The Book of Ezra, Chapter 9עזרא 9

וּכְכַלּ֣וֹת אֵ֗לֶּה נִגְּשׁ֨וּ אֵלַ֤י הַשָּׂרִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹֽא נִבְדְּל֞וּ הָעָ֤ם יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם מֵעַמֵּ֖י הָאֲרָצ֑וֹת כְּ֠תוֹעֲבֹֽתֵיהֶם לַכְּנַעֲנִ֨י הַחִתִּ֜י הַפְּרִזִּ֣י הַיְבוּסִ֗י הָֽעַמֹּנִי֙ הַמֹּ֣אָבִ֔י הַמִּצְרִ֖י וְהָאֱמֹרִֽי

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

כִּֽי נָשְׂא֣וּ מִבְּנֹֽתֵיהֶ֗ם לָהֶם֙ וְלִבְנֵיהֶ֔ם וְהִתְעָֽרְבוּ֙ זֶ֣רַע הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ בְּעַמֵּ֖י הָאֲרָצ֑וֹת וְיַ֧ד הַשָּׂרִ֣ים וְהַסְּגָנִ֗ים הָֽיְתָ֛ה בַּמַּ֥עַל הַזֶּ֖ה רִאשׁוֹנָֽה

For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers has been chief in this trespass.

וּכְשָׁמְעִי֙ אֶת הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה קָרַ֥עְתִּי אֶת בִּגְדִ֖י וּמְעִילִ֑י וָאֶמְרְטָ֞ה מִשְּׂעַ֤ר רֹאשִׁי֙ וּזְקָנִ֔י וָאֵשְׁבָ֖ה מְשׁוֹמֵֽם

And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.

וְאֵלַ֣י יֵאָסְפ֗וּ כֹּ֤ל חָרֵד֙ בְּדִבְרֵ֣י אֱלֹהֵֽי יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל עַ֖ל מַ֣עַל הַגּוֹלָ֑ה וַאֲנִי֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב מְשׁוֹמֵ֔ם עַ֖ד לְמִנְחַ֥ת הָעָֽרֶב

Then were assembled to me every one that trembled 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 evening sacrifice.

וּבְמִנְחַ֣ת הָעֶ֗רֶב קַ֚מְתִּי מִתַּֽעֲנִיתִ֔י וּבְקָרְעִ֥י בִגְדִ֖י וּמְעִילִ֑י וָֽאֶכְרְעָה֙ עַל בִּרְכַּ֔י וָאֶפְרְשָׂ֥ה כַפַּ֖י אֶל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽי

And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands to YHWH my God,

וָאֹמְרָ֗ה אֱלֹהַי֙ בֹּ֣שְׁתִּי וְנִכְלַ֔מְתִּי לְהָרִ֧ים אֱלֹהַ֛י פָּנַ֖י אֵלֶ֑יךָ כִּ֣י עֲוֺנֹתֵ֤ינוּ רָבוּ֙ לְמַ֣עְלָה רֹּ֔אשׁ וְאַשְׁמָתֵ֥נוּ גָדְלָ֖ה עַ֥ד לַשָּׁמָֽיִם

And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my God: for our iniquities are increased over head, and our trespass is grown up to the heavens.

מִימֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵ֗ינוּ אֲנַ֨חְנוּ֙ בְּאַשְׁמָ֣ה גְדֹלָ֔ה עַ֖ד הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וּבַעֲוֺנֹתֵ֡ינוּ נִתַּ֡נּוּ אֲנַחְנוּ֩ מְלָכֵ֨ינוּ כֹהֲנֵ֜ינוּ בְּיַ֣ד מַלְכֵ֣י הָאֲרָצ֗וֹת בַּחֶ֜רֶב בַּשְּׁבִ֧י וּבַבִּזָּ֛ה וּבְבֹ֥שֶׁת פָּנִ֖ים כְּהַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה

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

וְעַתָּ֡ה כִּמְעַט רֶגַע֩ הָיְתָ֨ה תְחִנָּ֜ה מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ לְהַשְׁאִ֥יר לָ֨נוּ֙ פְּלֵיטָ֔ה וְלָתֶת לָ֥נוּ יָתֵ֖ד בִּמְק֣וֹם קָדְשׁ֑וֹ לְהָאִ֤יר עֵינֵ֨ינוּ֙ אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ וּלְתִתֵּ֛נוּ מִֽחְיָ֥ה מְעַ֖ט בְּעַבְדֻתֵֽנוּ

