1 Now when these things had been completed, the princes approached me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not AEzra 6:21; Neh 9:2separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, BLev 18:24-30according to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites. 2  “For ADeut 7:3; Ezra 10:2, 18they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that BEx 22:31; Deut 14:2; 2 Cor 6:14the holy 1Lit seedrace has CNeh 13:3intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness.” 3 When I heard about this matter, I A2 Kin 18:37tore my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and BNeh 1:4sat down appalled. 4 Then AEzra 10:3; Is 66:2everyone 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 BEx 29:39the evening offering.

5 But at the evening offering I arose from my 1Or fastinghumiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and AEx 9:29stretched out my 2Lit palmshands to the Loʀᴅ my God; 6 and I said, “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have 1Lit multiplied over the headrisen above our heads and our A2 Chr 28:9; Ezra 9:13, 15; Rev 18:5guilt has grown even to the heavens. 7  “A2 Chr 29:6; Ps 106:6Since 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 1Lit shame of facesBDan 9:7open shame, as it is this day. 8  “But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Loʀᴅ our God, AEzra 9:13-15to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a BIs 22:23peg in His holy place, that our God may CPs 13:3enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. 9  “ANeh 9:36For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but BEzra 7:28has extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

10 “Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments, 11 which You have 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 end to end and AEzra 6:21with their impurity. 12  ‘So now do not AEx 34:15, 16; Deut 7:3; Ezra 9:2give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters to your sons, and BDeut 23:6never seek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and CProv 13:22leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’ 13  “After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and AEzra 9:6, 7our great guilt, since You our God have requited us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us BEzra 9:8an escaped remnant as this, 14 AEzra 9:2shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples 1Lit of these abominationswho commit these abominations? BDeut 9:8, 14Would You not be angry with us 2Lit to destroyto the point of destruction, until there is no remnant nor any who escape? 15  “O Loʀᴅ God of Israel, ANeh 9:33; Dan 9:7You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in BEzra 9:6our guilt, for CJob 9:2; Ps 130:3no one can stand before You because of this.”