Nehemiah 1

1 The words of Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah. And it happened that, in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, I was in the capital city of Susa.

verba Neemiae filii Echliae et factum est in mense casleu anno vicesimo et ego eram in Susis castro

2 And Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived, he and some men of Judah. And I questioned them about the Jews who had remained and were left behind from the captivity, and about Jerusalem.

et venit Anani unus de fratribus meis ipse et viri ex Iuda et interrogavi eos de Iudaeis qui remanserant et supererant de captivitate et de Hierusalem

3 And they said to me: “Those who have remained and have been left behind from the captivity, there in the province, are in great affliction and in disgrace. And the wall of Jerusalem has been broken apart, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

et dixerunt mihi qui remanserunt et derelicti sunt de captivitate ibi in provincia in adflictione magna sunt et in obprobrio et murus Hierusalem dissipatus est et portae eius conbustae sunt igni

4 And when I had heard this manner of words, I sat down, and I wept and mourned for many days. I fasted and prayed before the face of the God of heaven.

cumque audissem verba huiuscemodi sedi et flevi et luxi diebus et ieiunabam et orabam ante faciem Dei caeli

5 And I said: “I beg you, O Lord, God of heaven, strong, great, and terrible, who keeps covenant and mercy with those who love you and who keep your commandments:

et dixi quaeso Domine Deus caeli fortis magne atque terribilis qui custodis pactum et misericordiam cum his qui te diligunt et custodiunt mandata tua

6 may your ears be attentive, and may your eyes be open, so that you may hear the prayer of your servant, which I am praying before you today, night and day, for the sons of Israel, your servants. And I am confessing the sins of the sons of Israel, which they have sinned against you. We have sinned, I and my father’s house.

fiat auris tua auscultans et oculi tui aperti ut audias orationem servi tui quam ego oro coram te hodie nocte et die pro filiis Israhel servis tuis et confiteor pro peccatis filiorum Israhel quibus peccaverunt tibi et ego et domus patris mei peccavimus

7 We have been seduced by vanity. And we have not kept your commandments and ceremonies and judgments, which you have instructed to your servant Moses.

vanitate seducti sumus et non custodivimus mandatum et caerimonias et iudicia quae praecepisti Mosi servo tuo

8 Remember the word which you commanded to your servant Moses, saying: ‘When you will have transgressed, I will disperse you among the nations.

memento verbi quod mandasti Mosi famulo tuo dicens cum transgressi fueritis ego dispergam vos in populos

9 But if you will return to me, and keep my precepts, and do them, even if you will have been led away to the furthest reaches of the heavens, I will gather you from there, and I will lead you back to the place that I have chosen so that my name would dwell there.’

et si revertamini ad me et custodiatis mandata mea et faciatis ea etiam si abducti fueritis ad extrema caeli inde congregabo vos et inducam in locum quem elegi ut habitaret nomen meum ibi

10 And these same are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great strength and by your powerful hand.

et ipsi servi tui et populus tuus quos redemisti in fortitudine tua magna et in manu tua valida

11 I beg you, O Lord, may your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who are willing to fear your name. And so, guide your servant today, and grant to him mercy before this man.” For I was the cupbearer of the king.

obsecro Domine sit auris tua adtendens ad orationem servi tui et ad orationem servorum tuorum qui volunt timere nomen tuum et dirige servum tuum hodie et da ei misericordiam ante virum hunc ego enim eram pincerna regis