Nehemiah 1:2-4

International Standard Version

² Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with some men from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had escaped, about those who had survived the Babylonian^[a] captivity, and about Jerusalem.

³ They told me, “The survivors of the captivity there in the province are living in great distress and shame. Furthermore, the Jerusalem wall remains broken down and its gates have been burned by fire.”

Nehemiah’s Prayer

⁴ When I heard this, I sat down and cried, mourning for a number of days while I fasted and prayed in the presence of the God of Heaven.