Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.
Please listen carefully and pay attention to the prayer of your servant, which I am praying to you now, day and night, for the people of Israel who serve you. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against you - both I and my family have sinned.
Nehemiah is asking God to listen as he prays continuously for his people Israel, humbly admitting that both he and his nation have sinned against God.
📚 Historical Context
Nehemiah was a Jewish official serving in the Persian court around 445 BC, about 90 years after many Jews had returned from Babylonian exile. He had just received devastating news that Jerusalem's walls were still broken down and its gates burned, leaving the returned exiles vulnerable and the city in disgrace. This prayer begins Nehemiah's earnest plea to God before he would ask the Persian king for permission to rebuild Jerusalem.
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