New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Nehemiah 1
1
These are the words of Nehemiah. He was the son of Hacaliah. I was in the safest place in Susa. I was there in the 20th year that Artaxerxes was king. It was in the month of Kislev.
Reference
People
Parallel theme
Nehemiah 10:1
Esther 1:2
Daniel 8:2
Ezra 7:7
Nehemiah 2:1
Ezra 10:9
Word
Zechariah 7:1
Esther 3:15
2
At that time Hanani came from Judah with some other men. He was one of my brothers. I asked him and the other men about the Jews who were left alive in Judah. They had returned from Babylonia. I also asked him about Jerusalem.
Reference
People
3
He and the men who were with him said to me, "Some of the people who returned are still alive. They are back in the land of Judah. But they are having a hard time. People are making fun of them. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down. Its gates have been burned with fire."
Reference
Parallel theme
Nehemiah 2:3
Ezra 5:8
References Jerusalem
Nehemiah 2:17
2 Kings 25:10
Nehemiah 7:6
Nehemiah 2:13
4
When I heard about those things, I sat down and sobbed. For several days I was very sad. I didn't eat any food. And I prayed to the God of heaven.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 137:1
Romans 12:15
Zephaniah 3:18
Prayer
Daniel 9:3
Ezra 10:1
Nehemiah 2:4
References God
Daniel 2:18
5
I said, "Lord, you are the God of heaven. You are a great and wonderful God. You keep the covenant you made with those who love you and obey your commands. You show them your love.
Reference
Grace
Exodus 20:6
Deuteronomy 7:9
Nehemiah 9:32
1 Kings 8:23
References God
Deuteronomy 7:21
1 Chronicles 17:21
References Lord
Nehemiah 4:14
6
"Please pay careful attention to my prayer. See how your people are suffering. Please listen to me. I'm praying to you day and night. I'm praying for the people of Israel. We Israelites have committed sins against you. All of us admit it. I and my family have also sinned against you.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 34:15
2 Chronicles 29:6
Isaiah 6:5
Luke 18:7
Prayer
Daniel 9:20
Daniel 9:4
2 Chronicles 6:40
Sin
Psalm 106:6
1 John 1:9
Lamentations 5:7
7
We've done some very evil things. We haven't obeyed the commands, rules and laws you gave your servant Moses.
Reference
8
"Remember what you told him. You said, 'If you people are not faithful, I will scatter you among the nations.
Reference
9
But if you return to me, I will bring you back. If you obey my commands, I will gather you together again. I will bring you back from the farthest places on earth. I will bring you to the special place where I have chosen to put my Name.'
Reference
10
"Lord, they are your people. They serve you. You used your great strength and mighty hand to set them free from Egypt.
Reference
11
Lord, please pay careful attention to my prayer. Listen to the prayers of all of us. We take delight in bringing honor to your name. Give me success today. Help King Artaxerxes show me his favor." I was the king's wine taster.
Reference
Kingdom
Nehemiah 2:8
Nehemiah 2:1
Proverbs 21:1
Ezra 7:6
Ezra 1:1
Parallel theme
Genesis 40:21
Prayer
Nehemiah 1:6
Hebrews 13:18
Psalm 86:6
References Lord
Psalm 130:2
Chapter Summary
Nehemiah Chapter 1 introduces Nehemiah and establishes the spiritual and personal motivation behind his mission to rebuild Jerusalem's walls. The chapter begins in the Persian capital of Susa, where Nehemiah was serving as the king's cupbearer during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes. Although Nehemiah lived far from Judah, he remained deeply concerned about the Jewish people and Jerusalem.
When his brother Hanani and other men arrived from Judah, Nehemiah asked about the condition of the Jewish survivors and the city. Their report was devastating: the people were experiencing great trouble, Jerusalem's walls remained broken down, and its gates had been burned. The Temple had already been rebuilt during the earlier restoration, but the city itself was still exposed and vulnerable. Without functioning walls and gates, Jerusalem could not easily provide security or demonstrate the stability expected of an important community.
Nehemiah responded with intense grief. He sat down, wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed for several days. His reaction shows that rebuilding Jerusalem was not simply an architectural or political project for him. He understood the city's condition as part of the larger spiritual and historical condition of God's people.
His prayer begins by recognizing God's greatness, faithfulness, mercy, and covenant character. Nehemiah then confesses the sins of Israel, including the sins of his own family. Instead of distancing himself from the failures of previous generations, he identifies himself with the nation and accepts collective responsibility. He acknowledges that Israel had failed to obey God's commands and had therefore experienced the consequences that God had warned about through Moses.
Yet Nehemiah's prayer is not only a confession of failure. It also expresses hope in God's promises. He remembers that God had promised to gather His people if they returned to Him and obeyed His commands. The return from exile therefore represented evidence that God's mercy was still active.
The chapter ends with Nehemiah asking God for success as he prepares to approach the Persian king. His position as cupbearer to Artaxerxes was significant because it gave him access to the king, but approaching the king with a request concerning Jerusalem would require courage and wisdom.
The chapter therefore establishes the foundation for everything that follows: Nehemiah sees a need, allows himself to be deeply moved by it, confesses before God, remembers God's promises, and then prepares to act. His response demonstrates that the rebuilding of Jerusalem would begin not with construction materials or political plans, but with prayer, repentance, faith, and a willingness to accept personal responsibility.
When his brother Hanani and other men arrived from Judah, Nehemiah asked about the condition of the Jewish survivors and the city. Their report was devastating: the people were experiencing great trouble, Jerusalem's walls remained broken down, and its gates had been burned. The Temple had already been rebuilt during the earlier restoration, but the city itself was still exposed and vulnerable. Without functioning walls and gates, Jerusalem could not easily provide security or demonstrate the stability expected of an important community.
Nehemiah responded with intense grief. He sat down, wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed for several days. His reaction shows that rebuilding Jerusalem was not simply an architectural or political project for him. He understood the city's condition as part of the larger spiritual and historical condition of God's people.
His prayer begins by recognizing God's greatness, faithfulness, mercy, and covenant character. Nehemiah then confesses the sins of Israel, including the sins of his own family. Instead of distancing himself from the failures of previous generations, he identifies himself with the nation and accepts collective responsibility. He acknowledges that Israel had failed to obey God's commands and had therefore experienced the consequences that God had warned about through Moses.
Yet Nehemiah's prayer is not only a confession of failure. It also expresses hope in God's promises. He remembers that God had promised to gather His people if they returned to Him and obeyed His commands. The return from exile therefore represented evidence that God's mercy was still active.
The chapter ends with Nehemiah asking God for success as he prepares to approach the Persian king. His position as cupbearer to Artaxerxes was significant because it gave him access to the king, but approaching the king with a request concerning Jerusalem would require courage and wisdom.
The chapter therefore establishes the foundation for everything that follows: Nehemiah sees a need, allows himself to be deeply moved by it, confesses before God, remembers God's promises, and then prepares to act. His response demonstrates that the rebuilding of Jerusalem would begin not with construction materials or political plans, but with prayer, repentance, faith, and a willingness to accept personal responsibility.