Ezra 9

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Once this was done, the officials approached me to say, 'The people of Israel, the priests and theLevites, have not renounced the disgusting practices of the people of the country -- the Canaanites, the Hittites,the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites-	1 Then, after these things were completed, the leaders came to me, saying: “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, have not been separated from the peoples of the lands and from their abominations, especially those of the Canaanites, and Hittites, and Perizzites, and Jebusites, and Ammonites, and Moabites, and Egyptians, and Amorites.
2 since they and their sons have married some of their women, as a result of which the holy race hasbeen contaminated by the people of the country. The officials and leaders have been the worst offenders in thisact of infidelity.'	2 For they have taken from their daughters for themselves and for their sons, and they have mixed a holy lineage with the peoples of the lands. And even the hand of the leaders and the magistrates has been first in this transgression.”
3 On hearing this, I tore my clothes and my cloak; I pul ed hair from my head and beard and sat down inhorror.	3 And when I had heard this word, I tore my cloak and my tunic, and I pulled out the hairs of my head and beard, and I sat in mourning.
4 Al who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered round me, when faced with the infidelity ofthe exiles, while I went on sitting there in horror until the evening sacrifice.	4 Then all those who feared the word of the God of Israel gathered to me, because of the transgression of those who had arrived from the captivity. And I sat in sorrow, until the evening sacrifice.
5 At the evening sacrifice I came out of my stupor and, falling on my knees in my torn clothes and cloak,stretched out my hands to Yahweh my God,	5 And at the evening sacrifice, I rose up from my affliction, and, having torn my cloak and my tunic, I fell to my knees, and I reached out my hands to the Lord, my God.
6 and said: 'My God, I am ashamed, I blush to lift my face to you, my God. For our iniquities haveincreased, until they are higher than our heads, and our guilt has risen as high as heaven.	6 And I said: “My God, I am confounded and ashamed to lift up my face to you. For our iniquities have been multiplied over our heads, and our offenses have increased, even up to heaven,
7 From the days of our ancestors until now we have been deeply guilty and, because of our iniquities, we,our kings and our priests, have been handed over to the kings of other countries, to the sword, to captivity, topil age, to shame, as is the case today.	7 from the days of our fathers. But also, we ourselves have sinned gravely, even to this day. And for our iniquities, we ourselves, and our kings and our priests, have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the lands, and to the sword, and to captivity, and to plunder, and to confusion of face, just as it is also in this day.
8 And now, for a brief moment, the favour of Yahweh our God has allowed a remnant of us to escape andgiven us a stable home in his holy place, so that our God can raise our spirits and revive us a little in our slavery.	8 And now, to a small extent and for a moment, our petition has been made with the Lord our God, so that they may leave us a remnant, and so that a secure place in his holy land may be given to us, and so that our God may illuminate our eyes, and may give us a little life in our servitude.
9 For we are slaves; but God has not forgotten us in our slavery; he has extended his faithful love to useven under the kings of Persia and revived us to rebuild the Temple of our God, restore its ruins and provide uswith a refuge in Judah and in Jerusalem.	9 For we are servants, yet in our servitude our God has not forsaken us, but he has inclined mercy upon us in the sight of the king of the Persians, so that he may give us life, and may raise up the house of our God, and repair its desolations, and give us a hedge in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 But now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have abandoned your commandments,	10 And now, our God, what should we say after these things? For we abandoned your commandments,
11 which you gave through your servants the prophets in these terms, "The country which you are aboutto possess is a polluted country, pol uted by the people of the country and their disgusting practices, which havefilled it with their filth from end to end.	11 which you instructed by the hand of your servants, the prophets, saying: ‘The land, which you shall enter so that you may possess it, is an unclean land, due to the uncleanness of the peoples and of the other lands, the abominations of those who have filled it, from mouth to mouth, with their filth.’
12 Hence you are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, or let their daughters marry yoursons, or ever concern yourselves about peace or good relations with them, if you want to grow stronger, to liveoff the fat of the land and bequeath it to your sons for ever."	12 Now therefore, you should not give your daughters to their sons, nor should you receive their daughters for your sons. And you should not seek their peace, nor their prosperity, even forever. So shall you be strengthened, and so shall you eat the good things of the land, and have your sons as your heirs, even for all time.
13 'After al that has befal en us because of our evil deeds and our deep guilt -- though you, our God, havepunished us less than our iniquities deserved and have al owed us to escape like this-	13 And after all that has happened to us because of our very wicked works and our great offense, you, our God, have freed us from our iniquity, and you have given us salvation, just as it is this day,
14 are we to break your commandments again and intermarry with people with these disgustingpractices? Would you not be enraged with us to the point of destroying us, leaving neither remnant nor survivor?	14 so that we would not turn away and make your commandments void, and so that we would not unite in marriage with the peoples of these abominations. Could you be angry with us even to the very end, so that you would not to leave us a remnant to be saved?
15 Yahweh, God of Israel, you are upright. We survive only as the remnant we are today. We come beforeyou in our guilt; because of it we cannot stand in your presence.'	15 O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just. For we have been left behind to be saved, just as it is this day. Behold, we are before your sight in our offense. And it is not possible to withstand you in this matter.”