1
דִּבְרֵי נְחֶמְיָה בֶּן־חֲכַלְיָה וַיְהִי בְחֹדֶשׁ־כסלו כִּסְלֵיו שְׁנַת עֶשְׂרִים וַאֲנִי הָיִיתִי בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה
THE WORDS of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it came to pass in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the castle,
ΛΟΓΟΙ Νεεμία υἱοῦ Χελκία. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν μηνὶ Χασελεῦ ἔτους εἰκοστοῦ, καὶ ἐγὼ ἤμηνν ἐν Σουσὰν ἀβιρά·
The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chislev, of the twentieth year, that I was in Susa the palace.
2
וַיָּבֹא חֲנָנִי אֶחָד מֵאַחַי הוּא וַאֲנָשִׁים מִיהוּדָה וָאֶשְׁאָלֵם עַל־הַיְּהוּדִים הַפְּלֵיטָה אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁאֲרוּ מִן־הַשֶּׁבִי וְעַל־יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם
that Hanani, one of my brethren, came out of Judah, he and certain men; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, that were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
καὶ ἦλθεν Ἀνανὶ εἷς ἀπὸ ἀδελφῶν μου, αὐτὸς καὶ ἄνδρες Ἰούδα· καὶ ἠρώτησα αὐτοὺς περὶ τῶν σωθέντων, οἳ κατελείθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας, καὶ περὶ Ἱερουσαλήμ.
And Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and [some] men of Judah; and I asked them concerning those that had escaped, who had been left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3
וַיֹּאמְרוּ לִי הַנִּשְׁאָרִים אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁאֲרוּ מִן־הַשְּׁבִי שָׁם בַּמְּדִינָה בְּרָעָה גְדֹלָה וּבְחֶרְפָּה וְחוֹמַת יְרוּשָׁלִַם מְפֹרָצֶת וּשְׁעָרֶיהָ נִצְּתוּ בָאֵשׁ
And 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.'
Καὶ εἴποσαν πρὸς μέ, Οἱ καταλειπόμενοι οἱ καταλειφθέντες ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἐκεῖ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ, ἐν πονηρίᾳ μεγάλῃ καὶ ἐν ὀνειδισμῷ, καὶ τείχη Ἱερουσαλὴμ καθῃρημένα, καὶ αἱ πύλαι αὐτῆς ἐνεπρήσθησαν ἐν πυρί.
And they said to me, The remnant, [even] those that are left of the captivity, [are] there in the land, in great distress and reproach: and the walls of Jerusalem [are] thrown down, and its gates are burned with fire.
4
וַיְהִי כְּשָׁמְעִי אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה יָשַׁבְתִּי וָאֶבְכֶּה וָאֶתְאַבְּלָה יָמִים וָאֱהִי צָם וּמִתְפַּלֵּל לִפְנֵי אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמָיִם
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the G-d of heaven,
Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἀκοῦσαί με τοὺς λόγους τούτους, ἐκάθισα καὶ ἔκλαυσα καὶ ἐπένθησα ἡμέρας, καὶ ἤμην νηστεύων καὶ προσευχόμενος ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ.
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, [that] I sat down and wept, and mourned for [several] days, and continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
5
וָאֹמַר אָנָּא יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא שֹׁמֵר הַבְּרִית וָחֶסֶד לְאֹהֲבָיו וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֺתָיו
and said: 'I beseech Thee, O HaShem, the G-d of heaven, the great and awful G-d, that keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments;
Καὶ εἶπα, μὴ δὴ Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ὁ ἰσχυρὸς, ὁ μέγας καὶ φοβερὸς, φυλάσσων τὴν διαθήκην καὶ τὸ ἔλεός σου τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν καὶ τοῖς φυλάσσουσι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ·
And I said, Nay, I pray thee, O Lord God of heaven, the mighty, the great and terrible, keeping thy covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to those that keep his commandments:
6
תְּהִי נָא אָזְנְךָ־קַשֶּׁבֶת וְעֵינֶיךָ פְתֻוּחוֹת לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶל־תְּפִלַּת עַבְדְּךָ אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מִתְפַּלֵּל לְפָנֶיךָ הַיּוֹם יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה עַל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדֶיךָ וּמִתְוַדֶּה עַל־חַטֹּאות בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר חָטָאנוּ לָךְ וַאֲנִי וּבֵית־אָבִי חָטָאנוּ
let Thine ear now be attentive, and Thine eyes open, that Thou mayest hearken unto the prayer of Thy servant, which I pray before Thee at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel Thy servants, while I confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against Thee; yea, I and my father's house have sinned.
Ἔστω δὴ τὸ οὖς σου προσέχον, καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ἀνεῳγμένοι, τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι προσευχὴν τοῦ δούλου σου, ἣν ἐγὼ προσεύχομαι ἐνώπιόν σου σήμερον ἡμέραν καὶ νύκτα περὶ υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ δούλων σου· καὶ ἐξαγορεύω ἐπὶ ἁμαρτίαις υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ αἷς ἡμάρτομέν σοι· καὶ ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ οἶκος πατρός μου ἡμάρτομεν.
let now thine ear be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee at this time, this day [both] day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and make confession for the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and the house of my father have sinned.
