Chapter 9

Now when these things were done,¹⁵ the princes came⁸ to me, saying,² The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated⁸ themselves from the people of the lands, [doing] according to their abominations, [even] of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

For they have taken¹ of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled⁹⁸ themselves with the people of [those] lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

And when I heard² this thing, I rent¹ my garment and my mantle, and plucked off⁴ the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down⁴ astonied.³⁵

Then were assembled¹¹ unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat⁶ astonied³⁵ until the evening sacrifice.

And at the evening sacrifice I arose up¹ from my heaviness; and having rent² my garment and my mantle, I fell⁴ upon my knees, and spread out⁴ my hands unto the LORD my God,

And said,⁴ O my God, I am ashamed¹ and blush⁸ to lift up⁵³ my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased¹ over [our] head, and our trespass is grown up¹ unto the heavens.

Since the days of our fathers [have] we [been] in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, [and] our priests, been delivered⁸ into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as [it is] this day.

And now for a little space grace hath been [shewed] from the LORD our God, to leave⁵³ us a remnant to escape, and to give² us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten⁵³ our eyes, and give² us a little reviving in our bondage.

For we [were] bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken¹ us in our bondage, but hath extended⁵⁵ mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give² us a reviving, to set up³² the house of our God, and to repair⁵³ the desolations thereof, and to give² us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

And now, O our God, what shall we say⁴ after this? for we have forsaken¹ thy commandments,

Which thou hast commanded¹⁴ by thy servants the prophets, saying,² The land, unto which ye go⁶ to possess² it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled¹⁴ it from one end to another with their uncleanness.

Now therefore give⁴ not your daughters unto their sons, neither take⁴ their daughters unto your sons, nor seek⁴ their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong,⁴ and eat¹ the good of the land, and leave [it] for an inheritance⁵² to your children for ever.

And after all that is come⁶ upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished¹ us less than our iniquities [deserve], and hast given¹ us [such] deliverance as this;

Should we again⁴ break⁵³ thy commandments, and join in affinity⁹⁹ with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry⁴ with us till thou hadst consumed¹⁵ [us], so that [there should be] no remnant nor escaping?

O LORD God of Israel, thou [art] righteous: for we remain⁸ yet escaped, as [it is] this day: behold, we [are] before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand² before thee because of this.