Ezra
9:1 Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The
people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated
themselves from the people 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.
9:2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their
sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of
those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in
this trespass.
9:3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and
plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.
9:4 Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the
God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been
carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.
9:5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having
rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my
hands unto the LORD my God,
9:6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee,
my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass
is grown up unto the heavens.
9:7 Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto 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 a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.
9:8 And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD 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.
9:9 For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage,
but hath extended mercy unto 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 the
desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
9:10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken
thy commandments,
9:11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The
land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the
filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which
have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.
9:12 Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take
their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for
ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it
for an inheritance to your children for ever.
9:13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great
trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our
iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this;
9:14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the
people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till
thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?
9:15 O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as
it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we
cannot stand before thee because of this.
