New American Standard Bible 2020

Ezra 9:1-9

1Now when these things had been completed, the officials approached me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not 1separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, 2as to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2For 3they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that 4the holy 5line has 6intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the officials and the leaders have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness.” 3When I heard about this matter, I 7tore my garment and my robe, and pulled out some of the hair from my head and my beard, and 8sat down 9appalled. 4Then 10everyone who was frightened by the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat 11appalled until 12the evening offering.

5But at the evening offering I stood up from my 13humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I bowed down on my knees and 14spread out my 15hands to the Lord my God; 6and I said, “My God, I am ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God, for our wrongful deeds have 16risen above our heads, and our 17guilt has grown even to the heavens. 7 18Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and because of our wrongful deeds we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to 19 20open shame, as it is this day. 8But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, 21to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a 22 23peg in His holy place, so that our God may 24enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. 9 25For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not abandoned us, but 26has extended favor to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to erect the house of our God, to restore its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

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Notes

1. Ezra 9:1 Ezra 6:21; Neh 9:2 ↩
2. Ezra 9:1 Lev 18:24-30 ↩
3. Ezra 9:2 Deut 7:3; Ezra 10:2, 18 ↩
4. Ezra 9:2 Ex 22:31; Deut 14:2; 2 Cor 6:14 ↩
5. Ezra 9:2 Lit seed ↩
6. Ezra 9:2 Neh 13:3 ↩
7. Ezra 9:3 2 Kin 18:37 ↩
8. Ezra 9:3 Neh 1:4 ↩
9. Ezra 9:3 Or shattered ↩
10. Ezra 9:4 Ezra 10:3; Is 66:2 ↩
11. Ezra 9:4 Or shattered ↩
12. Ezra 9:4 Ex 29:39 ↩
13. Ezra 9:5 Or penitence ↩
14. Ezra 9:5 Ex 9:29 ↩
15. Ezra 9:5 Lit palms ↩
16. Ezra 9:6 Lit increased over the head ↩
17. Ezra 9:6 2 Chr 28:9; Ezra 9:13, 15; Rev 18:5 ↩
18. Ezra 9:7 2 Chr 29:6; Ps 106:6 ↩
19. Ezra 9:7 Lit shame of faces ↩
20. Ezra 9:7 Dan 9:7 ↩
21. Ezra 9:8 Ezra 9:13-15 ↩
22. Ezra 9:8 I.e., a foothold ↩
23. Ezra 9:8 Is 22:23 ↩
24. Ezra 9:8 Ps 13:3 ↩
25. Ezra 9:9 Neh 9:36 ↩
26. Ezra 9:9 Ezra 7:28 ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Ezra 9