EZR-9:1 Now when these things were done, the princes came to me,

saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites,

have not separated themselves from the people of the lands,

[doing] according to their abominations, [even] of the

Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the

Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

 EZR-9:2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves,

and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled

themselves with the people of [those] lands: yea, the hand of

the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

EZR-9:3 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 astonied.

EZR-9:4 Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at

the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of

those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the

evening sacrifice.

EZR-9:5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my

heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon

my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,

EZR-9:6 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 trespass is grown up unto the heavens.

EZR-9:7 Since the days of our fathers [have] we [been] in a

great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we,

our kings, [and] our priests, been delivered into the hand of

the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a

spoil, and to confusion of face, as [it is] this day.

EZR-9:8 And now for a little space grace hath been [showed] from

the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give

us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes,

and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

EZR-9:9 For we [were] bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us

in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of

the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house

of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give

us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

EZR-9:10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for

we have forsaken thy commandments,

EZR-9:11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets,

saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean

land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their

abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with

their uncleanness.

EZR-9:12 Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons,

neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their

peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat

the good of the land, and leave [it] for an inheritance to your

children for ever.

EZR-9:13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds,

and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast

punished us less than our iniquities [deserve], and hast given

us [such] deliverance as this;

EZR-9:14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in

affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not

thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed [us], so that

[there should be] no remnant nor escaping?

EZR-9:15 O LORD God of Israel, thou [art] righteous: for we

remain yet escaped, as [it is] this day: behold, we [are] before

thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because

of this.

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