Ezra 9

1When these things were finished, the officials approached me, saying, “The people of Israel, and the priests and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations—the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.”

2For they have taken some of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, and the holy seed has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And the hand of the officials and the deputies has been foremost in this unfaithfulness.

3As soon as I heard this matter, I tore my garment and my robe, pulled out some of the hair of my head and my beard, and sat appalled.

4Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, while I sat appalled until the evening offering.

5At the evening offering I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to Yahweh my God.

6And I said, “My God, I am ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to you, my God, because our iniquities have multiplied above our heads, and our guilt has grown as high as the heavens.”

7From the days of our fathers until this day, we have been in great guilt. Because of our iniquities, we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to shame of face, as it is this day.

8But now, for a brief moment, favor has come from Yahweh our God, to leave us a remnant that has escaped and to give us a peg in his holy place, so that our God may brighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our slavery.

9For we are servants; yet in our slavery our God has not forsaken us, but has extended covenant faithfulness to us before the kings of Persia, to give us reviving, to raise up the house of our God, to set up its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

10And now, what shall we say, our God, after this? For we have forsaken your commandments.

11which you commanded by the hand of your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land of impurity because of the impurity of the peoples of the lands, because of their abominations with which they have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness.’

12So now, do not give your daughters to their sons, and do not take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or their prosperity, so that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.

13And after all that has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our great guilt—though you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve and have given us such a remnant as this—

14Shall we again break your commandments and intermarry with the peoples of these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you had consumed us, leaving no remnant or survivor?

15O Yahweh, God of Israel, you are righteous, for we have been left as a remnant, as it is this day. Here we are before you in our guilt, for no one can stand before you because of this.