1Now when these things were done , the princes drew near unto me , saying, The people of Israel , and the priests and the Levites , have not separated themselves from the peoples 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. 2For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons , so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the peoples of the lands: yea , the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass . 3And when I heard this thing , I rent my garment and my robe , and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard , and sat down confounded. 4Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel , because of the trespass of them of the captivity ; and I sat confounded until the evening oblation .
Ezra's Prayer of Confession
5And at the evening oblation I arose up from my humiliation , even with my garment and my robe rent ; and I fell upon my knees , and spread out my hands unto Jehovah my God ; 6and I 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 guiltiness is grown up unto the heavens . 7Since the days of our fathers we have been exceeding guilty unto 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 plunder, and to confusion of face , as it is this day . 8And now for a little moment grace hath been showed from Jehovah 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 . 9For we are bondmen ; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage , but hath extended lovingkindness unto 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 ruins thereof , and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem . 10And now , O our God, what shall we say after this ? for we have forsaken thy commandments , 11which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets , saying , The land, unto which ye go to possess it , is an unclean land through the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations , which have filled it from one end to another with their filthiness : 12now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons , neither take their daughters unto your sons , nor seek their peace or their prosperity 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 . 13And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds , and for our great guilt , seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such a remnant , 14shall we again break thy commandments , and join in affinity with the peoples that do these abominations ? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us , so that there should be no remnant , nor any to escape ? 15O Jehovah , the God of Israel , thou art righteous ; for we are left a remnant that is escaped , as it is this day : behold , we are before thee in our guiltiness; for none can stand before thee because of this .