7
חֲבֹל חָבַלְנוּ לָךְ וְלֹא־שָׁמַרְנוּ אֶת־הַמִּצְוֺת וְאֶת־הַחֻקִּים וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָ אֶת־מֹשֶׁה עַבְדֶּךָ
We have dealt very corruptly against Thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which Thou didst command Thy servant Moses.
Διαλύσει διελύσαμεν πρὸς σὲ, καὶ οὐκ ἐφυλάξαμεν τὰς ἐντολὰς καὶ τὰ προστάγματα καὶ τὰ κρίματα, ἃ ἐνετείλω τῷ Μωυσῇ παιδί σου.
We have altogether broken [covenant] with thee, and we have not kept the commandments, and the ordinances, and the judgments, which thou didst command thy servant Moses.
8
זְכָר־נָא אֶת־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָ אֶת־מֹשֶׁה עַבְדְּךָ לֵאמֹר אַתֶּם תִּמְעָלוּ אֲנִי אָפִיץ אֶתְכֶם בָּעַמִּים
Remember, I beseech Thee, the word that Thou didst command Thy servant Moses, saying: If ye deal treacherously, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples;
Μνήσθητι δὴ τὸν λόγον ὃν ἐνετείλω τῷ Μωυσῇ παιδί σου, λέγων, ὑμεῖς ἐὰν ἀσυνθετήσητε, ἐγὼ διασκορπιῶ ὑμᾶς ἐν τοῖς λαοῖς·
Remember, I pray thee, the word wherewith thou didst charge thy servant Moses, saying, If ye break covenant [with me], I will disperse you among the nations.
9
וְשַׁבְתֶּם אֵלַי וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם מִצְוֺתַי וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם אִם־יִהְיֶה נִדַּחֲכֶם בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם מִשָּׁם אֲקַבְּצֵם והבואתים וַהֲבִיאוֹתִים אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר בָּחַרְתִּי לְשַׁכֵּן אֶת־שְׁמִי שָׁם
but if ye return unto Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though your dispersed were in 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 cause My name to dwell there.
καὶ ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψητε πρὸς μὲ, καὶ φυλάξητε τὰς ἐντολάς μου, καὶ ποιήσητε αὐτὰς, ἐὰν ᾖ ἡ διασπορὰ ὑμῶν ἀπʼ ἄκρου τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἐκεῖθεν συνάξω αὐτοὺς, καὶ εἰσάξω αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν τόπον, ὃν ἐξελεξάμην κατασκηνῶσαι τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐκεῖ.
But if ye turn again to me, and keep my commandments, and do them; if ye should be scattered under the utmost [bound] of heaven, thence will I gather them, and I will bring them into the place which I have chosen to cause my name to dwell there.
10
וְהֵם עֲבָדֶיךָ וְעַמֶּךָ אֲשֶׁר פָּדִיתָ בְּכֹחֲךָ הַגָּדוֹל וּבְיָדְךָ הַחֲזָקָה
Now these are Thy servants and Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy great power, and by Thy strong hand.
Καὶ αὐτοὶ παῖδές σου καὶ λαός σου, οὓς ἐλυτρώσω ἐν τῇ δυνάμει σου τῇ μεγάλῃ, καὶ ἐν τῇ χειρί σου τῇ κραταιᾷ.
Now they [are] thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy great power, and with thy strong hand.
11
אָנָּא אֲדֹנָי תְּהִי נָא אָזְנְךָ־קַשֶּׁבֶת אֶל־תְּפִלַּת עַבְדְּךָ וְאֶל־תְּפִלַּת עֲבָדֶיךָ הַחֲפֵצִים לְיִרְאָה אֶת־שְׁמֶךָ וְהַצְלִיחָה־נָּא לְעַבְדְּךָ הַיּוֹם וּתְנֵהוּ לְרַחֲמִים לִפְנֵי הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה וַאֲנִי הָיִיתִי מַשְׁקֶה לַמֶּלֶךְ
O L-rd, I beseech Thee, let now Thine ear be attentive to the prayer of Thy servant, and to the prayer of Thy servants, who delight to fear Thy name; and prosper, I pray Thee, Thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.' Now I was cupbearer to the king.
Μὴ δὴ Κύριε, ἀλλὰ ἔστω τὸ οὖς σου προσέχον εἰς τὴν προσευχὴν τοῦ δούλου σου, καὶ εἰς τὴν προσευχὴν παίδων σου τῶν θελόντων φοβεῖσθαι τὸ ὄνομά σου· καὶ εὐόδωσον δὴ τῷ παιδί σου σήμερον, καὶ δὸς αὐτὸν εἰς οἰκτιρμοὺς ἐνώπιον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τούτου· καὶ ἐγὼ ἤμην οἰνοχόος τῷ βασιλεῖ.
[Turn] not [away], I pray thee, O Lord, but let 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 cause him to find mercy in the sight of this man. Now I was the king’s cupbearer.