1After all these things had been done, the leaders came to me. They said, ‘The people of Israel have committed sins. Even the priests and Levites have sinned. They haven’t kept themselves separate from the nations around them. The LORD hates the practices of those nations. He hates what the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites do. He also hates what the Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites do.2The men of Israel have married the daughters of some of those people. They’ve also taken some of those women for their sons to marry. So they’ve mixed our holy nation with the nations around us. We leaders and officials have also married women who don’t worship the LORD. By doing this, we have led the way in breaking our covenant with the LORD.’3When I heard that, I tore my inner robe and my coat. I pulled hair from my head and beard. I was so shocked I sat down.4Then everyone who trembled with fear at God’s words gathered around me. That’s because the people who had returned from Babylon had not been faithful. So I was very upset. I just sat there until the time of the evening sacrifice.5Then I got up. I had been very sad for quite a while. My inner robe and my coat were torn. I fell down on my knees. I spread my hands out to the LORD my God.6I prayed, ‘I’m filled with shame and dishonour, my God. I can hardly look to you and pray. That’s because our sins are piled up above our heads. Our guilt reaches all the way to the heavens.7We are filled with it. It has been like that ever since the days of our people who lived long ago. Kings of other countries have killed many of us and our kings and priests with their swords. They’ve forced others to leave their own land. They’ve taken them away as prisoners. They’ve robbed others. They’ve made still others feel ashamed and dishonoured. All these things have happened to us because we’ve committed so many sins. And that’s how things still are to this day.8‘But you are the LORD our God. Now you have shown us your kindness for a short time. That’s because you have allowed a few of us to remain here. Your temple has given us new hope. So you have made things easier for us. You have given us a little rest from our slavery.9We are still slaves. But you are our God. You haven’t turned away from us. You haven’t left us in our slavery. You have been kind to us. The kings of Persia have seen it. You have given us new life to repair your temple and rebuild it. You have given us a place of safety in Judah and Jerusalem.10‘You are our God. What can we say after the way you have blessed us? We have turned away from your commands.11You gave us your commands through your servants the prophets. You said, “You are entering the land to take it as your own. The sinful practices of its people have made the land impure. They have filled it with their ‘unclean’ acts from one end to the other. The LORD hates all their practices.12So don’t let your daughters marry their sons. And don’t let their daughters marry your sons. Don’t make a peace treaty with them at any time. Then you will be strong. You will eat the good things the land produces. And you will leave all of it to your children as their share. They and their children after them will enjoy it for ever.”13‘Our evil acts and our terrible sins have brought about the things that have happened to us. You are our God. Because we sinned so much, you should have punished us even more than you have. But you have left many of your people alive.14Suppose we don’t obey your commands again. And suppose we continue to marry people who commit sins that you hate. If we do, you will be so angry with us that you will destroy us. You won’t leave us even a few people. You won’t leave anyone alive.15LORD, you are the God of Israel. You are holy. You always do what is right. Today you have left many of your people alive. Here we are with all our guilt. You see the guilt of our sin. Because we have sinned, not one of us can stand in front of you.’
Ezra 9
English Standard Version
Ezra Prays About Intermarriage
1After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. (Ex 13:5; De 12:30; Ezr 6:21; Ne 9:2)2For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race[1] has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” (Ex 34:16; De 7:3; De 7:6; Ezr 10:2; Ne 10:30; Ne 13:23; Ne 13:27; Ps 106:35; 2Co 6:14)3As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. (Jos 7:6; Ne 1:4)4Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. (Ex 29:39; Ex 29:41; Ezr 10:3; Isa 66:2; Isa 66:5)5And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God, (1Ki 8:22; Ezr 9:3; Ezr 9:4)6saying: “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. (2Ch 24:18; 2Ch 28:9; Ezr 9:7; Ezr 9:13; Ezr 9:15; Ezr 10:10; Ezr 10:19; Ps 38:4; Re 18:5)7From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. (Ezr 9:6; Ps 106:6; Da 9:5; Da 9:7)8But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold[2] within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. (Ezr 9:13; Ezr 9:15; Ps 13:3; Isa 22:23)9For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection[3] in Judea and Jerusalem. (Ezr 7:28; Ne 9:36)10“And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments,11which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. (Ezr 6:21)12Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ (Ezr 9:2; Pr 13:22)13And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, (Ezr 9:6; Ezr 9:8; Job 11:6; Ps 103:10)14shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? (De 9:8; Ezr 9:2; Ezr 9:13)15O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.” (Ezr 9:13; Ne 9:33; Ps 119:137; Ps 130:3; Jer 12:1; Da 9:14)