Nehemiah 1 – A Cupbearer's Grief and Prayer
Bad news from Jerusalem sends Nehemiah to his knees for months.
As cupbearer to the Persian king, Nehemiah receives word from his brother Hanani that Jerusalem's wall is broken down and its gates burned, news that leaves him weeping and fasting for days. His prayer appeals to the God who keeps covenant and mercy for those who love him, language echoing Exodus 20:6.
The wordis of Neemye, the sone of Helchie. And it was doon in the monethe Casleu, in the twentithe yeer, and Y was in the castel Susis;
and Ananye, oon of my britheren, cam to me, he and men of Juda; and Y axide hem of the Jewis, that weren left, and weren alyue of the caitifte, and of Jerusalem.
And thei seiden to me, Thei that `dwelliden, and ben left of the caitifte there in the prouynce, ben in greet turment, and in schenship; and the wal of Jerusalem is destried, and the yatis therof ben brent with fier.
And whanne Y hadde herd siche wordis, Y sat and wepte, and morenede many daies, and Y fastide, and preiede bifor the face of God of heuene;
and Y seide, Y biseche, Lord God of heuene, strong, greet, and ferdful, which kepist couenaunt and merci with hem, that louen thee, and kepen thin heestis;
thin eere be maad herknynge, and thin iyen openyd, that thou here the preier of thi seruaunt, bi which Y preie bifor thee `to dai, bi nyyt and dai, for the sones of Israel, thi seruauntis, and `Y knouleche for the synnes of the sones of Israel, bi which thei han synned to thee; bothe Y and the hows of my fadir han synned; we weren disseyued bi vanyte,
and we `kepten not `thi comaundement, and cerymonyes, and domes, which thou comaundidist to Moises, thi seruaunt.
Haue mynde of the word, which thou comaundidist to thi seruaunt Moises, and seidist, Whanne ye han trespassid, Y schal scatere you in to puplis;
and if ye turnen ayen to me, that ye kepe myn heestis, and do tho, yhe, thouy ye ben led awei to the fertheste thingis of heuene, fro thennus Y schal gadere you togidere, and Y schal brynge you in to the place, which Y chees, that my name schulde dwelle there.
And we ben thi seruauntis, and thi puple, whiche thou `ayen bouytist in thi greet strengthe, and in thi strong hond.
Lord, Y biseche, `thin eere be ententif to the preier of thi seruaunt, and to the preier of thi seruauntis, that wolen drede thi name; and dresse thi seruaunt to dai, and yiue thou merci to him bifor this man. For Y was the boteler of the kyng.