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Tuesday, July 8th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Nehemiah 1:4

When I heard these things, I sat down and cried for several days. I was sad and fasted. I prayed to the God of heaven,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Country;   Fasting;   Intercession;   Nation;   Patriotism;   Prayer;   Scofield Reference Index - Bible Prayers;   Thompson Chain Reference - Earnestness-Indifference;   Love;   Nation;   Nation, the;   Nehemiah;   Solicitude;   The Topic Concordance - Choosing/chosen;   Israel/jews;   Jerusalem;   Name;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Afflicted Saints;   Compassion and Sympathy;   Fasting;   Jerusalem;   Judgments;   Prayer;   Prayer, Intercessory;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Preaching;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Confession;   Fasting;   Nehemiah;   Prayer;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Fast, Fasting;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Fast;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Fasting;   Nehemiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Fasting;   Isaiah, Book of;   Nehemiah;   Nehemiah, Book of;   Prayer;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Ezra;   Scripture;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Babylonish Captivity, the;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Heaven;   Mourning;   Prayer;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of the heavens.
Hebrew Names Version
It happened, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
King James Version
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
English Standard Version
As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
New English Translation
When I heard these things I sat down abruptly, crying and mourning for several days. I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
Amplified Bible
Now it came about when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying [constantly] before the God of heaven.
New American Standard Bible
Now when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
World English Bible
It happened, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when I heard these wordes, I sate downe and wept, and mourned certeine dayes, & I fasted and prayed before the God of heauen,
Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened that when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
Berean Standard Bible
When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
Contemporary English Version
When I heard this, I sat down and cried. Then for several days, I mourned; I went without eating to show my sorrow, and I prayed:
Complete Jewish Bible
On hearing this answer, I sat down and wept; I mourned for several days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
Darby Translation
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat and wept, and mourned for days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of the heavens,
Easy-to-Read Version
When I heard this about the people of Jerusalem and about the wall, I sat down and cried. I was very sad. I fasted and prayed to the God of heaven for several days.
George Lamsa Translation
When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for many days, and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
Good News Translation
When I heard all this, I sat down and wept. For several days I mourned and did not eat. I prayed to God,
Lexham English Bible
When I heard these words, I sat and wept and mourned for days, and I was fasting and praying before the God of the heavens.
Literal Translation
And it happened, when I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned for days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of Heaven.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wha I herde these wordes, I sat me downe & wepte, & mourned two dayes, & fasted & prayed before the God of heauen,
American Standard Version
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
Bible in Basic English
Then, after hearing these words, for some days I gave myself up to weeping and sorrow, seated on the earth; and taking no food I made prayer to the God of heaven,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when I hearde these wordes, I sat downe and wept, and mourned certayne dayes, and fasted and prayed before the God of heauen,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
King James Version (1611)
And it came to passe when I heard these words, that I sate downe and wept, and mourned certaine dayes, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heauen,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for several days, and continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
English Revised Version
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne Y hadde herd siche wordis, Y sat and wepte, and morenede many daies, and Y fastide, and preiede bifor the face of God of heuene;
Update Bible Version
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned [certain] days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
New King James Version
So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
New Living Translation
When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.
New Life Bible
When I heard this, I sat down and cried and was filled with sorrow for days. I did not eat, and I prayed to the God of heaven.
New Revised Standard
When I heard these words I sat down and wept, and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and I mourned certain days, - and continued fasting and praying, before the God of the heavens;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when I had heard these words, I sat down, and wept, and mourned for many days: and I fasted, and prayed before the face of the God of heaven.
Revised Standard Version
When I heard these words I sat down and wept, and mourned for days; and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, at my hearing these words, I have sat down, and I weep and mourn [for] days, and I am fasting and praying before the God of the heavens.
THE MESSAGE
When I heard this, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God-of-Heaven.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Contextual Overview

1 These are the words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, I, Nehemiah, was in the capital city of Susa. 2 One of my brothers named Hanani came with some other men from Judah. I asked them about Jerusalem and the Jewish people who lived through the captivity. 3 They answered me, "Those who are left from the captivity are back in Judah, but they are in much trouble and are full of shame. The wall around Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned." 4 When I heard these things, I sat down and cried for several days. I was sad and fasted. I prayed to the God of heaven,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I sat down: 1 Samuel 4:17-22, Ezra 10:1, Psalms 69:9, Psalms 69:10, Psalms 102:13, Psalms 102:14, Psalms 137:1, Daniel 9:3, Zephaniah 3:18, Romans 12:15

the God: Nehemiah 2:4, Ezra 5:11, Ezra 5:12, Daniel 2:18, Jonah 1:9

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 4:13 - his heart 2 Kings 22:19 - wept Ezra 9:3 - sat Job 2:13 - they sat Isaiah 38:3 - wept Daniel 10:2 - I Daniel Matthew 6:16 - when Hebrews 13:3 - which suffer Revelation 16:11 - the God

Cross-References

Genesis 1:10
God named the dry land "earth" and the water that was gathered together "seas." God saw that this was good.
Genesis 1:12
The earth produced plants with grain for seeds and trees that made fruits with seeds in them. Each seed grew its own kind of plant. God saw that all this was good.
Genesis 1:18
to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that all these things were good.
Genesis 1:25
So God made the wild animals, the tame animals, and all the small crawling animals to produce more of their own kind. God saw that this was good.
Genesis 1:31
God looked at everything he had made, and it was very good. Evening passed, and morning came. This was the sixth day.
Ecclesiastes 2:13
I saw that being wise is certainly better than being foolish, just as light is better than darkness.
Ecclesiastes 11:7
Sunshine is sweet; it is good to see the light of day.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass, when I heard these words,.... This sad and melancholy account of things:

that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; sat down upon the ground in dust and ashes, after the manner of mourners, and wept bitterly, and mourned in a most sorrowful manner, see Job 2:8,

and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven; that made it, and dwells in it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The God of heaven - This title of the Almighty, which is Persian rather than Jewish (see 2 Chronicles 36:23; Ezra 1:2 note; Ezra 6:10; Ezra 7:12, Ezra 7:21), is a favorite one with Nehemiah, who had been born and brought up in Persia.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Nehemiah 1:4. And mourned certain days — From the month Chisleu to the month Nisan; about four months from the time he received the above information, till the time that Artaxerxes noticed his grief, Nehemiah 2:1. All this time he probably spent in supplication to God; waiting for a favourable opening in the Divine providence. Every good work is not to be undertaken hastily; prayer and watchfulness are necessary to its completion. Many good works have been ruined by making haste.


 
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