Intermarriage with Neighboring People
1 Now when these things were done, the leaders came near to me, saying, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, following their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy offspring have mixed themselves with the peoples of these lands. Indeed, the leaders and rulers have had a leading hand in this transgression.”
3 When I heard of this, I tore my garment and my robe and pulled the hair out of my head and of my beard and sat down confounded. 4 Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel were assembled to me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, and I sat confounded until the evening offering.
Ezra’s Prayer of Confession
5 At the evening offering I arose up from my humiliation, with my garment and my robe torn and I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God, 6 and I said, “My God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have increased over our head, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens. 7 Since the days of our fathers we have been exceedingly guilty to this day, and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests, have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to humiliation, as it is this day.
8 Now for a little moment, grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave a remnant to us who have escaped, and to give us a secure stake in his holy place, that our God may give light to our eyes, and revive us a little in our bondage. 9 For we are bondservants, yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended loving kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to set up the house of our God, and to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
10 Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, 11 which you have commanded through your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land, which you are going to possess, is an unclean land because of the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their filth. 12 Now therefore do not give your daughters to their sons. Do not take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity, ever, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.’
13 After all that has come on us because of our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such a remnant, 14 should we again break your commandments and join ourselves with the peoples that do these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you had consumed us, so that there would be no remnant, nor any to escape?
15 Lord, God of Israel, you are righteous, for there is still a remnant of us today that has survived, and we stand before you in our guilt, for no one can stand before you because of this guilt.”