Chapter 9. When these things were done the leaders Came to me saying The people of Israel and the priests and The Levites have not separated Themselves from the peoples of the lands With respect to the Abominations of the Canaanites the Hittites the perizzites The jebusites the ammonites the moabites The Egyptians and the amorites For they have taken some of their Daughters as wives for themselves and Their sons So that the holy seed is mixed with the Peoples of those lands Indeed the hand of the leaders and Rulers has been foremost in this Trespass So when I heard this thing I tore my Garment and my robe and plucked out some Of the hair of my head and beard and sat Down astonished Then everyone who trembled at the words Of the god of Israel assembled to me Because of the transgression of those Who had been carried away captive And I sat astonished until the evening Sacrifice At the evening sacrifice I arose from My Fasting And having torn my garment and my robe I Fell on my knees and spread out my hands To the Lord my God And I said
Oh my God I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift Up my face to you my God For our iniquities have risen higher Than our heads and our guilt has grown Up to the heavens Since the days of our fathers to this Day we have been very guilty 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 And now for a little while Grace has Been shown from the Lord Our God to Leave us a Remnant to escape and to give Us a peg in his holy place that our God May Enlighten our eyes and give us a Measure of Revival in our bondage For we were slaves Yet our god did not forsake us in our Bondage But he extended Mercy to us in the sight Of the kings of Persia to revive us to Repair the house of our God to rebuild Its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah And Jerusalem And now oh our God what shall we say After this For we have forsaken your Commandments Which you commanded by your servants the Prophets saying The land which you are entering to Possess is an unclean land with the
Uncleanness of the peoples of the lands With their Abominations which have Filled it from one end to another with Their impurity Now therefore do not give your daughters As wives for their sons nor take their Daughters to your sons And never seek their peace or prosperity That you may be strong and eat the good Of the land And leave it as an inheritance to your Children forever And after all that has come upon us for 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 Deliverance as this Should we again break your Commandments And join in marriage with the people Committing these Abominations Would you not to be angry with us until You had consumed us so that there would Be no Remnant or Survivor O Lord God of Israel you are righteous For we are left as a Remnant as it is This day Here we are before you in our guilt Though no one can stand before you Because of this