Freedom in Forgiveness: Discover the Healing in Letting Go by Sara Brunsvold

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The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
   <div class="book bkNEH">
      <div class="chapter ch1" data-usfm="NEH.1">
         <div class="label">1</div><div class="s1"><span class="heading">Nehemiah&#8217;s Prayer</span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="NEH.1.1"><span class="label">1</span><span class="content">The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:</span></span></div><div class="b"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="NEH.1.1"></span></div><div class="b"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="NEH.1.1"></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="NEH.1.1"><span class="content">In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, </span></span><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="NEH.1.2"><span class="label">2</span><span class="content">Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="NEH.1.2"></span><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="NEH.1.3"><span class="label">3</span><span class="content">They said to me, &#8220;Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="NEH.1.3"></span><span class="verse v4" data-usfm="NEH.1.4"><span class="label">4</span><span class="content">When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. </span></span><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="NEH.1.5"><span class="label">5</span><span class="content">Then I said:</span></span></div><div class="pm"><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="NEH.1.5"><span class="content">&#8220;</span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content">, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, </span></span><span class="verse v6" data-usfm="NEH.1.6"><span class="label">6</span><span class="content">let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father&#8217;s family, have committed against you. </span></span><span class="verse v7" data-usfm="NEH.1.7"><span class="label">7</span><span class="content">We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.</span></span></div><div class="pm"><span class="verse v7" data-usfm="NEH.1.7"></span><span class="verse v8" data-usfm="NEH.1.8"><span class="label">8</span><span class="content">&#8220;Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, &#8216;If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, </span></span><span class="verse v9" data-usfm="NEH.1.9"><span class="label">9</span><span class="content">but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.&#8217;</span></span></div><div class="pm"><span class="verse v9" data-usfm="NEH.1.9"></span><span class="verse v10" data-usfm="NEH.1.10"><span class="label">10</span><span class="content">&#8220;They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. </span></span><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="NEH.1.11"><span class="label">11</span><span class="content">Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="NEH.1.11"><span class="content">I was cupbearer to the king.</span></span></div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
   <div class="book bkNEH">
      <div class="chapter ch2" data-usfm="NEH.2">
         <div class="label">2</div><div class="s1"><span class="heading">Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem</span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="NEH.2.1"><span class="label">1</span><span class="content">In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, </span></span><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="NEH.2.2"><span class="label">2</span><span class="content">so the king asked me, &#8220;Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="NEH.2.2"><span class="content">I was very much afraid, </span></span><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="NEH.2.3"><span class="label">3</span><span class="content">but I said to the king, &#8220;May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="NEH.2.3"></span><span class="verse v4" data-usfm="NEH.2.4"><span class="label">4</span><span class="content">The king said to me, &#8220;What is it you want?&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v4" data-usfm="NEH.2.4"><span class="content">Then I prayed to the God of heaven, </span></span><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="NEH.2.5"><span class="label">5</span><span class="content">and I answered the king, &#8220;If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="NEH.2.5"></span><span class="verse v6" data-usfm="NEH.2.6"><span class="label">6</span><span class="content">Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, &#8220;How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?&#8221; It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v6" data-usfm="NEH.2.6"></span><span class="verse v7" data-usfm="NEH.2.7"><span class="label">7</span><span class="content">I also said to him, &#8220;If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? </span></span><span class="verse v8" data-usfm="NEH.2.8"><span class="label">8</span><span class="content">And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?&#8221; And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. </span></span><span class="verse v9" data-usfm="NEH.2.9"><span class="label">9</span><span class="content">So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king&#8217;s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v9" data-usfm="NEH.2.9"></span><span class="verse v10" data-usfm="NEH.2.10"><span class="label">10</span><span class="content">When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.</span></span></div><div class="s1"><span class="heading">Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem&#8217;s Walls</span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v10" data-usfm="NEH.2.10"></span><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="NEH.2.11"><span class="label">11</span><span class="content">I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days </span></span><span class="verse v12" data-usfm="NEH.2.12"><span class="label">12</span><span class="content">I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v12" data-usfm="NEH.2.12"></span><span class="verse v13" data-usfm="NEH.2.13"><span class="label">13</span><span class="content">By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal</span><span class="note f"><span class="label">#</span><span class="body"><span class="fr">2:13 </span><span class="ft">Or </span><span class="fqa">Serpent </span><span class="ft">or </span><span class="fqa">Fig</span></span></span><span class="content"> Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. </span></span><span class="verse v14" data-usfm="NEH.2.14"><span class="label">14</span><span class="content">Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King&#8217;s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; </span></span><span class="verse v15" data-usfm="NEH.2.15"><span class="label">15</span><span class="content">so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. </span></span><span class="verse v16" data-usfm="NEH.2.16"><span class="label">16</span><span class="content">The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v16" data-usfm="NEH.2.16"></span><span class="verse v17" data-usfm="NEH.2.17"><span class="label">17</span><span class="content">Then I said to them, &#8220;You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.&#8221; </span></span><span class="verse v18" data-usfm="NEH.2.18"><span class="label">18</span><span class="content">I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v18" data-usfm="NEH.2.18"><span class="content">They replied, &#8220;Let us start rebuilding.&#8221; So they began this good work.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v18" data-usfm="NEH.2.18"></span><span class="verse v19" data-usfm="NEH.2.19"><span class="label">19</span><span class="content">But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. &#8220;What is this you are doing?&#8221; they asked. &#8220;Are you rebelling against the king?&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v19" data-usfm="NEH.2.19"></span><span class="verse v20" data-usfm="NEH.2.20"><span class="label">20</span><span class="content">I answered them by saying, &#8220;The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.&#8221;</span></span></div>
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