Ezra 9:2 - Prayer Tents

Ezra 9

Mixed Marriages

9Now when these things had been completed, the princes approached me, saying, "The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations, [those] of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.H3615H8269H5066H559H5971H3478H3548H3881H914H5971H776H8441H3669H2850H6522H2983H5984H4125H4713H5672"For they have taken some of their daughters [as wives] for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness."H5375H1323H1121H6944H2233H6148H5971H776H3027H8269H5461H7223H46043And when I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled.H8085H1697H7167H899H4598H4803H8181H7218H2206H3427H80744Then everyone 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 the evening offering.H622H2730H1697H430H3478H4604H1473H3427H8074H6153H4503

Prayer of Confession

5But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the LORD my God;H6153H4503H6965H8589H7167H899H4598H3766H1290H6566H3709H3068H4306and I said, "O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to Thee, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads, and our guilt has grown even to the heavens.H559H430H954H3637H7311H6440H430H5771H7235H4605H7218H819H1431H80647"Since 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 open shame, as [it is] this day.H3117H1H1419H819H3117H5771H4428H3548H5414H3027H4428H776H2719H7628H961H1322H6440H31178"But now for a brief moment grace has been [shown] from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage.H4592H7281H8467H3068H430H7604H6413H5414H3489H6944H4725H430H215H5869H5414H4592H4241H56599"For we are slaves; yet in our bondage, our God has not forsaken us, but has 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.H5650H430H5800H5659H5186H2617H6440H4428H6539H5414H4241H7311H1004H430H5975H2723H5414H1447H3063H338910"And now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Thy commandments,H430H559H310H5800H468711which Thou hast commanded by Thy 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] with their impurity.H6680H3027H5650H5030H559H776H935H3423H5079H776H5079H5971H776H8441H4390H6310H6310H293212'So now do not give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters to your sons, and never seek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good [things] of the land and leave [it] as an inheritance to your sons forever.'H5414H1323H1121H5375H1323H1121H1875H7965H2896H5704H5769H2388H398H2898H776H3423H1121H576913"And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and our great guilt, since Thou our God hast requited [us] less than our iniquities [ deserve,] and hast given us an escaped remnant as this,H310H935H7451H4639H1419H819H430H2820H4295H5771H5414H641314shall we again break Thy commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Wouldst Thou not be angry with us to the point of destruction, until there is no remnant nor any who escape?H7725H6565H4687H2859H5971H8441H599H3615H7611H641315"O LORD God of Israel, Thou art righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as [it is] this day; behold, we are before Thee in our guilt, for no one can stand before Thee because of this."H3068H430H3478H6662H7604H6413H3117H6440H819H5975H6440