Ezra 9

Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated 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.

1After all this was done, the leaders came to me. They said, "The people of Israel have not kept apart from the peoples around them. The priests and Levites, the men who served God at the temple, have not either. They are doing the same wrong things those peoples do. Those peoples are the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites."

2For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

2"Our men have married women from those peoples. They also found wives from them for their sons. So God's set-apart people have mixed with the people of the land. Worse, the leaders and officials led the way in doing this."

3And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.

3When I heard this, I tore my shirt and my coat. I pulled hair from my head and from my beard. Then I sat down, too shocked to speak.

NoteTearing your clothes and pulling out your hair were ways people showed deep grief. The old word "astonied" means stunned.

4Then were assembled 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 sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.

4Then people came and gathered around me. They were the ones who shook with fear at God's words. They came because the people who had returned from exile had not obeyed God. I sat there shocked until it was time for the evening offering.

5And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,

5At the evening offering I got up from where I sat in shame. My shirt and coat were still torn. I knelt down and held my hands out to the LORD my God.

6And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.

6I said, "My God, I am ashamed. My face turns red when I try to look up at you. Our sins are piled higher than our heads. Our guilt has grown as high as the heavens."

7Since 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 delivered 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.

7"From our fathers' days until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we were handed over to foreign kings. Our kings and our priests were handed over too. Some of us were killed. Some were taken away as prisoners. Our things were stolen, and we were put to shame. That is still true today."

8And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

8"But now, for a short while, the LORD our God has been kind. He let some of us live and come back. He gave us a firm place to hold on at his holy temple. Even while we were slaves, he gave light to our eyes and new life."

NoteThe KJV says God gave them "a nail in his holy place." A nail here is a tent peg hammered in tight. It means a small, safe place to hold on.

9For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

9"We were slaves, but our God did not leave us alone. He was kind to us in front of the kings of Persia. He gave us new life so we could rebuild the house of our God. He let us fix what had fallen down. He gave us a wall of safety in Judah and Jerusalem."

10And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,

10"And now, our God, what can we say after this? We have turned away from the commands you gave us."

11Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.

11"You gave those commands through your servants the prophets. Prophets are people who told others what God said. You told us, 'The land you are going in to take is not clean. The people there have made it dirty with the wrong things they do. Their sin fills it from one end to the other.'"

12Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever.

12"'So do not let your daughters marry their sons. Do not take their daughters as wives for your sons. Never work to make those peoples safe or rich. Then you will be strong. You will eat the good food of the land. You will hand it down to your children forever.'"

NoteIn 1611 English, "wealth" meant a person's well-being and safety, not just money.

13And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this;

13"All of this came to us because of the bad things we did. Our guilt was very great. But you, our God, punished us less than our sins deserved. And you let some of us live and come home."

14Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?

14"So should we break your commands again? Should we marry into these peoples who do such wrong things? Would you not be angry enough to wipe us all out? Then not one of us would be left alive."

15O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.

15"LORD, God of Israel, you always do what is right. Some of us are still alive today. Here we are, standing before you, and we are guilty. Because of that, none of us can stand before you."