Nehemias hearing the miserable state of his countrymen in Judea, lamenteth, fasteth, and prayeth to God for their relief.

 1 The words of Nehemias the son of Helchias. And it came to pass in the month of Casleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in the castle of Susa,
Verba Nehemiae filii Helchiae. Et factum est in mense Casleu, anno vigesimo, et ego eram in Susis castro.

 2 That Hanani one of my brethren came, he and some men of Juda; and I asked them concerning the Jews, that remained and were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
Et venit Hanani unus de fratribus meis, ipse et viri ex Juda : et interrogavi eos de Judaeis, qui remanserant, et supererant de captivitate, et Jerusalem.

 3 And they said to me: They that have remained, and are left of the captivity there in the province, are in great affliction, and reproach: and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire.
Et dixerunt mihi : Qui remanserunt, et relicti sunt de captivitate ibi in provincia, in afflictione magna sunt, et in opprobrio : et murus Jerusalem dissipatus est, et portae ejus combustae sunt igni.

 4 And when I had heard these words, I sat down, and wept, and mourned for many days: and I fasted, and prayed before the face of the God of heaven.
Cumque audissem verba hujuscemodi, sedi, et flevi, et luxi diebus multis : jejunabam, et orabam ante faciem Dei caeli :

 5 And I said: I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, strong, great, and terrible, who keepest covenant and mercy with those that love thee, and keep thy 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 Let thy ears be attentive, and thy eyes open, to hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, night and day, for the children of Israel thy servants: and I confess the sins of the children of Israel, by which they have sinned against thee: I and my father's house have sinned.
fiant aures tuae auscultantes, et oculi tui aperti, ut audias orationem servi tui, quam ego oro coram te hodie nocte et die pro filiis Israel servis tuis : et confiteor pro peccatis filiorum Israel, quibus peccaverunt tibi : ego et domus patris mei peccavimus,

 7 We have been seduced by vanity, and have not kept thy commandments, and ceremonies and judgments, which thou hast commanded thy servant Moses.
vanitate seducti sumus, et non custodivimus mandatum tuum, et caeremonias, et judicia quae praecepisti Moysi famulo tuo.

 8 Remember the word that thou commandedst to Moses thy servant, saying: If you shall transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
Memento verbi, quod mandasti Moysi servo tuo, dicens : Cum transgressi fueritis, ego dispergam vos in populos :

 9 But if you return to me, and keep my commandments, and do them, though you should be led away to the uttermost parts of the world, I will gather you from thence, and bring you back to the place which I have chosen for my name to dwell there.
et si revertamini ad me, et custodiatis praecepta mea, et faciatis ea : etiamsi abducti fueritis ad extrema caeli, inde congregabo vos, et reducam in locum, quem elegi ut habitaret nomen meum ibi.

 10 And these are thy servants, and thy people: whom thou hast redeemed by thy great strength, and by thy mighty hand.
Et ipsi servi tui, et populus tuus : quos redemisti in fortitudine tua magna, et in manu tua valida.

 11 I beseech thee, O Lord, let thy ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants who desire to fear thy name: and direct thy servant this day, and give him mercy before this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.
Obsecro, Domine, sit auris tua attendens 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.