Now while Ezrawas prayingand makingconfession,weepingand prostratinghimself beforethe houseof God,a verylargeassembly,men,womenand children,gatheredto him from Israel;for the peopleweptbitterly.
"Listento the supplicationof Your servantand of Your peopleIsrael,whenthey praytowardthisplace;hearin heavenYour dwellingplace;hearand forgive.
The LORDsaidto him, "I have heardyour prayerand your supplication,whichyou have madebeforeMe; I have consecratedthishousewhichyou have builtby puttingMy namethereforever,and My eyesand My heartwill be thereperpetually.
AllJudahwas standingbeforethe LORD,with their infants,their wivesand their children.
Shouldevilcomeupon us, the sword,[or] judgment,or pestilence,or famine,we will standbeforethishouseand beforeYou (for Your nameis in thishouse)and cryto You in our distress,and You will hearand deliver[us].'
Then Ezrarosefrom beforethe houseof Godand wentinto the chamberof Jehohananthe sonof Eliashib.Although he wentthere,he did not eatbreadnordrinkwater,for he was mourningoverthe unfaithfulnessof the exiles.
When I heardthesewords,I satdownand weptand mournedfor days;and I was fastingand prayingbeforethe Godof heaven.
let Your earnowbe attentiveand Your eyesopento hearthe prayerof Your servantwhichI am prayingbeforeYou now,dayand night,on behalfof the sonsof IsraelYour servants,confessingthe sinsof the sonsof Israelwhichwe have sinnedagainst You; I and my father'shousehave sinned.
Now the restof the people,the priests,the Levites,the gatekeepers,the singers,the templeservantsand allthose who had separatedthemselves from the peoplesof the landsto the lawof God,their wives,their sonsand their daughters,allthose who hadknowledgeand understanding,
Then Nehemiah,whowas the governor,and Ezrathe priest[and] scribe,and the Leviteswho taughtthe peoplesaidto allthe people,"Thisdayis holyto the LORDyour God;do not mournor weep."For allthe peoplewere weepingwhen they heardthe wordsof the law.
My eyesshedstreamsof water,Becausethey do not keepYour law.Tsadhe.
I acknowledgedmy sinto You, And my iniquityI did not hide;I said,"I will confessmy transgressionsto the LORD";And You forgavethe guiltof my sin.Selah.
But ifyou will not listento it, My soulwill sobin secretfor [such] pride;And my eyeswill bitterlyweepAnd flowdownwith tears,Becausethe flockof the LORDhas been takencaptive.
Ohthat my headwere watersAnd my eyesa fountainof tears,That I might weepdayand nightFor the slainof the daughterof my people!
Now whileI was speakingand praying,and confessingmy sinand the sinof my peopleIsrael,and presentingmy supplicationbeforethe LORDmy Godin behalfof the holymountainof my God,
Takewordswith you and returnto the LORD.Sayto Him, "Takeaway alliniquityAnd receive[us] graciously,That we may presentthe fruitof our lips.
"I will pourout on the houseof Davidand on the inhabitantsof Jerusalem,the Spiritof graceand of supplication,so that they will lookon Me whomthey have pierced;and they will mournfor Him, as one mournsfor an onlyson,and they will weepbitterlyoverHim like the bitterweepingovera firstborn.
and they were being baptizedby him in the JordanRiver,as they confessedtheir sins.
WhenHe approached[Jerusalem], He sawthe cityand weptoverit,
Corneliussaid,"Fourdaysagoto thishour,I was prayingin my houseduring the ninth hour;and behold,a manstoodbeforeme in shininggarments,
Whenour daysthere were ended,we leftand startedon our journey,while they all,with wivesand children,escortedus until[we were] out of the city.After kneelingdownon the beachand praying,we said farewellto one another.
that I have greatsorrowand unceasinggriefin my heart.
"Assemblethe people,the menand the womenand childrenand the alienwhois in your town,sothat they may hearand learnand fearthe LORDyour God,and be carefulto observeallthe wordsof thislaw.
Then Joshuatorehis clothesand fellto the earthon his facebeforethe arkof the LORDuntilthe evening,[both] he and the eldersof Israel;and they putduston their heads.
There was not a wordof allthat Moseshad commandedwhichJoshuadid not readbeforeallthe assemblyof Israelwith the womenand the littleonesand the strangerswho were livingamongthem.
