Nehemiah 1:1-4

The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. N ow it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol, that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and disgrace, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burned with fire.” 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.