Ezra 9
1 Then, after these things were completed, the leaders came to me, saying: “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, have not been separated from the peoples of the lands and from their abominations, especially those of the Canaanites, and Hittites, and Perizzites, and Jebusites, and Ammonites, and Moabites, and Egyptians, and Amorites.
這些事完畢後，眾首領來到我面前說：「以色列民眾、司祭和肋未人可的事上，並沒有離開當地的人民：客納罕人、希威人、培黎齊人、耶步斯人、阿孟人、摩阿布人、埃及人和阿摩黎人，
2 For they have taken from their daughters for themselves and for their sons, and they have mixed a holy lineage with the peoples of the lands. And even the hand of the leaders and the magistrates has been first in this transgression.”
因為他們為自己和自己是兒子，娶了他們的女子，以致聖潔的曲裔，與當地的人民合；尤其首長和官，是這罪孽的魁首」。
3 And when I had heard this word, I tore my cloak and my tunic, and I pulled out the hairs of my head and beard, and I sat in mourning.
我一聽這話，便撕裂了我的衣服和外氅，拔我的頭髮和鬍鬚，絕望地坐下。
4 Then all those who feared the word of the God of Israel gathered to me, because of the transgression of those who had arrived from the captivity. And I sat in sorrow, until the evening sacrifice.
當時凡對以色列天主的誡命起敬起畏的人，為了充軍歸的罪孽，都聚集在我周圍，我絕望地坐著，直到晚祭。
5 And at the evening sacrifice, I rose up from my affliction, and, having torn my cloak and my tunic, I fell to my knees, and I reached out my hands to the Lord, my God.
到了獻晚祭時，我悲憤人起來，仍穿著撕碎的衣服和外氅，雙膝跪下，伸手向上主我的天主說：
6 And I said: “My God, I am confounded and ashamed to lift up my face to you. For our iniquities have been multiplied over our heads, and our offenses have increased, even up to heaven,
「我的天主，我實覺慚愧! 我的天主! 我不敢向你仰面，因為我們的邪惡，積累得高過了我們的頭頂，我們的罪孽上達於天。
7 from the days of our fathers. But also, we ourselves have sinned gravely, even to this day. And for our iniquities, we ourselves, and our kings and our priests, have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the lands, and to the sword, and to captivity, and to plunder, and to confusion of face, just as it is also in this day.
自從我們的祖先時代，直到今日，我們犯了重大的罪孽；為了我們的罪惡，我們連我們的君王司祭，都被交在異地的君王手中，喪身刀下，被俘擄，遭劫，丟臉受辱，就像今日一樣。
8 And now, to a small extent and for a moment, our petition has been made with the Lord our God, so that they may leave us a remnant, and so that a secure place in his holy land may be given to us, and so that our God may illuminate our eyes, and may give us a little life in our servitude.
但是現在，轉瞬之間，上主我們的天主，對我們施了仁慈，留給了我們一些殘存的人，又在聖地給了我們居所；並且我們的天主，還使我們的眼目明亮，在我們為奴隸期中，使我們尚有少許生氣。
9 For we are servants, yet in our servitude our God has not forsaken us, but he has inclined mercy upon us in the sight of the king of the Persians, so that he may give us life, and may raise up the house of our God, and repair its desolations, and give us a hedge in Judah and Jerusalem.
我們原是奴隸，但我們在為奴隸期中，我們的天主沒有離棄我們，反而使我們在波斯王，獲得了寵遇，使我們有了生氣，得以重建天主的殿宇，修廢壚，我們在猶大和耶路撒冷，得了保障。
10 And now, our God, what should we say after these things? For we abandoned your commandments,
現今，我們的天主! 在這些事後，我們還有什麼可說的呢﹖只能說我們又遺棄了你的誡命，
11 which you instructed by the hand of your servants, the prophets, saying: ‘The land, which you shall enter so that you may possess it, is an unclean land, due to the uncleanness of the peoples and of the other lands, the abominations of those who have filled it, from mouth to mouth, with their filth.’
因你曾藉你的僕人眾先知，吩咐說：『你們要去佔領的地方，因各地異民的卑污行為，成了不潔之地；他們的醜行和罪孽，充滿了那地方的各個角落，
12 Now therefore, you should not give your daughters to their sons, nor should you receive their daughters for your sons. And you should not seek their peace, nor their prosperity, even forever. So shall you be strengthened, and so shall you eat the good things of the land, and have your sons as your heirs, even for all time.
所以你們絕不可將你們的女兒嫁給他們的兒子；也不給你們的兒子，他們的女兒為妻，也永不可他們共謀平安和福利：這樣你們才會強盛，才能吃那地方的出產，將這地留給你們的子孫，作為永遠基業」。
13 And after all that has happened to us because of our very wicked works and our great offense, you, our God, have freed us from our iniquity, and you have given us salvation, just as it is this day,
為了我們的許多罪行和重大的罪孽，這一切降到了我們身上之後，──我們的天主! 其實你估了我們的罪惡，還給我們留下了這些亡命的人，──
14 so that we would not turn away and make your commandments void, and so that we would not unite in marriage with the peoples of these abominations. Could you be angry with us even to the very end, so that you would not leave us a remnant to be saved?
我們還敢破壞你的誡命，而同這些不潔的民族聯婚嗎﹖難道還要你向我們發怒，一直將我們完全消滅，不一個遺民或亡命的人嗎﹖
15 O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just. For we have been left behind to be saved, just as it is this day. Behold, we are before your sight in our offense. And it is not possible to withstand you in this matter.”
上主，以色列的天主! 因你仁慈，才剩下了我們這些亡的人，像今天一樣；看，我們在你面前都帶有罪孽，因此，沒有一個能在你面前站得住。
