Ezra 9:13 - Prayer Tents

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.H3615H8269H5066H559H5971H3478H3548H3881H914H5971H776H8441H3669H2850H6522H2983H5984H4125H4713H567 2"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."H5375H1323H1121H6944H2233H6148H5971H776H3027H8269H5461H7223H4604 3And 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.H8085H1697H7167H899H4598H4803H8181H7218H2206H3427H8074 4Then 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;H6153H4503H6965H8589H7167H899H4598H3766H1290H6566H3709H3068H430 6and 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.H559H430H954H3637H7311H6440H430H5771H7235H4605H7218H819H1431H8064 7"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.H3117H1H1419H819H3117H5771H4428H3548H5414H3027H4428H776H2719H7628H961H1322H6440H3117 8"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.H4592H7281H8467H3068H430H7604H6413H5414H3489H6944H4725H430H215H5869H5414H4592H4241H5659 9"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.H5650H430H5800H5659H5186H2617H6440H4428H6539H5414H4241H7311H1004H430H5975H2723H5414H1447H3063H3389 10"And now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Thy commandments,H430H559H310H5800H4687 11which 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.H6680H3027H5650H5030H559H776H935H3423H5079H776H5079H5971H776H8441H4390H6310H6310H2932 12'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.'H5414H1323H1121H5375H1323H1121H1875H7965H2896H5704H5769H2388H398H2898H776H3423H1121H5769 13"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,H310H935H7451H4639H1419H819H430H2820H4295H5771H5414H6413 14shall 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?H7725H6565H4687H2859H5971H8441H599H3615H7611H6413 15"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