KJV ORIGINAL
Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it:
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Look, we are slaves today, and in the land that you gave to our ancestors to enjoy its crops and good things—look, we are slaves in our own land.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The writer is lamenting that even though God gave them the promised land, they have become servants in their own country because of their disobedience.
📚 Historical Context
This comes from Nehemiah's time when the Jewish people had returned from Babylonian exile but were still under Persian rule. Though they were back in their homeland, they were not truly free and had to pay heavy taxes to foreign kings. This prayer acknowledges their current state of subjugation despite being in the land God had promised their forefathers.
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