Nehemiah:1
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The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah .
And it came to pass in the month Chisleu ,
in the twentieth year ,
as I was in Shushan the palace ,
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That Hanani ,
one of my brethren ,
came ,
he and men of Judah ;
and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped ,
who were left of the captivity ,
and concerning Jerusalem .
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And they said to me ,
The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province in great affliction and reproach :
the wall of Jerusalem also broken down ,
and its gates 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 days ,
and fasted ,
and prayed before the God of heaven ,
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And said ,
I beseech thee ,
O LORD God of heaven ,
the great and terrible God ,
that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments :
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Let thy ear now be attentive ,
and thy eyes open ,
that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant ,
which I pray before thee now ,
day and night ,
for the children of Israel thy servants ,
and confess the sins of the children of Israel ,
which we have sinned against thee :
both 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 judgments ,
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 ,
ye transgress ,
I will scatter you abroad among the nations :
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But ye turn to me ,
and keep my commandments ,
and do them ;
though there were of you driven to the uttermost part of the heaven ,
will I gather them from there ,
and will bring them to the place that I have chosen to set my name there .
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Now these 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 thy ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant ,
and to the prayer of thy servants ,
who desire to fear thy name :
and prosper ,
I pray thee ,
thy servant this day ,
and grant him mercy in the sight of this man .
For I was the king ’
s cupbearer .