עזרא ט׳

When this was over, the officers approached me, saying, “The people of Israel^aThe people of Israel I.e., its (mostly male) heads of households, as responsible for the nation’s welfare. and the priests and Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the land whose abhorrent practices are like those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. They have taken their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy seed has become intermingled with the peoples of the land; and it is the officers and prefects who have taken the lead in this trespass.” When I heard this, I rent my garment and robe, I tore hair out of my head and beard, and I sat desolate. Around me gathered all who were concerned over the words of the God of Israel because of the returning exiles’ trespass, while I sat desolate until the evening offering. At the time of the evening offering I ended my self-affliction; still in my torn garment and robe, I got down on my knees and spread out my hands to the ETERNAL my God, and said, “O my God, I am too ashamed and mortified to lift my face to You, O my God, for our iniquities are overwhelming^bare overwhelming Lit. “are numerous above the head.” and our guilt has grown high as heaven. From the time of our ancestors to this very day we have been deep in guilt. Because of our iniquities, we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to foreign kings, to the sword, to captivity, to pillage, and to humiliation, as is now the case. “But now, for a short while, there has been a reprieve from the ETERNAL our God, who has granted us a surviving remnant and given us a stake in the temple in Jerusalem,^cthe temple in Jerusalem Lit. “His holy place.” restored the luster to our eyes, and furnished us with a little sustenance in our bondage. For slaves we are, though even in our bondage God has not forsaken us, but has disposed the king of Persia favorably toward us, to furnish us with sustenance and to raise again the House of our God, repairing its ruins and giving us a hold^dhold Lit. “fence.” in Judah and Jerusalem. “Now, what can we say in the face of this, O our God, for we have forsaken Your commandments, which You gave us through Your servants the prophets when You said, ‘The land that you are about to possess is a land made unclean through the uncleanness of the peoples of the land, through their abhorrent practices with which they, in their impurity, have filled it from one end to the other. Now then, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or let their daughters marry your sons; do nothing for their well-being or advantage, then you will be strong and enjoy the bounty of the land and bequeath it to your children forever.’ After all that has happened to us because of our evil deeds and our deep guilt—though You, our God, have been forbearing, [punishing us] less than our iniquity [deserves] in that You have granted us such a remnant as this— shall we once again violate Your commandments by intermarrying with these peoples who follow such abhorrent practices? Will You not rage against us till we are destroyed without remnant or survivor? O ETERNAL One, God of Israel, You are benevolent,^ebenevolent Or “in the right.” for we have survived as a remnant, as is now the case. We stand before You in all our guilt, for we cannot face You on this account.”