Ezra 9

When these things were finished, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands and their detestable practices—those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy offspring have mixed with the peoples of the lands. The officials and the deputies have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness.” When I heard this, I tore my garment and my robe, pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat appalled. Everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the returned exiles. I remained seated, appalled, until the evening offering. At the evening offering I rose from my humiliation, with my garment and robe torn, fell to my knees, and spread out my hands to the LORD my God. I said, “My God, I am ashamed and humiliated to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads, and our guilt has grown up to heaven. From the days of our fathers to this day we have been deeply guilty. Because of our iniquities, we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hands of the kings of the lands—to the sword, captivity, plunder, and shame of face, as it is today. But now, for a brief moment, favor has come from the LORD our God, leaving us a surviving remnant and giving us a peg in his holy place, so that our God may brighten our eyes and give us a little new life in our slavery. For we are slaves, but our God has not forsaken us in our slavery. He has extended his faithful love to us before the kings of Persia, giving us new life to raise up the house of our God, restore its ruins, and give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem. And now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, which you commanded through your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land of uncleanness because of the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands and their detestable practices, with which they have filled it from end to end with their impurity. Now do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or welfare, so that you may be strong, eat the good of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.’ After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and our great guilt, you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve and have given us such a surviving remnant. Should we again break your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who do these detestable things? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, leaving no remnant or survivor? LORD, God of Israel, you are righteous, for we remain as a surviving remnant to this day. Here we are before you in our guilt, for we cannot stand before you because of this.”

Rights and attribution