[[Ezra 8|<< Ezra 8]] | [[Ezra|Ezra]] | [[Ezra 10|Ezra 10 >>]] ### 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. ^1 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 has been chief in this trespass. ^2 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 astonished. ^3 4 Then were assembled unto 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 astonished until the evening sacrifice. ^4 5 ¶ And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God, ^5 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 unto the heavens. ^6 7 Since the days of our fathers _have_ we _been_ in a great trespass 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 a spoil, and to confusion of face, as _it_ _is_ this day. ^7 8 And now for a little space grace has been _shewed_ 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. ^8 9 For we _were_ bondmen; yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended mercy 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 desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. ^9 10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments, ^10 11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto 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. ^11 12 Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto 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. ^12 13 And after all that is 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; ^13 14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed _us_, so that _there_ _should_ _be_ no remnant nor escaping? ^14 15 O LORD God of Israel, thou _art_ righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as _it_ _is_ this day: behold, we _are_ before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this. ^15