< Ezra 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.
Now when these things were accomplished, the princes approached me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the nations of the lands, notwithstanding their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the 'Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Emorites;
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.
For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons; and the holy seed have mingled themselves with the nations of these lands; and the hand of the princes and rulers hath been the first in this trespass.
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 confounded.
And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and I plucked out some of the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astounded.
4 Then were assembled to 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 confounded until the evening sacrifice.
And then assembled themselves unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the trespass of the exiles; and I sat astounded until the evening sacrifice.
5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands to the LORD my God,
And at the evening sacrifice I rose up from my fasting, and while rending my garment and my mantle, I knelt down upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God.
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 to the heavens.
And I said, O my God, I am ashamed and confounded to lift up my face unto thee, my God! for our iniquities are increased above our head, and our guiltiness is grown up as far as the heavens.
7 Since the days of our fathers [have] we [been] in a great trespass to 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.
From the days of our fathers have we been in a great guiltiness even until this day; and through our iniquities have we been delivered, we, our kings, and our priests, into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to the shame of face, as it is this day.
8 And now for a little space grace hath been [shown] 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.
And now for a little moment hath grace been extended from the Lord our God, to preserve us a remnant to escape, and to give us a stake in his holy place, that our God might enlighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
9 For we [were] bond-men; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy to 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 of it, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
For we are bondmen: yet in our bondage hath our God not forsaken us, but hath extended unto us kindness before the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to exalt the house of our God, and to erect again its ruins, and to give us a fence in Judah and in Jerusalem.
10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,
And now what shall we say, O our God, after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,
11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, to 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.
Which thou hast commanded through means of thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to take possession thereof, is a land defiled through the defilement of the nations of the lands, through their abominations, with which they have filled it from one end to another through their uncleanness.
12 Now therefore give not your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters to 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.
And now your daughters shall ye not give unto their sons, and their daughters shall ye not take for your sons, and ye shall not seek their peace and their welfare unto eternity: in order that ye may be strong, and eat the best of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children unto eternity.
13 And after all that hath 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;
And after all that is come over us for our evil deeds, and for our great guiltiness, seeing that thou our God hast spared us [punishing us] less than our iniquities [deserved], and hast given us such deliverance as this:
14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed [us], so that [there should be] no remnant nor escaping?
Should we again make void thy commandments, and make marriage with these people of abominations? wouldst thou not be angry with us even to make an end of us, so that there would not be any remnant or escape?
15 O LORD God of Israel, thou [art] righteous: for we having escaped, remain yet, as [it is] this day: behold, we [are] before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.
O Lord, God of Israel, thou art righteous; for we have been left a remnant that hath escaped, as it is this day; behold, we are before thee in our guiltiness; for there is no standing before thee because of this.