Ezra 9
1 Forsothe after that these thingis weren fillid, the princes neiyeden to me, and seiden, The puple of Israel, and the prestis, and dekenes, ben not depertid fro the `puplis of londis, and fro abhominaciouns of hem, that is, of Cananei, of Ethei, and of Pheresei, and of Jebusei, and of Amonytis, and of Moabitis, and of Egipcians, and of Ammorreis.
Some time later, the Jewish leaders came to me and said, “Many Israelis, and even some priests and [other men who are] descendants of Levi [who work in the temple], have not kept themselves from [doing what] the other people who are living in this land [do]. They are practicing the detestable things that the Canaan, Heth, Periz, Jebus, Ammon, and Amor people-groups, and the people from Moab and Egypt do.
2 For thei han take `of her douytris wyues to hem silf, and to her sones, and thei han medlid hooli seed with the puplis of londis; also the hond of princes and of magistratis was the firste in this trespassyng.
[Specifically, some] Israeli men have married women who are not Israelis, and they have allowed their sons to do the same thing. So we, God’s sacred people, have become (contaminated/polluted in God’s sight). And some of our leaders and officials have been the first/worst ones to do this.”
3 And whanne Y hadde herd this word, Y torente my mentil and coote, and Y pullide awei the heeris of myn heed and berd, and Y sat morenynge.
When I heard that, [I became very angry, with the result that] I tore my clothes and tore some hair from my head and from my beard. Then I sat down, very shocked/dismayed. [The Israelis knew that God had warned us that he would punish us if we disobeyed] what he had said to us [about marrying women who are not Israelis].
4 Forsothe alle that dredden the word of God of Israel camen togidere to me, for the trespassyng of hem that weren comun fro caitifte; and Y sat sori `til to the sacrifice of euentid.
[So] many of the Israelis trembled/were afraid when they heard that some of those who had returned from Babylonia had sinned by disobeying the God of us Israelis like that. They came and sat with me until it was time to offer the evening sacrifices [of grain].
5 And in the sacrifice of euentid Y roos fro myn afflicioun, and aftir that Y to-rente the mentil and coote, Y bowide my knees, and I spredde abrood myn hondis to `my Lord God,
When it was time to offer those sacrifices, I was still sitting there, wearing those torn clothes and mourning/sad. I stood up, and then I quickly prostrated myself on the ground. I lifted up my hands to Yahweh, my God,
6 and Y seide, My God, Y am confoundid and aschamed to reise my face to thee, for oure wickidnessis ben multiplied `on myn heed, and oure trespassis encreessiden `til to heuene,
and this is what I prayed: “Yahweh my God, I am very ashamed to raise my head in front of you. The sins that we Israelis have committed [are very great; it is as though they] have risen up higher than our heads, and our guilt [for committing those sins, it is as though it] rises up to the heavens.
7 fro the daies of oure fadris; but also we vs silf han synned greuousli `til to this dai, and for our wickidnessis we, and oure kyngis, and oure prestis ben bitakun in the hondis of kyngis of londis, bothe in to swerd, and in to caitifte, in to raueyn, and in to schenship of cheer, as also in this dai.
Since the time that our ancestors lived until now, we have been very guilty. That is the reason that we and our kings and our priests have been defeated by [the armies of] the kings of other lands. They killed [some of our people], they captured [some], they robbed [some], and they [caused them all to be] disgraced, just like we are today.
8 And now as at a litil and at a moment oure preier is maad anentis `oure Lord God, that relikis schulden be left to vs, and that `his pees schulde be youun in his hooli place, and that oure God schulde liytne oure iyen, and yyue to vs a litil lijf in oure seruage.
“But now, Yahweh God, you have been very kind to us. You have allowed some of us to (survive/continue to live). You have revived our spirits [IDM] and allowed us to escape from being slaves [in Babylonia] and to return safely [IDM] to live in this sacred place.
9 For we ben seruauntis, and oure God forsoke vs not in oure seruage; and he bowide merci on vs bifor the king of Persis, that he schulde yyue lijf to vs, and enhaunse the hows of oure God, and that he schulde bilde the wildernessis therof, and yyue to vs hope in Juda and in Jerusalem.
We were slaves, but you did not abandon us. Instead, because you faithfully love us, you caused the kings of Persia to be very kind to us. You have allowed us to continue to live and to rebuild your temple which had been completely destroyed. You have allowed us to start to live safely here in Jerusalem and in [other towns in] Judah.
10 And now, `oure Lord God, what schulen we seie after these thingis? For we han forsake thi comaundementis,
“Our God, what more can we say now [RHQ]? In spite of all that [you have done for us], we have disobeyed your commands.
11 whiche thou comaundidist in the hond of thi seruauntis profetis, and seidist, The lond, to which ye schulen entre, to holde it in possessioun, is an vnclene lond, bi the vnclennesse of puplis, and of othere londis, in the abhomynaciouns of hem, that filliden it with her defoulyng, fro the mouth `til to the mouth.
They are commands that you gave to your servants, the prophets, to tell to us. They said that the land that we would occupy was polluted because of the detestable/disgusting things that were done by the people who lived there. They said that in the land there were people from one end to the other who did immoral/shameful things.
12 Now therfor yiue ye not youre douytris to her sones, and take ye not her douytris to youre sones; and seke ye not the pees of hem and the prosperite `of hem `til in to with outen ende; that ye be coumfortid, and ete the goodis, that ben of the lond, and that ye haue eiris, youre sones, `til in to `the world.
They said, ‘Do not allow your daughters to marry their sons! Do not allow your sons to marry their daughters! Do not even try to cause things to go well for those people-groups! If you obey these instructions, your nation will be strong, and you will enjoy the good crops that grow on the land, and the land will belong to your descendants forever.’
13 And after alle thingis that camen on vs in oure werste werkis, and in oure grete trespas, for thou, oure God, hast delyuered vs fro oure wickidnesse, and hast youe helthe to vs,
“You punished us because we were very guilty for having done wicked things. But you have not punished us as much as we deserve to be punished. [I say this because] you, our God, have allowed some of us to survive.
14 as `it is to dai, that we schulden not be turned, and make voide thi comaundementis, and that we schulden not ioyne matrimonyes with the puplis of these abhomynacouns. Whether thou art wrooth to vs `til to the endyng, that thou schuldist not leeue to us remenauntis, and helthe?
However, some of us are again disobeying your commands, and we are marrying women who do those detestable things. If we continue to do that, surely you will get rid of all of us [RHQ], with the result that none of us will remain alive.
15 Lord God of Israel, thou art iust; for we ben left, that schulden be sauyd as in this day, lo! we ben bifor thee in oure synne; for me may `not stonde bifor thee on this thing.
Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship/belong to], you are fair/just. We are guilty. We are only a few people who have escaped [from Babylonia], but we pray to you, even though we do not deserve to stand in your presence.”
