִי שָׁם. | 9 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. |
| י וְהֵם עֲבָדֶיךָ, וְעַמֶּךָ--אֲשֶׁר פָּדִיתָ בְּכֹחֲךָ הַגָּדוֹל, וּבְיָדְךָ הַחֲזָקָה. | 10 Now these are Thy servants and Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy great power, and by Thy strong hand. |
| יא 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. {פ} | 11 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. {P} |