Chapter 1

1The narrative of Nechemya son of Chachalya: In the month of Kislev of the twentieth year, when I was in the fortress of Shushan,

di-v'-RAY ne-khem-YAH ben-kha-khal-YAH, va-Y'-hee v'-kho-DAYSH kis-LEV, sh'-nat es-ree-YIM, va-a-NEE ha-YEE-tee b'-shu-SHAN ha-bi-RAH.

אדִּבְרֵ֥י נְחֶמְיָ֖ה בֶּן־חֲכַלְיָ֑ה וַיְהִ֤י בְחֹֽדֶשׁ־כִּסְלֵו֙ שְׁנַ֣ת עֶשְׂרִ֔ים וַאֲנִ֥י הָיִ֖יתִי בְּשׁוּשַׁ֥ן הַבִּירָֽה׃

2Chanani, one of my brothers, together with some men of Yehuda, arrived, and I asked them about the Yehudim, the remnant who had survived the captivity, and about Yerushalayim.

vai-YA-vo kha-NA-nee e-KHAD may-a-KHAI HU va-a-na-SHE-lam al ha-y'-hu-DEEM ha-p'-LAY-tah a-SHER nish-a-ROO min ha-she-VEE v'-al ye-ru-sha-LA-im

בוַיָּבֹ֨א חֲנָ֜נִי אֶחָ֧ד מֵאַחַ֛י ה֥וּא וַאֲנָשִׁ֖ים מִֽיהוּדָ֑ה וָאֶשְׁאָלֵ֞ם עַל־הַיְּהוּדִ֧ים הַפְּלֵיטָ֛ה אֲשֶֽׁר־נִשְׁאֲר֥וּ מִן־הַשֶּׁ֖בִי וְעַל־יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

3They replied, “The survivors who have survived the captivity there in the province are in dire trouble and disgrace; Yerushalayim's wall is full of breaches, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.”

vai-yo-M'ru li ha-nish-a-REEM a-SHER nish-a-ROO min ha-she-VEE sham ba-m'-di-NAH b'-ra-AH g'-do-LAH u-v'-kher-PAH, v'-kho-MAT ye-ru-sha-LA-im m'-fo-RA-tzet u-sh'-a-re-ha ni-tz'-TU va-AYSH

גוַיֹּאמְרוּ֮ לִי֒ הַֽנִּשְׁאָרִ֞ים אֲשֶֽׁר־נִשְׁאֲר֤וּ מִן־הַשְּׁבִי֙ שָׁ֣ם בַּמְּדִינָ֔ה בְּרָעָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה וּבְחֶרְפָּ֑ה וְחוֹמַ֤ת יְרוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ מְפֹרָ֔צֶת וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ נִצְּת֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃

4When I heard that, I sat and wept, and was in mourning for days, fasting and praying to the God of Heaven.

vai-HI k'-sh'-mo-EE et ha-d'-va-REEM ha-EL-leh ya-SHAV-tee va-e-v'-KEH va-et-a-b'-LAH ya-MEEM va-e-HI tzam u-mit-pa-LAYL lif-NAY e-lo-HAY ha-sha-MA-yim

דוַיְהִ֞י כְּשׇׁמְעִ֣י ׀ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה יָשַׁ֙בְתִּי֙ וָֽאֶבְכֶּ֔ה וָאֶתְאַבְּלָ֖ה יָמִ֑ים וָֽאֱהִ֥י צָם֙ וּמִתְפַּלֵּ֔ל לִפְנֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵ֥י הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

5I said, “Hashem, God of Heaven, great and awesome Hashem, who stays faithful to His covenant with those who love Him and keep His commandments!

va-o-MAR a-NA a-do-NAI e-lo-HAY ha-sha-MA-yim ha-EL ha-ga-DOL v'-ha-no-RA sh'-MAYR ha-b'-REEt va-KHE-sed l'-o-ha-VAV u-l'-sho-m'-RAY mitz-vo-TAV

הוָאֹמַ֗ר אָֽנָּ֤א יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם הָאֵ֥ל הַגָּד֖וֹל וְהַנּוֹרָ֑א שֹׁמֵ֤ר הַבְּרִית֙ וָחֶ֔סֶד לְאֹהֲבָ֖יו וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מִצְוֺתָֽיו׃

6Let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to receive the prayer of Your servant that I am praying to You now, day and night, on behalf of the Israelites, Your servants, confessing the sins that we Israelites have committed against You, sins that I and my father's house have committed.

