1
ܘܗ̣ܘܐ ܒܝܪܚ ܟܢܘܢ ܒܫܢܬ ܥܣܪܝܢ ܐܢܐ ܩܐܡ ܗ̇ܘܝܬ ܒܫܘܫܢ ܒܝܪܬܐ
whw' byrkh knwn bshnth esryn 'n' q'm hwyth bshwshn byrth'
The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the palace,
2
ܘܐ̣ܬܐ ܚܢܢܝ ܚܕ ܡܢ ܐܚ̈ܝ ܗܘ ܘܓܒܪ̈ܐ ܝܗܘ̈ܕܝܐ ܘܫ̇ܐܠܬ ܐܢܘܢ ܥܠ ܝܗܘ̈ܕܝܐ ܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܝܬܪܘ ܡܢ ܫܒܝܐ ܘܐܦ ܥܠ ܐܘܪܫܠܡ ܡܕܝܢܬܐ
w'th' khnny khd mn 'khy hw wgbr' yhwdy' wsh'lth 'nwn el yhwdy' 'ylyn dythrw mn shby' w'p el 'wrshlm mdynth'
Hanani, one of my brothers, came, he and certain men out of Judah; and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3
ܘܐܡܪܝܢ ܠܝ ܗܠܝܢ ܐܢܫܐ ܕܫ̇ܐܠܬ ܐܢܘܢ ܗܢܘܢ ܐܢܫܐ ܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܦܠܛܘ ܡܢ ܫܒܝܐ ܗܐ ܬܡܢ ܐܢܘܢ ܒܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܒܒܝܫܬܐ ܪܒܬܐ ܫܪܝܢ ܘܒܚܣܕܐ ܣܓܝܐܐ ܘܗܐ ܫܘܪܗ̇ ܕܐܘܪܫܠܡ ܬܪܝܥ ܘܬܪ̈ܥܝܗ̇ ܝܩܝܕܝܢ ܒܢܘܪܐ
w'mryn ly hlyn 'nsh' dsh'lth 'nwn hnwn 'nsh' 'ylyn dplTw mn shby' h' thmn 'nwn bmdynth' bbyshth' rbth' shryn wbkhsd' sgy'' wh' shwrh d'wrshlm thrye wthreyh yqydyn bnwr'
They said to me, “The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
4
ܗܝܕܝܢ ܟܕ ܫ̇ܡܥܬ ܡ̈ܠܐ ܗܠܝܢ ܝ̇ܬܒ ܗ̇ܘܝܬ ܘܒ̇ܟܐ ܘܡܬܐܒܠ ܝܘܡ̈ܬܐ ܣܓܝ̈ܐܐ ܘܗ̇ܘܝܬ ܨܐܡ ܘܡܨ̇ܠܐ ܩܕܡ ܐܠܗܐ ܕܫܡܝܐ
hydyn kd shmeth ml' hlyn ythb hwyth wbk' wmth'bl ywmth' sgy'' whwyth ts'm wmtsl' qdm 'lh' dshmy'
When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned several days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
5
ܘܐ̇ܡܪ ܗ̇ܘܝܬ ܒ̇ܥܐ ܐܢܐ ܡܢ ܩܕܡܝܟ ܡܪܝܐ ܐܠܗܐ ܕܫܡܝܐ ܐܠܗܐ ܓܢܒܪܐ ܘܪܒܐ ܘܕܚܝܠܐ ܢ̇ܛܪ ܫܪܪܐ ܘܛܝܒܘܬܐ ܠܪ̈ܚܡܘܗܝ ܘܠܢܛܪ̈ܝ ܦܘܩ̈ܕܢܘܗܝ
w'mr hwyth be' 'n' mn qdmyk mry' 'lh' dshmy' 'lh' gnbr' wrb' wdkhyl' nTr shrr' wTybwth' lrkhmwhy wlnTry pwqdnwhy
and said, “I beg you, Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments,
6
ܢܗ̈ܘܝܢ ܡܟܝܠ ܥܝ̈ܢܝܟ ܦܬܝ̈ܚܢ ܘܐܕܢ̈ܝܟ ܨܝ̈ܬܢ ܠܡܫܡܥ ܨܠܘܬܐ ܕܐܢܐ ܥܒܕܟ ܡܨ̇ܠܐ ܩܕܡܝܟ ܒܐܝܡܡܐ ܘܒܠܠܝܐ ܥܠ ܒܢ̈ܝ ܐܝܣܪܝܠ ܥܒ̈ܕܝܟ ܘܐܢܐ ܡܘܕܐ ܐܢܐ ܥܠ ܚܛܗ̈ܐ ܕܒܢ̈ܝ ܐܝܣܪܝܠ ܕܚܛܘ ܠܟ ܘܐܢܐ ܘܒܝܬ ܐܒܝ ܚ̣ܛܝܢܢ ܚܢܢ ܩܕܡܝܟ
nhwyn mkyl eynyk pthykhn w'dnyk tsythn lmshme tslwth' d'n' ebdk mtsl' qdmyk b'ymm' wblly' el bny 'ysryl ebdyk w'n' mwd' 'n' el khTh' dbny 'ysryl dkhTw lk w'n' wbyth 'by khTynn khnn qdmyk
let your ear now be attentive and your eyes open, that you may listen to the prayer of your servant which I pray before you at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel your servants, while I confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against you. Yes, I and my father’s house have sinned.
