📖 Nehemiah — Chapter 1 (KJV)
Read the complete King James Version chapter below, then explore the passage sections, check what you remember, and keep your private study notes.
Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.
Nehemiah 1:1 The words of RNehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,
Nehemiah 1:2 That RHanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 1:3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in Rthe province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
Nehemiah 1:4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that RI sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
Nehemiah 1:5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, Rthe great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
Nehemiah 1:6 Let Rthine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.
Nehemiah 1:7 We have Rdealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
Nehemiah 1:8 RRemember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
Nehemiah 1:9 But Rif ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
Nehemiah 1:10 RNow these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
Nehemiah 1:11 O LORD, I beseech thee, Rlet now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.
📚 Study This Chapter
📖 What We’re Reading
Nehemiah 1:1–4 — News of Jerusalem's distress
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Nehemiah asks about the returned people and Jerusalem. The report of affliction, broken walls, and burned gates moves him to grief, fasting, and prayer. His concern begins with listening to those affected. The chapter introduces rebuilding through compassion before it introduces a plan or a request for royal permission.
Key Truth: Listen to people's distress before planning a response.
Check What You Remember
1. Who was Nehemiah's father? (Nehemiah 1:1)
Find it in Nehemiah 1:1 (KJV).
2. Who brought news with men from Judah? (Nehemiah 1:2)
Find it in Nehemiah 1:2 (KJV).
3. What condition were Jerusalem's walls in? (Nehemiah 1:3)
Find it in Nehemiah 1:3 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Nehemiah 1:5–7 — Confession before the covenant God
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Nehemiah praises God as the keeper of covenant and mercy, then confesses Israel's sins, including his own household's wrongdoing. He does not place every failure safely at a distance. His prayer joins reverence with honest responsibility and asks God to hear the people who have not kept his commands.
Key Truth: Confess honestly rather than only blaming others.
Check What You Remember
1. What does Nehemiah say God keeps? (Nehemiah 1:5)
Find it in Nehemiah 1:5 (KJV).
2. Whose sins does he include with Israel's? (Nehemiah 1:6)
Find it in Nehemiah 1:6 (KJV).
3. Through whom had God given the commands? (Nehemiah 1:7)
Find it in Nehemiah 1:7 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Nehemiah 1:8–11 — Promise and a specific request
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Nehemiah recalls God's word about scattering and gathering a people who return. He asks for mercy before the king, whose cupbearer he is. The prayer is grounded in covenant remembrance and moves toward a concrete opportunity to help. Dependence on God prepares him for action rather than ending in concern alone.
Key Truth: Let prayer prepare you for a faithful practical response.
Check What You Remember
1. What would God do for those who returned and obeyed? (Nehemiah 1:9)
Find it in Nehemiah 1:9 (KJV).
2. What had God used to redeem his people? (Nehemiah 1:10)
Find it in Nehemiah 1:10 (KJV).
3. What office did Nehemiah hold? (Nehemiah 1:11)
Find it in Nehemiah 1:11 (KJV).
Related Scripture (KJV)
Deuteronomy 30:3 — The law speaks of God's gathering after a return to him.
This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.
Reflect and Apply
What distress have you heard that calls for prayer and a practical response?
Advanced Questions and Answers
Study this chapter’s wording, patterns, contrasts, and meaning in greater depth.
1. How does the news distinguish the people’s condition from the city’s damage?
2. How does Nehemiah respond before making a royal request?
3. How does the confession include Nehemiah personally?
4. How does the remembered promise distinguish transgression from return?
5. What immediate outcome does Nehemiah seek in the closing prayer?
Notes
Write what you want to remember, questions to explore, or Scriptures to look up later. Your saved notes are private to your account.
Loading your notes…
Chapter Navigation