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They told me, ‘The Jews who returned to Judah are in much trouble. The walls of the city still have lots of holes in them. Fire has burned the city's gates down to the ground. So the people are very ashamed.’

After they told me this, I sat down and I wept. I was very sad for many days. I did not eat or drink anything and I prayed to God.

I prayed, ‘Lord, God of heaven, you are great and powerful.[a] You always continue to love your people, as you have promised to do. You are kind to those people who love you and obey your commands.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:5 When we write Lord like this, it is a special name for God. Sometimes people write it as ‘Yahweh’, or as ‘Jehovah’. It is his own name that he told Moses. See Exodus 3:14. It means ‘I am who I am’. This shows that God has always been there and he always will be there.

They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.(A)

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept.(B) For some days I mourned and fasted(C) and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said:

Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God,(D) who keeps his covenant of love(E) with those who love him and keep his commandments,

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