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They answered me: “The survivors of the captivity there in the province are in great distress and under reproach. The wall of Jerusalem has been breached, its gates gutted by fire.” When I heard this report, I began to weep and continued mourning for several days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

[a](A)I prayed: “Lord, God of heaven, great and awesome God, you preserve your covenant of mercy with those who love you and keep your commandments.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:5 Nehemiah’s prayer is a communal confession of sin, characteristic of Second Temple piety; cf. Ezr 9:6–15; Neh 9:6–37; Dn 9:4–19.

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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