Ezra 9:8-15

8But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, 1to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a 2peg in His holy place, that our God may 3enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. 94For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but 5has 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 6with their impurity. 12So now do not 7give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters to your sons, and 8never seek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and 9leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’ 13After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and 10our great guilt, since You our God have requited us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us 11an escaped remnant as this, 1412shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples 13who commit these abominations? 14Would You not be angry with us 15to the point of destruction, until there is no remnant nor any who escape? 15O Lord God of Israel, 16You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in 17our guilt, for 18no one can stand before You because of this.”