Esdræ 9
1 Postquam autem haec completa sunt, accesserunt ad me principes, dicentes: Non est separatus populus Israel, Sacerdotes et Levitae a populis terrarum, et abominationibus eorum Chananaei videlicet, et Hethaei, et Pherezaei, et Iebusaei, et Ammonitarum, et Moabitarum, et Aegyptiorum, et Amorrhaeorum:
Some time later after all this had happened, the leaders came and told me, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the people around us whose disgusting religious practices are similar to those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.
2 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.
Some Israelites have even married women from these people, both themselves and their sons, mixing the holy race with these people of the land. Our leaders and officials are at the forefront of this sinful behavior.”
3 Cumque audissem sermonem istum, scidi pallium meum et tunicam, et evelli capillos capitis mei et barbae, et sedi moerens.
When I heard about this, I tore my clothes, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down, absolutely appalled.
4 Convenerunt autem ad me omnes, qui timebant verbum Dei Israel, pro transgressione eorum, qui de captivitate venerant, et ego sedebam tristis usque ad sacrificium vespertinum:
Everyone who respected the instructions of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this sin on the part of the exiles. I sat there shocked and appalled until the evening sacrifice.
5 et in sacrificio vespertino surrexi de afflictione mea, et scisso pallio et tunica, curvavi genua mea, et expandi manus meas ad Dominum Deum meum,
At the evening sacrifice, I stood up from where I had been sitting in grief, with my clothes torn, and I kneeled down and held out my hands to the Lord my God.
6 et dixi: Deus meus, confundor et erubesco levare faciem meam ad te: quoniam iniquitates nostrae multiplicatae sunt super caput nostrum, et delicta nostra creverunt usque ad caelum
I prayed, “My God, I am so ashamed and embarrassed to come and pray to you, my God, because we are in over our heads in sin, and our guilt has risen to the heavens.
7 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.
From the time of our forefathers to now, we have been deeply guilty. Because of our sins, we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of the earth, killed and taken prisoner, robbed and humiliated, just like we are today.
8 Et nunc quasi parum et ad momentum facta est deprecatio nostra apud Dominum Deum nostrum, ut dimitterentur nobis reliquiae, et daretur nobis paxillus in loco sancto eius, et illuminaret oculos nostros Deus noster, et daret nobis vitam modicam in servitute nostra,
Now for a short time the Lord our God has given us grace, preserving a few of us as a remnant, and giving us safety in his holy place. Our God has brightened our lives by giving us some relief from our slavery.
9 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 extrueret solitudines eius, et daret nobis sepem in Iuda et Ierusalem.
Though we are slaves, our God did not abandon us in our slavery, but he showed us his trustworthy love by making the kings of Persia kind to us, by reviving us so we could rebuild the Temple of our God and repair its ruined state, and by giving us a wall of protection around Judah and Jerusalem.
10 Et nunc quid dicemus Deus noster post haec? quia dereliquimus mandata tua,
But now, our God, what do we have to say for ourselves after all this? For we have given up following your commands
11 quae praecepisti in manu servorum tuorum prophetarum, dicens: Terra, ad quam vos ingredimini ut possideatis eam, terra immunda est iuxta immunditiam populorum, ceterarumque terrarum, abominationibus eorum qui repleverunt eam ab ore usque ad os in coinquinatione sua.
that you gave through your servants the prophets, telling us, ‘The land you are entering to become its owners is contaminated by the sins of its peoples, the disgusting religious practices that they have filled it with, from one side to the other.
12 Nunc ergo filias vestras ne detis filiis eorum, et filias eorum ne accipiatis filiis vestris, et non quaeratis pacem eorum, et prosperitatem eorum usque in aeternum: ut confortemini, et comedatis quae bona sunt terrae, et heredes habeatis filios vestros usque in saeculum.
So do not let your daughters marry their sons, or allow their daughters marry your sons. Never make a peace or friendship treaty with them, so that you may live well and eat the good food the land produces, and give the land as an inheritance to your children forever.’
13 Et post omnia quae 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,
Now that we are receiving all this punishment because of our sinful actions and our terrible guilt—though you, our God, have not punished us as much as our sins deserve, and have still given us this remnant—
14 ut non averteremur, et irrita faceremus mandata tua, neque matrimonia iungeremus cum populis abominationum istarum. Numquid iratus es nobis usque ad consummationem ne dimitteres nobis reliquias ad salutem?
shall we break your commandments once again and intermarry with the peoples who commit these disgusting religious practices? Wouldn't you become so angry with us that you would destroy us? No remnant would be left, not a single survivor.
15 Domine Deus Israel iustus 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.
Lord, God of Israel, you do what is right. Today we're all that is left, a remnant. We are before you in our guilt, but no one can stand before you because of it.”
