以斯拉记 9
1 这事做完了，众首领来见我，说：“以色列民和祭司并利未人，没有离绝迦南人、赫人、比利洗人、耶布斯人、亚扪人、摩押人、埃及人、亚摩利人，仍效法这些国的民，行可憎的事。
After these things had been accomplished, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the surrounding peoples whose abominations are like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.
2 因他们为自己和儿子娶了这些外邦女子为妻，以致圣洁的种类和这些国的民混杂；而且首领和官长在这事上为罪魁。”
Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!”
3 我一听见这事，就撕裂衣服和外袍，拔了头发和胡须，惊惧忧闷而坐。
When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down in horror.
4 凡为以色列 神言语战兢的，都因这被掳归回之人所犯的罪聚集到我这里来。我就惊惧忧闷而坐，直到献晚祭的时候。
Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, while I sat there in horror until the evening offering.
5 献晚祭的时候我起来，心中愁苦，穿着撕裂的衣袍，双膝跪下向耶和华—我的 神举手，
At the evening offering, I got up from my humiliation with my tunic and cloak torn, and I fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the LORD my God,
6 说：“我的 神啊，我抱愧蒙羞，不敢向我 神仰面；因为我们的罪孽灭顶，我们的罪恶滔天。
and said: “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heavens.
7 从我们列祖直到今日，我们的罪恶甚重；因我们的罪孽，我们和君王、祭司都交在外邦列王的手中，杀害、掳掠、抢夺、脸上蒙羞正如今日的光景。
From the days of our fathers to this day, our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities, we and our kings and priests have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the earth and put to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation, as we are this day.
8 现在耶和华—我们的 神暂且施恩与我们，给我们留些逃脱的人，使我们安稳如钉子钉在他的圣所，我们的 神好光照我们的眼目，使我们在受辖制之中稍微复兴。
But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the LORD our God to preserve for us a remnant and to give us a stake in His holy place. Even in our bondage, our God has given us new life and light to our eyes.
9 我们是奴仆，然而在受辖制之中，我们的 神仍没有丢弃我们，在波斯王眼前向我们施恩，叫我们复兴，能重建我们 神的殿，修其毁坏之处，使我们在犹大和耶路撒冷有墙垣。
Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but He has extended to us grace in the sight of the kings of Persia, giving us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and giving us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 “我们的 神啊，既是如此，我们还有什么话可说呢？因为我们已经离弃你的命令，
And now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commandments
11 就是你借你仆人众先知所吩咐的说：‘你们要去得为业之地是污秽之地；因列国之民的污秽和可憎的事，叫全地从这边直到那边满了污秽。
that You gave through Your servants the prophets, saying: ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the impurity of its peoples and the abominations with which they have filled it from end to end.
12 所以不可将你们的女儿嫁他们的儿子，也不可为你们的儿子娶他们的女儿，永不可求他们的平安和他们的利益，这样你们就可以强盛，吃这地的美物，并遗留这地给你们的子孙永远为业。’
Now, therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, leaving it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’
13 神啊，我们因自己的恶行和大罪，遭遇了这一切的事，并且你刑罚我们轻于我们罪所当得的，又给我们留下这些人。
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 deserve and have given us such a remnant as this),
14 我们岂可再违背你的命令，与这行可憎之事的民结亲呢？若这样行，你岂不向我们发怒，将我们灭绝，以致没有一个剩下逃脱的人吗？
shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not become so angry with us as to wipe us out, leaving no remnant or survivor?
15 耶和华—以色列的 神啊，因你是公义的，我们这剩下的人才得逃脱，正如今日的光景。看哪，我们在你面前有罪恶，因此无人在你面前站立得住。”
O LORD, God of Israel, You are righteous! For we remain this day as a remnant. Here we are before You in our guilt, though because of it no one can stand before You.”
