1
Now when these things were done[H3615], the princes[H8269]came[H5066] to me, saying[H559], The people[H5971] of Israel[H3478], and the priests[H3548], and the Levites[H3881], have not separated[H914] themselves from the people[H5971] of the lands[H776], doing according to their abominations[H8441], even of the Canaanites[H3669], the Hittites[H2850], the Perizzites[H6522], the Jebusites[H2983], the Ammonites[H5984], the Moabites[H4125], the Egyptians[H4713], and the Amorites[H567].
2
For they have taken[H5375] of their daughters[H1323] for themselves, and for their sons[H1121]: so that the holy[H6944]seed[H2233] have mingled[H6148] themselves with the people[H5971] of those lands[H776]: yea, the hand[H3027] of the princes[H8269] and rulers[H5461] hath been chief[H7223] in this trespass[H4604].
3
And when I heard[H8085] this thing[H1697], I rent[H7167] my garment[H899] and my mantle[H4598], and plucked off[H4803] the hair[H8181] of my head[H7218] and of my beard[H2206], and sat down[H3427]astonied[H8074].
4
Then were assembled[H622] unto me every one that trembled[H2730] at the words[H1697] of the God[H430] of Israel[H3478], because of the transgression[H4604] of those that had been carried away[H1473]; and I sat[H3427]astonied[H8074] until the evening[H6153]sacrifice[H4503].
5
And at the evening[H6153]sacrifice[H4503] I arose up[H6965] from my heaviness[H8589]; and having rent[H7167] my garment[H899] and my mantle[H4598], I fell[H3766] upon my knees[H1290], and spread out[H6566] my hands[H3709] unto the LORD[H3068] my God[H430],
6
And said[H559], O my God[H430], I am ashamed[H954] and blush[H3637] to lift up[H7311] my face[H6440] to thee, my God[H430]: for our iniquities[H5771] are increased[H7235]over[H4605] our head[H7218], and our trespass[H819] is grown up[H1431] unto the heavens[H8064].
7
Since the days[H3117] of our fathers[H1] have we been in a great[H1419]trespass[H819] unto this day[H3117]; and for our iniquities[H5771] have we, our kings[H4428], and our priests[H3548], been delivered[H5414] into the hand[H3027] of the kings[H4428] of the lands[H776], to the sword[H2719], to captivity[H7628], and to a spoil[H961], and to confusion[H1322] of face[H6440], as it is this day[H3117].
8
And now for a little[H4592]space[H7281]grace[H8467] hath been shewed from the LORD[H3068] our God[H430], to leave[H7604] us a remnant to escape[H6413], and to give[H5414] us a nail[H3489] in his holy[H6944]place[H4725], that our God[H430] may lighten[H215] our eyes[H5869], and give[H5414] us a little[H4592]reviving[H4241] in our bondage[H5659].
9
For we were bondmen[H5650]; yet our God[H430] hath not forsaken[H5800] us in our bondage[H5659], but hath extended[H5186]mercy[H2617] unto us in the sight[H6440] of the kings[H4428] of Persia[H6539], to give[H5414] us a reviving[H4241], to set up[H7311] the house[H1004] of our God[H430], and to repair[H5975] the desolations[H2723] thereof, and to give[H5414] us a wall[H1447] in Judah[H3063] and in Jerusalem[H3389].
10
And now, O our God[H430], what shall we say[H559]after[H310] this? for we have forsaken[H5800] thy commandments[H4687],
11
Which thou hast commanded[H6680]by[H3027] thy servants[H5650] the prophets[H5030], saying[H559], The land[H776], unto which ye go[H935] to possess[H3423] it, is an unclean[H5079]land[H776] with the filthiness[H5079] of the people[H5971] of the lands[H776], with their abominations[H8441], which have filled[H4390] it from one end[H6310] to another[H6310] with their uncleanness[H2932].
12
Now therefore give[H5414] not your daughters[H1323] unto their sons[H1121], neither take[H5375] their daughters[H1323] unto your sons[H1121], nor seek[H1875] their peace[H7965] or their wealth[H2896]for[H5704]ever[H5769]: that ye may be strong[H2388], and eat[H398] the good[H2898] of the land[H776], and leave it for[H5704] an inheritance[H3423] to your children[H1121]for[H5704]ever[H5769].
13
And after[H310] all that is come[H935] upon us for our evil[H7451]deeds[H4639], and for our great[H1419]trespass[H819], seeing that thou our God[H430] hast punished[H2820] us less[H4295] than our iniquities[H5771] deserve, and hast given[H5414] us such deliverance[H6413] as this;
14
Should we again[H7725]break[H6565] thy commandments[H4687], and join in affinity[H2859] with the people[H5971] of these abominations?[H8441] wouldest not thou be angry[H599] with us till thou hadst consumed[H3615] us, so that there should be no remnant[H7611] nor escaping?[H6413]
15
O LORD[H3068]God[H430] of Israel[H3478], thou art righteous[H6662]: for we remain[H7604] yet escaped[H6413], as it is this day[H3117]: behold, we are before[H6440] thee in our trespasses[H819]: for we cannot stand[H5975]before[H6440] thee because of this.