Ezra 9 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Unfaithfulness of the Exiles

Now when these^H428 things^H428 had been completed^H3615, the princes^H8269 approached^H5066 me, saying^H559, “The people^H5971 of Israel^H3478 and the priests^H3548 and the Levites^H3881 have not separated^H914 themselves from the peoples^H5971 of the lands^H776, according to their abominations^H8441, those of the Canaanites^H3669, the Hittites^H2850, the Perizzites^H6522, the Jebusites^H2983, the Ammonites^H5984, the Moabites^H4125, the Egyptians^H4713 and the Amorites^H567.

Ezr 9:2

Ezr 9:2“For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy seed has intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and the officials have been foremost in this unfaithfulness.”

Ezr 9:3

Ezr 9:3When I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat down in consternation.

Ezr 9:4

Ezr 9:4Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering.

Ezra’s Confession

Ezr 9:5

But at the evening^H6153 offering^H4503 I arose^H6965 from my [fn]affliction^H8589, even with my garment^H899 and my robe^H4598 torn^H7167, and I fell^H3766 on my knees^H1290 and stretched^H6566 out^H6566 my [fn]hands^H3709 to Yahweh^H3068 my God^H430;

Ezr 9:6

Ezr 9:6and I said, “O my God, I am ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have multiplied above our heads and our guilt has become great even to the heavens.

Ezr 9:7

Ezr 9:7“Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and on account of our iniquities we, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to plunder and to [fn]open shame, as it is this day.

Ezr 9:8

Ezr 9:8“But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from Yahweh our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our slavery.

Ezr 9:9

Ezr 9:9“For we are slaves; yet in our slavery our God has not forsaken us, but has extended lovingkindness to us before the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its waste places, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

Ezr 9:10

“So now^H6258, our God^H430, what^H4100 shall we say^H559 after^H310 this^H2088? For we have forsaken^H5800 Your commandments^H4687,

Ezr 9:11

Ezr 9:11which You have commanded by the hand of Your slaves the prophets, saying, ‘The land which you are entering to possess is an impure land with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from end to end, and with their uncleanness.

Ezr 9:12

Ezr 9:12‘So now do not give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters to your sons, and never seek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it as a possession to your sons forever.’

Ezr 9:13

Ezr 9:13“After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and our great guilt, since You our God have requited us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us an escaped remnant as this,

Ezr 9:14

Ezr 9:14shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples [fn]who commit these abominations? Would You not be angry with us [fn]to the point of destruction, until there is no remnant nor any who escape?

Ezr 9:15

Ezr 9:15“O Yahweh, the God of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in our guilt, for no one can stand before You because of this.”