TE-hi NA aZ'-NE-kha-KA-sh'-VET v'-EY-NE-kha fe-TO-khot li-SHO-mo-a EL te-FI-lat av-DE-kha a-SHER a-NO-khi mit-pa-LEL le-FA-ne-KHA ha-YOM yo-MAM va-LAI-la al b'-NAY yis-ra-AYL av-a-DE-kha u-mit-va-DEH al-kha-TOt b'-NAY yis-ra-AYL a-SHER kha-ta-NU lakh va-a-NEE u-VEIT a-VEE kha-ta-NU

ותְּהִ֣י נָ֣א אׇזְנְךָֽ־קַשֶּׁ֣בֶת וְֽעֵינֶ֪יךָ פְתוּח֟וֹת לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ אֶל־תְּפִלַּ֣ת עַבְדְּךָ֡ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָנֹכִי֩ מִתְפַּלֵּ֨ל לְפָנֶ֤יךָ הַיּוֹם֙ יוֹמָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה עַל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עֲבָדֶ֑יךָ וּמִתְוַדֶּ֗ה עַל־חַטֹּ֤אות בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָטָ֣אנוּ לָ֔ךְ וַאֲנִ֥י וּבֵית־אָבִ֖י חָטָֽאנוּ׃

7We have offended You by not keeping the commandments, the laws, and the rules that You gave to Your servant Moshe.

kha-VOL kha-VAL-nu LAKH v'-LO sha-MAR-nu et ha-mitz-VOT v'-et ha-khu-KIM v'-et ha-mish-PA-TEEM a-SHER tzi-VEE-ta et-MO-sheh av-DE-kha

זחֲבֹ֖ל חָבַ֣לְנוּ לָ֑ךְ וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֣רְנוּ אֶת־הַמִּצְוֺ֗ת וְאֶת־הַֽחֻקִּים֙ וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּ֖יתָ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֥ה עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃

8Be mindful of the promise You gave to Your servant Moshe: ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples;

ZE-khor-NA et ha-DA-var a-SHER tzi-VEE-ta et MO-sheh av-DE-kha lay-MOR: a-TEM tim-a-LU, a-NEE a-FITZ et-KHEM ba-a-MEEM

חזְכׇר־נָא֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּ֛יתָ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֥ה עַבְדְּךָ֖ לֵאמֹ֑ר אַתֶּ֣ם תִּמְעָ֔לוּ אֲנִ֕י אָפִ֥יץ אֶתְכֶ֖ם בָּעַמִּֽים׃

9but if you turn back to Me, faithfully keep My commandments, even if your dispersed are at the ends of the earth, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I have chosen to establish My name.'

v'-shav-TEM ay-LAI ush-mar-TEM mitz-vo-TAI va-a-see-TEM o-TAM im yih-YEH ni-da-kha-KHEM bik-TZAY ha-sha-MA-yim mi-SHAM a-ka-b'-TZAYM va-ha-vee-o-TEEM el ha-ma-KOM a-SHER ba-KHAR-tee l'-sha-KAYN et sh'-MEE SHAM

טוְשַׁבְתֶּ֣ם אֵלַ֔י וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ מִצְוֺתַ֔י וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם אִם־יִהְיֶ֨ה נִֽדַּחֲכֶ֜ם בִּקְצֵ֤ה הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ מִשָּׁ֣ם אֲקַבְּצֵ֔ם (והבואתים) [וַהֲבִֽיאוֹתִים֙] אֶל־הַמָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַ֔רְתִּי לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן אֶת־שְׁמִ֖י שָֽׁם׃

10For they are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and Your mighty hand.

v'-HEM a-va-DE-kha v'-a-ME-kha a-SHER pa-DEE-ta b'-kho-KHA-kha ha-ga-DOL u-v'-ya-d'-KHA ha-cha-za-KAH

יוְהֵ֥ם עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ וְעַמֶּ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר פָּדִ֙יתָ֙ בְּכֹחֲךָ֣ הַגָּד֔וֹל וּבְיָדְךָ֖ הַחֲזָקָֽה׃

11O Hashem! Let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to hold Your name in awe. Grant Your servant success today, and dispose that man to be compassionate toward him!” I was the king's cupbearer at the time.

a-NA a-do-NAI te-HEE na a-z'-NE-kha-KASH-vet el te-FI-lat av-de-KHA v'-el te-FI-lat a-va-de-KHA ha-kha-FAY-tzeem le-yir-AH et sh'-ME-kha v'-ha-tz'-lee-KHA-na le-a-v'-de-KHA ha-YOM u-te-NE-hu le-ra-cha-MEEM lif-NEI ha-ISH ha-ZEH va-a-NEE ha-YEE-tee mash-KEH la-ME-lekh

יאאָנָּ֣א אֲדֹנָ֗י תְּהִ֣י נָ֣א אׇזְנְךָֽ־קַ֠שֶּׁ֠בֶת אֶל־תְּפִלַּ֨ת עַבְדְּךָ֜ וְאֶל־תְּפִלַּ֣ת עֲבָדֶ֗יךָ הַֽחֲפֵצִים֙ לְיִרְאָ֣ה אֶת־שְׁמֶ֔ךָ וְהַצְלִֽיחָה־נָּ֤א לְעַבְדְּךָ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם וּתְנֵ֣הוּ לְרַחֲמִ֔ים לִפְנֵ֖י הָאִ֣ישׁ הַזֶּ֑ה וַאֲנִ֛י הָיִ֥יתִי מַשְׁקֶ֖ה לַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