Ezra 9
1
Now when these things were done, the princes drew near to me, saying, The people of
Israel, and the priests and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples
of the lands, [doing] according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the
Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians,
and the Amorites.
2
For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that
the holy seed have mingled themselves with the peoples of the lands: yea, the hand
of the princes and rulers has been chief in this trespass.
3
And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my robe, and plucked off the hair
of my head and of my beard, and sat down confounded.
4
Then were assembled to me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel,
because of the trespass of them of the captivity; and I sat confounded until the evening
oblation.
5
And at the evening oblation I arose up from my humiliation, even with my garment and
my robe rent; and I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands to YHWH my God;
6
and I said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my God; for
our iniquities are increased over our head, and our guiltiness is grown up to the
heavens.
7
Since the days of our fathers we have been exceeding guilty to this day; and for our
iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the
kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to plunder, and to confusion of
face, as it is this day.
8
And now for a little moment grace has been showed from YHWH our God, to leave us a
remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten
our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
9
For we are bondmen; yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended
lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to
set up the house of our God, and to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall
in Judah and in Jerusalem.
10
And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken your commandments,
11
which you have commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, The land, to which
you go to possess it, is an unclean land through the uncleanness of the peoples of
the lands, through their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another
with their filthiness:
12
now therefore give not your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters
to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity for ever; that you may be strong,
and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for
ever.
13
And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, seeing
that you our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given
us such a remnant,
14
shall we again break your commandments, and join in affinity with the peoples that
do these abominations? would not you be angry with us till you had consumed us, so
that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape?
15
O YHWH, the God of Israel, you are righteous; for we are left a remnant that is escaped,
as it is this day: behold, we are before you in our guiltiness; for none can stand
before you because of this.