CHAPTER 9
1 And after that these things were fulfilled, the princes nighed to me, that is, to Ezra, and said, The people of Israel, and the priests, and deacons, be not separated from the peoples of (the) lands, and from [the] abominations of them, that is, of Canaanites, of Hittites, and of Perizzites, and of Jebusites, and of Ammonites, and of Moabites, and of Egyptians, and of Amorites. (And after that these things were finished, the leaders came to me, Ezra, and said, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not set themselves apart from the peoples of these lands, that is, from the Canaanites, and Hittites, and Perizzites, and Jebusites, and Ammonites, and Moabites, and Egyptians, and Amorites, and from all their abominations.)
2 For they have taken of their daughters wives to themselves, and to their sons, and they have meddled holy seed with the peoples of (these) lands; also the hand of (the) princes and of (the) magistrates was the first in this trespassing. (For they have taken their daughters as wives for themselves, and for their sons as well, and they have mixed, or mingled, holy seed with the peoples of these lands; yea, the hands of the leaders and of the magistrates were the first in this trespass.)
3 And when I had heard this word, I rent my mantle and my coat, and I pulled away the hairs of mine head and of my beard, and I sat mourning. (And when I had heard this, I tore my cloak and my coat, and I pulled away the hairs of my head and of my beard, and I sat down mourning.)
4 Forsooth all that dreaded the word of (the) God of Israel came together to me, for the trespassing of them that were come from [the] captivity; and I sat sorry till to the sacrifice of eventide. (And all who feared the word or who revered the word of the God of Israel came together to me, because of the trespassing of those who were come from the captivity; and I sat in despair until the evening sacrifice.)
5 And in the sacrifice of eventide I rose up from mine affliction, and after that I had rent my mantle and my coat, (or And at the evening sacrifice I rose up from my affliction, and after that I had torn my cloak and my coat), I bowed my knees, and I spreaded abroad mine hands to the Lord my God,
6 and I said, My God, I am confounded and ashamed to raise up my face to thee, for our wickednesses be multiplied on mine head, and our trespasses have increased unto heaven, (and I said, My God, I am shamed and ashamed to raise up my face to thee, for our wickednesses be multiplied upon our heads, and our trespasses have increased unto the heavens,)
7 from the days of our fathers hitherto; and also we ourselves have sinned grievously unto this day, and for our wickednesses we, and our kings, and our priests be betaken into the hands of kings of heathen lands, both into sword, and into captivity, into raven, and into shame of cheer, as also in this day. (from the days of our forefathers unto now; for we ourselves have grievously sinned, and because of our wickednesses we, and our kings, and our priests, have been delivered into the hands of the kings of heathen lands, yea, unto the sword, and into captivity, and unto robbing, or pillage, and unto the shame of our face, as it is this very day.)
8 And now as at a little time and at a moment our prayer is made with the Lord our God, that [the] relics, or remnants, should be left to us, and that a little stake, that is, some setting, and stableness, should be given in his holy place, and that our God should lighten our eyes, and give to us a little life in our servage. (But now, for a little moment, the Lord our God hath been gracious to us, and a remnant hath escaped, and he hath given us a little stake, that is, some place of settling, and of stability, in this his Holy Place, and our God hath enlightened our eyes, and he hath given us a little life in the midst of our servitude, or our slavery.)
9 For we be servants; and our God forsook us not in our servage/in our thralldom; and he bowed down mercy upon us before the king(s) of Persia, that he should give life to us, and (so we could) enhance the house of our God, and that he should build (again) the wildernesses thereof, or the desolate things thereof, and give to us hope, or mercy, in Judah and in Jerusalem. (For we be slaves; but our God hath not left us in our servitude, or our slavery; but he bowed down mercy upon us from the kings of Persia, to give life to us, so that we could rebuild the House of our God, and repair its ruins, and so give us a wall of defence, or a safe place, here in Judah and in Jerusalem.)
10 And now, Lord our God, what shall we say after these things? For we have forsaken thy commandments,
11 which thou commandedest in the hand of thy servants (the) prophets, and saidest, The land, to which ye shall enter, to hold it in possession, is an unclean land, by the uncleanness of peoples, and of other lands, in the abominations of them, that (have) filled it with their defouling, from the mouth till to the mouth. (which thou commandedest by thy servants the prophets, and saidest, The land, to which ye shall enter to have for a possession, is an unclean land, because of the uncleanness and the abominations of the people there, from other lands, who have filled it with their defiling, from one end to the other.)
12 Now therefore, ye Jews, give ye not your daughters to their sons, nor take ye their daughters to your sons; nor seek ye the peace of them, nor their prosperity unto without end; that ye be comforted, and eat the good things, that be of the earth, and that ye have your sons (as) your heirs, unto without end, (or so that ye be strengthened, and eat the good things of the land, and that ye leave it for an inheritance to your sons forevermore).
13 And after all things, or dis-eases, that came upon us in our worst works, and in our great trespass, thou, our God, hast delivered us from our wickedness, and hast given health to us, as it is today, (And though much suffering came upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, thou, our God, hast not punished us as we deserved, but thou hast rescued us, or hast saved us, from our wickedness, and hast given us the deliverance, which we have today,)
14 that we should not be turned away from thee, and make void thy commandments, and that we should not join matrimonies with the peoples of these abominations. Whether thou art wroth to us till to the ending, that thou shouldest not leave to us remnants, that is, a few men, and health? (so now should we turn (away from thee), and make void thy commandments, and join matrimonies with the peoples of these abominations? No! For wouldest thou not then be angry with us unto the end, so that thou wouldest leave no remnant, (that is, even a few people), who would survive?)
15 Lord God of Israel, thou art just; for we be left, that should be saved, as in this day, lo! we be before thee in our sin; for men may not stand before thee on this thing. (Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous; we who be left, be but a remnant, that thou hast let survive, unto this day; behold! we be before thee in our sin; but because of it we cannot stand before thee.)