Ezra 9

¹ After these things were done, the leaders came to me and said, "The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands. They are practicing the detestable things of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.

² For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy seed has mixed with the peoples of the lands. And the leaders and officials have been the worst offenders in this unfaithfulness."

³ When I heard this, I tore my garment and my robe, pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down devastated.

⁴ Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles. I sat there devastated until the evening offering.

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

⁶ I said: "My God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift my face to you, my God, because our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached up to the heavens.

⁷ From the days of our fathers until today, our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities, we—our kings and our priests—have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to utter shame, as it is today.

⁸ But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant and give us a stake in his holy place—so that our God might brighten our eyes and give us a little relief in our bondage.

⁹ For we are slaves; yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery. He has extended faithful love to us before the kings of Persia, giving us new life to rebuild the house of our God and restore its ruins, and giving us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.

¹⁰ And now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have abandoned your commands,

¹¹ which you gave through your servants the prophets, saying: 'The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the impurity of the peoples of the lands, by their detestable practices that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness.

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

¹³ 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 deserved and have given us a remnant such as this—

¹⁴ should we again break your commands and intermarry with the peoples who practice these detestable things? Would you not be angry with us to the point of destroying us, leaving no remnant or survivor?

¹⁵ O LORD, God of Israel, you are righteous, for we remain as a remnant today. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it no one can stand before you."