Keraia
Nehemiah 1

Nehemiah 1:6

Nehemiah’s Prayer · Nehemiah 1:1–11
Read Nehemiah 1

Translations

Modern
…let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned.
Traditional
Let 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.
Literal
…please let Your ear be attentive, and Your eyes be open, that You may listen to the prayer of Your servant, which I pray before You now, day and night, for the sons of Israel Your servants. And confessing on account of the sins of the sons of Israel, which we have sinned against You, both I and the house of my father have sinned.
Latin
…fiant aures tuæ auscultantes, et oculi tui aperti, ut audias orationem servi tui, quam ego oro coram te hodie nocte et die pro filiis Israël servis tuis: et confiteor pro peccatis filiorum Israël, quibus peccaverunt tibi: ego et domus patris mei peccavimus,

Original

Hebrew
English
…let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned.

Notes

Nehemiah 1:6

I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed: Like Ezra (Ezra 9:5–15) and Daniel (Daniel 9:4–19), Nehemiah identified with his people's sins. He made no excuses and accepted his own responsibility and that of the larger covenant group that had sinned against God.

Nehemiah 1:5–11

Nehemiah’s prayer includes:

Nehemiah understood that Israel’s situation was not due to God failing His covenant of unfailing love. Instead, Israel’s ongoing sin led to the punishments described in the covenant.

Nehemiah 1:1–2:20

When Nehemiah heard about Jerusalem's ruins, he prayed for God's help (Nehemiah 1:1–11) and asked the king to send him to Jerusalem (2:1–8). Upon arrival, he urged the people to rebuild the city's wall (Nehemiah 2:11–20).

Parallels

Deuteronomy 30:1–10

People

Israel: Patriarch, son of Isaac, father of twelve tribes

Glossary

Book of Nehemiah Confession Nehemiah (Person) Postexilic Period Susa

Topics

Confession of Sin: Nehemiah Country: Love of Intercession: Additional Instances of Nehemiah, in Behalf of Judah and Jerusalem Intercessory Prayer: Nehemiah Nation: Lamented Prayer: Confession In Prayer: Importunity In Prayer: should be offered Up with Desire to be Heard Repentance: Exemplified Sin: Confession of