Ezr 9:0-10 | NET2full | STEP | Now when these things had been completed , the leaders approached me and said , “The people of Israel , the priests , and the Levites have not separated themselves from the local residents who practice detestable things similar to those of the Canaanites , the Hittites , the Perizzites , the Jebusites , the Ammonites , the Moabites , the Egyptians , and the Amorites .

‏ Ezra 9:1-10

A Prayer of Ezra

1 Now when these things had been completed, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the local residents ^{▼▼tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.” So also in v. 2.} who practice detestable things similar to those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 Indeed, they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race ^{▼▼tn Heb “the holy seed,” referring to the Israelites as God’s holy people.} has become intermingled with the local residents. Worse still, the leaders and the officials have been at the forefront of all this unfaithfulness!”

3 When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and my robe and ripped out some of the hair from my head and beard. Then I sat down, quite devastated. 4 Everyone who held the words of the God of Israel in awe ^{▼▼tn Heb “who trembled at the words of the God of Israel.”} gathered around me because of the unfaithful acts of the people of the exile. ^{▼▼tn Heb “the exile”; the words “the people” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.} Devastated, I continued to sit there until the evening offering.

5 At the time of the evening offering I got up from my self-abasement, ^{▼▼tn The Hebrew word used here is a hapax legomenon. It refers to the self-abasement that accompanies religious sorrow and fasting.} with my tunic and robe torn, and then dropped to my knees and spread my hands to the Lord my God. 6 I prayed: ^{▼▼tn Heb “I said.”}

“O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God! For our iniquities have climbed higher than our heads, and our guilt extends to the heavens. 7 From the days of our fathers until this very day our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities we, along with our kings and ^{▼▼tc The MT lacks “and” here, but see the LXX and Vulgate.} priests, have been delivered over by the local kings ^{▼▼tn Heb “the kings of the lands.”} to sword, captivity, plunder, and embarrassment—right up to the present time.

8 “But now briefly ^{▼▼tn Heb “according to a little moment.”} we have received mercy from the Lord our God, in that he has left us a remnant and has given us a secure position ^{▼▼tn Heb “a peg” or “tent peg.” The imagery behind this word is drawn from the experience of nomads who put down pegs as they pitched their tents and made camp after times of travel.} in his holy place. Thus our God has enlightened our eyes ^{▼▼tn Heb “to cause our eyes to shine.” The expression is a figure of speech for “to revive.” See DCH 1:160 s.v. אור Hi.7.} and has given us a little relief in our time of servitude. 9 Although we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our servitude. He has extended kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, in that he has revived us ^{▼▼tn Heb “has granted us reviving.”} to restore the temple of our God and to raise up ^{▼▼tn Heb “to cause to stand.”} its ruins and to give us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

10 “And now what are we able to say after this, our God? For we have forsaken your commandments