Nehemiah 1:4-9

4After they told me this, I sat down and I wept. I was very sad for many days. I did not eat or drink anything and I prayed to God.

5I prayed, ‘Lord, God of heaven, you are great and powerful. You always continue to love your people, as you have promised to do. You are kind to those people who love you and obey your commands.

6Please listen to my prayer. I am your servant. I am praying in the day and in the night on behalf of your servants, the Israelites. I agree that we have all done wrong things. That includes me and my family. We have not obeyed you.

7We have done wicked things against you. We have not obeyed the commands, the laws and the rules that you gave to your servant Moses.

8Remember what you told your servant, Moses. You told him, “If the Israelites turn away from me, I will make them live among foreign people in many different places.

9But if they return to me and they obey my commands, I will be kind to them. I will bring them back together again from all the different places where they are living. Even if they live far away, I will find them. I will bring them to the place that I have chosen to give honour to my name.”