Nehemiah Prays for His People

1 The words of ^(A)Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah.

It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the ^(B)twentieth year, as I was in ^(C)Shushan^[a] the ^[b]citadel,

² in those days when King Ahasuerus ^(A)sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in ^(B)Shushan^[a] the ^[b]citadel,

⁸ So it was, when the king’s command and decree were heard, and when many young women were ^(A)gathered at ^[a]Shushan the ^[b]citadel, under the custody of Hegai, that Esther also was taken to the king’s palace, into the care of Hegai the custodian of the women.