KJV ORIGINAL
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
When I heard this news, I sat down and cried. I mourned for several days, fasting and praying to the God of heaven.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Nehemiah was so heartbroken by the terrible news about Jerusalem that he spent days crying, fasting, and praying to God.
📚 Historical Context
Nehemiah had just received devastating news from his brother about Jerusalem - the walls were broken down and the gates burned with fire, leaving the Jewish people in great distress and shame. This was around 445 BC, about 90 years after some Jews had returned from Babylonian exile, but the city still lay in ruins. Nehemiah was serving as cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes when he heard this report.
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