Ezra 9

He Tore His Garment and Sat Down Appalled

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The Report of Intermarriage and Ezra’s Grief

9:1When these things were completed, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands in their repulsive practices: the Chanani, Ethi, Pherezi, Iebousi, Ammoni, Moabi, Moseri and Amori,

9:2because they have taken some of their daughters for themselves and their sons, and the holy seed has been led astray among the peoples of the lands. The leaders’ hand has been foremost in this covenant-breaking.”

9:3When I heard this word, I tore my garments, shook with agitation, plucked hair from my head and beard, and sat quietly.

9:4Everyone who pursued the word of the God of Israel gathered to me because of the deported community’s covenant-breaking, while I sat quietly until the evening sacrifice.

9:5At the evening sacrifice I rose from my humiliation. As I tore my garments, I shook with agitation; I bend upon my knees and stretch out my hands toward the Lord God,

Guilt and the Mercy Shown to the Remnant

9:6and said, “Lord, I am ashamed and abashed to lift my face toward You, for our lawless deeds have multiplied above our heads and our offenses have grown to heaven.

9:7From the days of our fathers until this day we have been in great offense. In our lawless deeds, we, our kings and our sons have been handed over into the hand of the kings of the nations—to the sword, captivity, plunder and shame of our face—as on this day.

9:8Now the Lord our God has shown us leniency, leaving some of us for deliverance and giving us a support in the place of His sanctuary, to enlighten our eyes and give us a little revival in our slavery.

9:9For we are slaves, and in our slavery the Lord our God has not abandoned us. He has inclined mercy toward us before the kings of the Persians, to give us revival, for them to raise up the house of our God and restore its desolate places, and to give us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem.

Confession Before the Righteous God

9:10What can we say, our God, after this? For we have abandoned Your commandments,

9:11which You gave us through Your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land you are entering to inherit is a land being moved amid the movement of the peoples of the nations, in their repulsive practices, with which they have filled it from mouth to mouth in their uncleanness.

9:12Now do not give your daughters to their sons, and do not take some of their daughters for your sons. You shall never seek their peace or good, so that you may become strong, eat the good things of the land and bequeath it to your sons forever.’

9:13After everything that has come upon us through our evil deeds and our great offense—for there is none like our God, because You have lightened our lawless deeds and given us deliverance—

9:14for we have returned to scattering Your commandments and intermarrying with the peoples of the lands. Do not be provoked against us to the point of destruction, so that no remnant or survivor remains.

9:15Lord, God of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left as survivors, as on this day. Here we are before You in our offenses, for because of this there is no standing before You.”

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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.