Nehemiah Chapter 1
(Original 1611 KJV Bible)

This is the text and a scan of the actual, original, first printing of the 1611 King James Version, the 'HE' Bible, for Nehemiah Chapter 1. The KJV does not get more original or authentic than this. View Nehemiah Chapter 1 as text-only. Click to switch to the standard King James Version of Nehemiah Chapter 1

Why does it have strange spelling?

View this Nehemiah chapter 1 scan at a larger size

CHAP. I.

1 Nehemiah, vnderstanding by Hanani, the misery of Ierusalem, mourneth, fasteth and prayeth. 5 His prayer.

¹ The words of Nehemiah the sonne of Hachaliah. And it came to passe in the moneth Chisleu, in the twentieth yeere, as I was in Shushan the palace;

² That Hanani, one of my brethren came, he and certaine men of Iudah, and I asked them concerning the Iewes that had escaped, which were left of the captiuitie, and concerning Ierusalem.

³ And they said vnto me, The remnant that are left of the captiuitie there in the prouince, are in great affliction and reproch: the wall of Ierusalem also is broken downe, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire.³

⁴ ¶ 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,

⁵ And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heauen, the great and terrible God, that keepeth couenant and mercie for them that loue him, and obserue his commandements:⁵

⁶ Let thine eare now be attentiue, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest heare the prayer of thy seruant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy seruants, and confesse the sinnes of the children of Israel, which wee haue sinned against thee: both I, and my fathers house haue sinned.

⁷ We haue dealt very corruptly against thee, and haue not kept the commandements, nor the statutes, nor the iudgements, which thou commandedst thy seruant Moses.

⁸ Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy seruant Moses, saying, If yee transgresse, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:⁸

⁹ But if ye turne vnto me, and keepe my commandements, and doe them: though there were of you cast out vnto the vttermost part of the heauen, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them vnto the place that I haue chosen, to set my Name there.⁹

¹⁰ Now these are thy seruants, and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

¹¹ O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine eare be attentiue to the prayer of thy seruant, and to the prayer of thy seruants, who desire to feare thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy seruant this day, and grant him mercie in the sight of this man. For I was the kings cup-bearer.

Nehemiah Chapter 1 Sidenote References (from Original 1611 KJV Bible):

³ 2.King.25. 9.
⁵ Dan.9.4.
⁸ Deut.4. 5. &c.
⁹ Deut. 30. 4.

* Some content on this page courtesy of Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Pennsylvania