A man named Nehemiah who was taken away from Jerusalem

lived in the king’s palace

and gave the king his wine to drink.

One of Nehemiah’s brothers came from Jerusalem and talked to him, telling him that the people of the city were in trouble because the wall around the city was broken down

and the gates were burned down with fire.

When Nehemiah heard this he was sad and crying for a few days

and not eating anything,

but praying to the Lord God of heaven.

He said, I beg you O Lord God of heaven,

the great and awesome God who keeps His promises

and love to those that love Him and do what He says

Watch and listen, hear what I ask you now, day and night, for the children of Israel. We have sinned much against You for a long time now.

We have not listened to You to do Your ways which you sent us by Moses. But please remember now how You said, If we don’t listen to You, You would scatter us to other nations,

But if we come back to You and listen and do what you say, even if we were taken to the farthest parts of the heavens,

You would bring us again from there to Your special land for us, the place where you put Your name on earth.

Now we are Your servants and Your people

that You bought back to Yourself with Your great power and strong hand.

O Lord I beg you, listen now to the prayers of Your servants who want to be Yours and hold You high in our hearts. Today, have the king smile at me and want to do what I ask.

After this prayer, when Nehemiah was serving wine to the king, the king asked, Why do you look so sad?

Nehemiah told the king, I have heard that the city where my fathers are buried is ruined with its walls broken down and gates burned.

The king asked, with the queen sitting beside him, What can I do to help you?

So Nehemiah prayed

to the God of heaven and then told the king, If it please you, and you are happy with me, Will you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves?

The king asked, How long will you be gone? When will you come back? So the king was happy to send Nehemiah to Jerusalem and I told him when I would come back.

And I asked the king to give me letters so that I could be safe passing through the other countries.

And I asked for a letter to the guard of the king’s forest to let me cut wood to make the gates of the palace and to make the walls strong and to make strong the house where I would live.

The king gave Nehemiah all that he asked for because the Lord’s good hand was on him.

The king sent cavalry with Nehemiah to guard him on the trip.