And now for a little space grace has been from YHWH our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

כִּֽי עֲבָדִ֣ים אֲנַ֔חְנוּ וּבְעַבְדֻ֔תֵנוּ לֹ֥א עֲזָבָ֖נוּ אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וַֽיַּט עָלֵ֣ינוּ חֶ֡סֶד לִפְנֵי֩ מַלְכֵ֨י פָרַ֜ס לָֽתֶת לָ֣נוּ מִֽחְיָ֗ה לְרוֹמֵ֞ם אֶת בֵּ֤ית אֱלֹהֵ֨ינוּ֙ וּלְהַעֲמִ֣יד אֶת חָרְבֹתָ֔יו וְלָֽתֶת לָ֣נוּ גָדֵ֔ר בִּֽיהוּדָ֖ה וּבִירוּשָׁלִָֽם

For we bondmen; yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

וְעַתָּ֛ה מַה נֹּאמַ֥ר אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ אַֽחֲרֵי זֹ֑את כִּ֥י עָזַ֖בְנוּ מִצְוֺתֶֽיךָ

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

אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּ֗יתָ בְּיַ֨ד עֲבָדֶ֣יךָ הַנְּבִיאִים֮ לֵאמֹר֒ הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֤ם בָּאִים֙ לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ אֶ֤רֶץ נִדָּה֙ הִ֔יא בְּנִדַּ֖ת עַמֵּ֣י הָאֲרָצ֑וֹת בְּתוֹעֲבֹֽתֵיהֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִלְא֛וּהָ מִפֶּ֥ה אֶל פֶּ֖ה בְּטֻמְאָתָֽם

Which you have commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, The land, to which you go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.

וְ֠עַתָּה בְּֽנוֹתֵיכֶ֞ם אַל תִּתְּנ֣וּ לִבְנֵיהֶ֗ם וּבְנֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ אַל תִּשְׂא֣וּ לִבְנֵיכֶ֔ם וְלֹֽא תִדְרְשׁ֧וּ שְׁלֹמָ֛ם וְטוֹבָתָ֖ם עַד עוֹלָ֑ם לְמַ֣עַן תֶּחֶזְק֗וּ וַאֲכַלְתֶּם֙ אֶת ט֣וּב הָאָ֔רֶץ וְהוֹרַשְׁתֶּ֥ם לִבְנֵיכֶ֖ם עַד עוֹלָֽם

Now therefore give not your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that you may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave for an inheritance to your children for ever.

וְאַֽחֲרֵי֙ כָּל הַבָּ֣א עָלֵ֔ינוּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂ֨ינוּ֙ הָרָעִ֔ים וּבְאַשְׁמָתֵ֖נוּ הַגְּדֹלָ֑ה כִּ֣י אַתָּ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ חָשַׂ֤כְתָּֽ לְמַ֨טָּה֙ מֵֽעֲוֺנֵ֔נוּ וְנָתַ֥תָּה לָּ֛נוּ פְּלֵיטָ֖ה כָּזֹֽאת

And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that you our God have punished us less than our iniquities , and have given us deliverance as this;

הֲנָשׁוּב֙ לְהָפֵ֣ר מִצְוֺתֶ֔יךָ וּ֨לְהִתְחַתֵּ֔ן בְּעַמֵּ֥י הַתֹּעֵב֖וֹת הָאֵ֑לֶּה הֲל֤וֹא תֶֽאֱנַף בָּ֨נוּ֙ עַד כַּלֵּ֔ה לְאֵ֥ין שְׁאֵרִ֖ית וּפְלֵיטָֽה

Should we again break your commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not you be angry with us till you had consumed , so that no remnant nor escaping?

יְהוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ צַדִּ֣יק אַ֔תָּה כִּֽי נִשְׁאַ֥רְנוּ פְלֵיטָ֖ה כְּהַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה הִנְנ֤וּ לְפָנֶ֨יךָ֙ בְּאַשְׁמָתֵ֔ינוּ כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין לַעֲמ֛וֹד לְפָנֶ֖יךָ עַל זֹֽאת

O YHWH God of Israel, you righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as this day: behold, we before you in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before you because of this.