Summary
In the first chapter of Nehemiah, the steward of King Artaxerxes, Nehemiah, learns from his brother Hanani and other Jews that the walls of Jerusalem are destroyed and the city’s gates burned. He weeps, fasts, and turns to God, acknowledging Israel’s collective sin and their failure to keep the Law of Moses. Nehemiah pleads for divine mercy, reminding God of the covenant promises that exile is a consequence of disobedience, yet hope for return if the people repent. He declares his own responsibility and that of his father’s house, and asks God to listen to his prayer day and night, requesting favor in the king’s sight because he is the king’s cupbearer.