Ezra

Ezra 9 ©

1 Ezra mourneth for the intermarriages of the people with strangers. 5 He prayeth unto God with confession of sins.

1

NOW when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not aseparated themselves from the people of the lands, bdoing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

a ch. 6.21.
b De. 12.30,31.
2

For they have ctaken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the dholy seed have emingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and frulers hath been chief in this *trespass.

c Ex. 34.16. ch. 10.2. Ne. 10.30; 13.23,27.
d 1Co. 7.14. Ge. 6.2. Mal. 2.7,8,11. ch. 10.18-44. De. 7.6.
e Ps. 106.35.
f Ne. 2.16.
3

And when I heard this thing, I grent my garment and my *mantle, and hplucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and isat down *astonied.

g Ge. 37.29,34; 44.13. Jos. 7.6.
h Job 1.20. Is. 15.2. Je. 7.29; 48.37,38. Eze. 7.18. Mi. 1.16.
i Ne. 1.4. Ps. 143.4.
4

Then were assembled unto me every one that jtrembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat *astonied until the kevening sacrifice.

j Is. 66.2,5; 57.16. 2Ki. 22.11,19. Ps. 4.4. ch. 10.3.
k 1Ki. 18.29.
5

¶And at lthe evening sacrifice I arose up from my 1heaviness; and having rent my garment and my *mantle, mI fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,

l Ex. 29.38. Da. 9.21. He. 9.26.
m 1Ki. 8.22,38,54. Jos. 7.6.
6

And said, O my God, nI am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: ofor our iniquities are increased over our head, and our 2*trespass is grown up unto the heavens.

n Ro. 6.21. Eze. 16.63; 36.31. Job 42.5,6. Ps. 130.3; 40.11,12.
o Ps. 38.4. Da. 9.5. 2Ch. 28.9. Ge. 13.13. Is. 1.18. 2Sa. 24.10.
7

Since the pdays of our fathers have we been in a great *trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to qconfusion of face, as it is this day.

p 2Ch. 33; 36. Je. 2-23; 39; 52. De. 28-32. Le. 26. Ju. 2. 2Ki. 17.
q Da. 9.7,8.
8

And now for a 3little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us 4a nail in his holy place, that our God may rlighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

r 1Sa. 14.27,29. Ps. 13.3.
9

For swe were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but thath extended mercy unto us in the usight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and vto repair the desolations thereof, and to give us wa wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

s Ne. 9.36. Ps. 136.23,24; 106.45,46.
t ch. 7.28.
u ch. 1.1-8; 6.1-12; 7.6,11-26. Is. 14.1-3; 40-52. Je. 3; 30-33. Mi. 4; 7. Zep. 3.
v Heb. to set up.
w Is. 5.2. Zec. 2.5.
10

And now, O our God, xwhat shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,

x La. 3.22. Da. 9.4-16. Job 9.2,3. Ps. 130.3; 143.2. Ro. 3.19,20.
11

Which thou hast commanded 5by thy yservants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it 6from one end to another with their uncleanness.

y Le. 18. De. 7.3. Ex. 23.32,33. Jos. 23.12. Ju. 2.2.
12

Now therefore zgive not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor aseek their peace or their wealth for ever: bthat ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever.

a De. 23.6.
b De. 6.1,2. Is. 1.19. Ps. 103.17.
z Ex. 23.32. De. 7.3.
13

And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great *trespass, seeing that thou cour God 7hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this;

c Ps. 103.10; 106.45,46. La. 3.22,32. Hab. 3.2. Job 11.6.
14

dShould we again break thy commandments, and join in *affinity with the people of these abominations? ewouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?

d Ro. 6.1,2. Jn. 5.14.
e Le. 26.18,23,24,27-39. De. 28.16-68; 32.21-28.
15

O fLORD God of Israel, gthou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot hstand before thee because of this.

f Da. 9.4-16. Ps. 32.5.
g Ne. 9.33. Job 8.3. Ps. 119.137. Je. 12.1.
h Ps. 130.3; 143.1,2. Job 9.2,3. Ro. 3.19,20,23.