Overwhelmed with sorrow, Nehemiah could neither eat nor drink; he "wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted." In his grief he turned to the divine Helper. "I . . . prayed," he said, "before the God of heaven." Faithfully he made confession of his sins and the sins of his people. He pleaded that God would maintain the cause of Israel, restore their courage and strength, and help them to build up the waste places of Judah.

Nehemias blev overvældet af sorg og kunne hverken spise eller drikke. Han "fastede" og "græd og sørgede i flere dage". I sin store sorg bad han til sin guddommelige Hjælper. Han bad om, at Gud ville varetage Israels interesser, give folket nyt mod og ny styrke og hjælpe dem at genopbygge det, der var ødelagt i Juda.