7
ܘܠܐ ܢܛܪܢ ܦܘܩ̈ܕܢܐ ܘܢܡܘ̈ܣܐ ܕܦܩܕܬ̣ ܠܡܘܫܐ ܥܒܕܟ
wl' nTrn pwqdn' wnmws' dpqdth lmwsh' ebdk
We have dealt very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which you commanded your servant Moses.
8
ܐܬܕܟܪ ܦܬܓ̈ܡܐ ܕܦܩܕܬ̣ ܠܡܘܫܐ ܥܒܕܟ ܘܐܡܪܬ̣ ܠܗ ܕܐܢܬܘܢ ܬܟܕܒܘܢ ܒܝ ܘܐܢܐ ܐܒܕܪܟܘܢ ܒܝܬ ܥܡ̈ܡܐ
'thdkr pthgm' dpqdth lmwsh' ebdk w'mrth lh d'nthwn thkdbwn by w'n' 'bdrkwn byth emm'
“Remember, I beg you, the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you trespass, I will scatter you among the peoples;
9
ܘܬܬܗܦܟܘܢ ܠܘܬܝ ܘܬܛܪܘܢ ܢܡܘ̈ܣܝ ܘܬܥܒܕܘܢ ܐܢܘܢ ܘܐܢ ܢܗܘܘܢ ܡܒܕܪ̈ܝܟܘܢ ܒܣ̈ܘܦܝ ܫܡܝܐ ܡܢ ܬܡܢ ܐܩܪܒܟܘܢ ܘܐܝܬܝܟܘܢ ܠܐܬܪܐ ܕܓ̇ܒܝܬ ܠܡܫܪܝܘ ܫܡܝ ܬܡܢ
wththhpkwn lwthy wthTrwn nmwsy wthebdwn 'nwn w'n nhwwn mbdrykwn bswpy shmy' mn thmn 'qrbkwn w'ythykwn l'thr' dgbyth lmshryw shmy thmn
but if you return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there.’
10
ܘܗܢܘܢ ܥܒ̈ܕܝܟ ܘܥܡܟ ܕܦ̣ܪܩܬ ܒܚܝܠܟ ܪܒܐ ܘܒܐܝܕܟ ܬܩܝܦܬܐ
whnwn ebdyk wemk dprqth bkhylk rb' wb'ydk thqypth'
“Now these are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.
11
ܒܒܥܘ ܡܢ ܩܕܡܝܟ ܡܪܝܐ ܬܗܘܐ ܐܕܢܟ ܨܝܬܐ ܠܨܠܘܬܗ ܕܥܒܕܟ ܘܠܨܠܘܬܐ ܕܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܨܒܝܢ ܠܡܕܚܠ ܠܫܡܟ ܘܦܪܘܩܝܗܝ ܠܥܒܕܟ ܝܘܡܢܐ ܘܗܒܝܗܝ ܒܪ̈ܚܡܐ ܩܕܡ ܓܒܪܐ ܗܢܐ ܘܐܢܐ ܗ̇ܘܝܬ ܫܩܝܐ ܠܡܠܟܐ
bbew mn qdmyk mry' thhw' 'dnk tsyth' ltslwthh debdk wltslwth' d'ylyn dtsbyn lmdkhl lshmk wprwqyhy lebdk ywmn' whbyhy brkhm' qdm gbr' hn' w'n' hwyth shqy' lmlk'
Lord, I beg you, let your ear be attentive now to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name; and please prosper your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cup bearer to the king.