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, 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. 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.
4¶ And 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,
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: 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. 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. 8Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: 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. 10Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. 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.
Maombi Ya Nehemia
11:1 Neh 10:1; Ezr 7:8; Zek 7:1; Dan 8:2; Neh 2:1; Es 1:2Maneno ya Nehemia mwana wa Hakalia:
Katika mwezi wa Kisleu1:1 Kisleu ni mwezi wa tisa katika kalenda ya Kiyahudi; katika kalenda yetu ni Novemba/Desemba (ona pia Zekaria 7:1). katika mwaka wa ishirini, wakati nilikuwa ngomeni katika jumba la kifalme la Shushani, 21:2 Neh 7:2; 2Fal 21:4; Neh 7:6; Yer 52:28Hanani, mmoja wa ndugu zangu, alikuja kutoka Yuda akiwa na watu wengine, nami nikawauliza kuhusu mabaki ya Wayahudi wale walionusurika kwenda uhamishoni na pia kuhusu Yerusalemu.
31:3 Law 26:31; Mao 2:9; Yer 5:10; Law 26:31; 2Fal 25:10; Neh 2:3, 13, 17; Isa 22:9Wakaniambia, “Wale walionusurika kwenda uhamishoni, wale ambao wamerudi kwenye lile jimbo, wako katika taabu kubwa na aibu. Ukuta wa Yerusalemu umebomoka, na malango yake yamechomwa moto.”
41:4 Za 137:1; 2Nya 20:3; Ezr 9:4; Dan 9:3Niliposikia mambo haya, niliketi, nikalia. Kwa siku kadhaa niliomboleza na kufunga na kuomba mbele za Mungu wa mbinguni. 51:5 Kum 7:21; Neh 4:14; Kum 7:9; 1Fal 8:23; Ebr 6:13-18Kisha nikasema:
“Ee Bwana, Mungu wa mbinguni, mkuu na mwenye kuogofya, ambaye hulishika agano lake la upendo na wale wampendao na kutii amri zake, 61:6 2Nya 7:15; 1Fal 8:30; 2Nya 6:40; 1Fal 8:47tega masikio yako, na ufungue macho yako, ili usikie maombi ya mtumishi wako anayoomba mbele yako usiku na mchana kwa ajili ya watumishi wako, watu wa Israeli. Ninaungama dhambi zetu sisi Waisraeli, pamoja na zangu na za nyumba ya baba yangu, tulizotenda dhidi yako. 71:7 Kum 28:14-15; Za 106:6Tumetenda uovu sana mbele zako. Hatukutii amri, maagizo na sheria ulizompa Mose mtumishi wako.
81:8 Mwa 8:1; Law 26:33; Kum 4:25“Kumbuka agizo ulilompa Mose mtumishi wako, ukisema, ‘Kama mkikosa uaminifu, nitawatawanya miongoni mwa mataifa, 91:9 Kum 30:4; Eze 20:34-38; Mik 2:12lakini mkinirudia na kutii amri zangu, ndipo hata kama watu wenu walio uhamishoni wako mbali sana katika miisho ya dunia, nitawakusanya kutoka huko na kuwaleta mahali ambapo nimepachagua kuwa makao kwa ajili ya Jina langu.’
101:10 Kum 9:29; Isa 51:9-11; Dan 9:15“Hawa ni watumishi wako na watu wako, uliowakomboa kwa nguvu zako kuu na mkono wako wenye nguvu. 111:11 2Nya 6:40; Mwa 40:1; 32:11; Isa 26:8Ee Bwana, tega sikio lako na usikie maombi ya huyu mtumishi wako, na maombi ya watumishi wako wanaofurahia kuliheshimu Jina lako. Nipe leo, mimi mtumishi wako, mafanikio kwa kunipa kibali mbele ya mtu huyu.”
Kwa maana nilikuwa mnyweshaji wa mfalme.
