< Ezra 9 >

1 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.
Postquam autem hæc completa sunt, accesserunt ad me principes, dicentes: Non est separatus populus Israël, sacerdotes et Levitæ, a populis terrarum et abominationibus eorum: Chananæi videlicet, et Hethæi, et Pherezæi, et Jebusæi, et Ammonitarum, et Moabitarum, et Ægyptiorum, et Amorrhæorum:
2 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!”
tulerunt enim de filiabus eorum sibi et filiis suis, et commiscuerunt semen sanctum cum populis terrarum: manus etiam principum et magistratuum fuit in transgressione hac prima.
3 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.
Cumque audissem sermonem istum, scidi pallium meum et tunicam, et evelli capillos capitis mei et barbæ, et sedi mœrens.
4 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.
Convenerunt autem ad me omnes qui timebant verbum Dei Israël, pro transgressione eorum qui de captivitate venerant, et ego sedebam tristis usque ad sacrificium vespertinum:
5 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,
et in sacrificio vespertino, surrexi de afflictione mea, et scisso pallio et tunica, curvavi genua mea, et expandi manus meas ad Dominum Deum meum.
6 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.
Et dixi: Deus meus, confundor et erubesco levare faciem meam ad te: quoniam iniquitates nostræ multiplicatæ sunt super caput nostrum, et delicta nostra creverunt usque ad cælum,
7 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.
a diebus patrum nostrorum: sed et nos ipsi peccavimus graviter usque ad diem hanc, et in iniquitatibus nostris traditi sumus ipsi, et reges nostri, et sacerdotes nostri, in manum regum terrarum, et in gladium, et in captivitatem, et in rapinam, et in confusionem vultus, sicut et die hac.
8 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.
Et nunc quasi parum et ad momentum facta est deprecatio nostra apud Dominum Deum nostrum, ut dimitterentur nobis reliquiæ, et daretur nobis paxillus in loco sancto ejus, et illuminaret oculos nostros Deus noster, et daret nobis vitam modicam in servitute nostra:
9 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.
quia servi sumus, et in servitute nostra non dereliquit nos Deus noster, sed inclinavit super nos misericordiam coram rege Persarum, ut daret nobis vitam, et sublimaret domum Dei nostri, et exstrueret solitudines ejus, et daret nobis sepem in Juda et Jerusalem.
10 And now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commandments
Et nunc quid dicemus, Deus noster, post hæc? Quia dereliquimus mandata tua,
11 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.
quæ præcepisti in manu servorum tuorum prophetarum, dicens: Terra, ad quam vos ingredimini ut possideatis eam, terra immunda est juxta immunditiam populorum, ceterarumque terrarum, abominationibus eorum qui repleverunt eam ab ore usque ad os in coinquinatione sua.
12 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.’
Nunc ergo filias vestras ne detis filiis eorum, et filias eorum ne accipiatis filiis vestris, et non quæratis pacem eorum et prosperitatem eorum usque in æternum: ut confortemini, et comedatis quæ bona sunt terræ, et hæredes habeatis filios vestros usque in sæculum.
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 deserve and have given us such a remnant as this),
Et post omnia quæ venerunt super nos in operibus nostris pessimis, et in delicto nostro magno, quia tu, Deus noster, liberasti nos de iniquitate nostra, et dedisti nobis salutem sicut est hodie,
14 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?
ut non converteremur, et irrita faceremus mandata tua, neque matrimonia jungeremus cum populis abominationum istarum. Numquid iratus es nobis usque ad consummationem, ne dimitteres nobis reliquias ad salutem?
15 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.”
Domine Deus Israël, justus es tu: quoniam derelicti sumus, qui salvaremur sicut die hac. Ecce coram te sumus in delicto nostro: non enim stari potest coram te super hoc.

< Ezra 9 >