Ezra 9:2-15

2For 1they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that 2the holy 3race has 4intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness.” 3When I heard about this matter, I 5tore my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and 6sat down appalled. 4Then 7everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until 8the evening offering.

5But at the evening offering I arose from my 9humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and 10stretched out my 11hands to the Lord my God; 6and I said, “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have 12risen above our heads and our 13guilt has grown even to the heavens. 714Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and on account of our iniquities we, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder and to 1516open shame, as it is this day. 8But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, 17to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a 18peg in His holy place, that our God may 19enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. 920For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but 21has extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

10“Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments, 11which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from end to end and 22with their impurity. 12So now do not 23give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters to your sons, and 24never seek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and 25leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’ 13After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and 26our great guilt, since You our God have requited us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us 27an escaped remnant as this, 1428shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples 29who commit these abominations? 30Would You not be angry with us 31to the point of destruction, until there is no remnant nor any who escape? 15O Lord God of Israel, 32You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in 33our guilt, for 34no one can stand before You because of this.”