Ezra 9

1

After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said,

"The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept

themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable

practices, loke those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites,

Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites.  

2

They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and

their sons, and have mingled the holy race with tje peoples around them.

And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness."

3

When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head

and beard and sat down appalled.

4

Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israsel gathered

around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there

appalled until the evening sacrifice.

5

Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic

and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the

LORD my God

6

and prayed: "O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face

to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt

has reached to the heavens.

7

From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been great.

Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected

to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the had of

foreign kings, as it is today.

8

"But now, for a brief moment, the LORD our God has been gracious in

leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so

our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage.

9

Though we are slaves, our God has not deserted us in our bondage.

He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has

granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins,

and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.

10

"But now, O our God, what can we say after this? For we have disregarded

the commands

11

you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: 'The land you

are entering to possess is a land polluted by corruption of its peoples.

By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one

end to the other.

12

Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take

their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them

at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land

and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.'

13

"What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt,

and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved

and have given us a remnant like this. 

14

Shall we again break your commands and intermarry with the peoples who

commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with

us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor?

15

O LORD, God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant.

Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can

stand in your oresence."