Ezra 9:3-10

3When I heard about this matter, I 1tore my garment and my robe, and pulled out some of the hair from my head and my beard, and 2sat down 3appalled. 4Then 4everyone 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 5appalled until 6the evening offering.

5But at the evening offering I stood up from my 7humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I bowed down on my knees and 8spread out my 9hands 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 10risen above our heads, and our 11guilt has grown even to the heavens. 712Since 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 1314open shame, as it is this day. 8But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, 15to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a 1617peg in His holy place, so that our God may 18enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. 919For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not abandoned us, but 20has 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.

10“And now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have abandoned Your commandments,