Ezra
Chapter 9
1 After these events, the leaders approached me and reported, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept away from the local peoples and their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.”
2 They have married women from those nations for themselves and their sons, mixing the sacred race with the local people. Indeed, the leaders and officials have led this wrongdoing.
3 When I heard this, I tore my clothes and my cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down shocked.
4 Everyone who was afraid of God’s words because of the wrongdoings of the exiles gathered around me, and I sat shocked until the evening offering.
5 During the evening offering, I got up from feeling sad; I tore my clothes and my cloak, got down on my knees, and stretched out my hands to God.
6 I said, “Oh my God, I am so ashamed and embarrassed to look up to you, my God, because our wrongs pile up high, and our sins reach up to the sky.”
7 Since our ancestors’ time, we have been greatly sinful up to today; because of our wrongs, we, our rulers, and our priests, have been handed over to the rulers of other lands. We have faced war, captivity, robbery, and shame, just like today.
8 And now, for a short time, God has shown us grace by allowing some of us to survive, and by giving us a secure place in his sanctuary so that he can brighten our eyes and give us some relief while we are enslaved.
9 We were slaves, but our God did not abandon us in our slavery. Instead, He showed us kindness by making the kings of Persia look favorably on us. This allowed us to revive, rebuild our God’s temple, fix its ruins, and give us protection in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 And now, our God, what can we say? We have ignored your commands.
11 God ordered through his prophets that the land you are going to take over is dirty because of the land’s people and their disgusting actions. They have made it completely unclean from one end to the other.
12 So do not let your daughters marry their sons, do not take their daughters for your sons, and do not seek friendship or wealth from them ever, so that you may be strong, enjoy the land’s goodness, and pass it down to your children forever.
13 Even after all our bad actions and serious wrongs, knowing that you, our God, have punished us less than our sins deserve, and have provided us with this rescue.
14 If we break your commands again and become friendly with the people doing these wrong things, wouldn’t you be angry with us until you destroyed us all, leaving no one left or any way to escape?
15 God of Israel, you are good: we are still here, safe today; we stand before you with our wrongs: we cannot face you because of them.