¹The 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,

¹耶路撒冷的慘況哈迦利亞的兒子尼希米的言行錄：亞達薛西王二十年基斯流月，我在書珊宮中，

²That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

²我的一位兄弟哈拿尼和幾個人一起從猶大來到；我詢問他們關於那些從被擄逃脫的猶大餘民和關於耶路撒冷的景況。

³And 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.

³他們對我說：“那些從被擄剩下的餘民，在猶大省那裡遭遇患難，受到凌辱。耶路撒冷的城牆倒塌，城門也被火燒毀。”

⁴And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

⁴尼希米為耶路撒冷禁食禱告我聽見了這些事，就坐下哭泣，悲傷了好幾天，在天上的　神面前禁食禱告，

⁵And 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:

⁵說：“耶和華天上的　神，偉大可畏的　神啊，你向那些愛你，遵守你誡命的人，守約施慈愛。

⁶Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine 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.

⁶求你側著耳，睜著眼的，垂聽你僕人的禱告，我今天在你面前晝夜為著你的僕人以色列人禱告，承認以色列人所犯的罪，就是我與我父的家向你所犯的罪。

⁷We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

⁷我們故意行極大的惡事得罪你，沒有遵守你吩咐你僕人摩西的誡命、律例和典章。

⁸Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:

⁸求你記念你吩咐你僕人摩西的話，說：‘你們若是不忠，我就把你們分散在萬民中。

⁹But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto 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 set my name there.

⁹但如果你們回心轉意歸向我，謹守遵行我的誡命，即使在你們被趕逐的天邊，我也必從那裡把他們招聚回來，帶他們到我選擇給我的名居住的地方那裡去。’

¹⁰Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

¹⁰這些都是你的僕人，你的子民，是你用你的大能和你強而有力的手所救贖的。

¹¹O LORD, I beseech thee, let now thine 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.

¹¹主啊，求你留意聽你僕人的禱告，聽那些喜愛敬畏你名的僕人的禱告；求你使你的僕人今天順利，使他在這人面前蒙憐憫。”那時我是王的酒政。