Ezra / Ezra's Confession over Intermarriage and Plea for Mercy

Ezra's Confession over Intermarriage and Plea for Mercy

Ezra 9:1-15

Chapter 9

¹ After these things were finished, the rulers approached me to say, "The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations—the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, the Ammonite, the Moabite, the Egyptian, and the Amorite." ² For they have taken their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so they have mingled the holy seed with the peoples of the lands, and the hand of the officials and the deputies has been foremost in this trespass. ³ And when I heard this word, I tore my garments and my robe, and plucked out the hair of my head and my beard, and sat appalled. ⁴ Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered to me because of the trespass of the exiles, and I sat appalled until the evening offering. ⁵ And at the evening offering I arose from my fasting and, having torn my garments and my priestly robe, knelt on my knees and spread my hands to the LORD my God. ⁶ And I said, "My God, shame is mine and I am humiliated to lift my face to you, for our iniquities have multiplied above our heads and our guilt has grown up to the heavens." ⁷ From the days of our fathers we have been in great guilt until this day. For our iniquities, we—our kings, our priests—have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, by the sword, by captivity, by plunder, and by shame of face, as on this day. ⁸ And now for a little moment grace has come from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant, to give us a peg in his holy place, to enlighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our servitude. ⁹ For we are servants, yet in our servitude our God did not forsake us but extended steadfast love to us before the kings of Persia, to give us a living—to restore the house of our God and to raise up its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. ¹⁰ And now, what shall we say, our God, after this? For we have forsaken your commandments. ¹¹ which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, "The land that you are coming to possess is a land of impurity; it is defiled by the impurity of the peoples of the lands, by their abominations with which they have filled it from one end to the other." ¹² And now, do not give your daughters to their sons, and do not take their daughters for your sons, and do not seek their peace and their good forever, so that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and possess it for your sons forever. ¹³ And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and our great guilt, you, our God, have withheld punishment less than our iniquity and have granted us such a remnant: ¹⁴ Shall we return to break your commandments and marry among the peoples of these abominations? Will you not be angry with us until we are consumed, with no remnant or escape? ¹⁵ The LORD God of Israel, righteous you are, for we have remained a remnant as on this day. Here we are before you in our guilts, for there is no standing before you on account of this.