Ezra 9 · עזרא

Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Yisra᾽el, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Kena῾ani, the Ḥitti, the Perizzi, the Yevusi, the ῾Ammoni, the Mo᾽avi, the Mizri, and the Emori.

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 those lands: indeed, the hand of the princes and rulers has been chief in this crime.

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 appalled.

Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Yisra᾽el, because of the transgression of those who had been carried away gathered around me; and I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice.

And at the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and my garment and my mantle being rent, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands to the Lord my God,

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 guilt has mounted to the heavens.

Since the days of our fathers we have been exceedingly guilty to this day; and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests, have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is this day.

And now for a little moment grace has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a secure anchorage in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

For we were slaves; yet our God did not forsake us in our slavery but gave us grace in the sight of the kings of Paras; 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 Yehuda and in Yerushalayim.

And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken Thy commandments,

which Thou hast commanded by Thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, into which you go to possess it, is an unclean land through the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations, for they have filled it from one end to the other with their uncleanness.

Now therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their welfare 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.

And after all that which has come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, seeing that Thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this;

should we again break Thy commandments, and make marriages with the peoples of these abominations? wouldst Thou not be angry with us till Thou wouldst consume us, so that there should be no remnant nor any to escape?

O Lord God of Yisra᾽el, Thou are righteous: for we are left, a remnant that is escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before Thee in our guiltiness: but we cannot stand before Thee because of this.