Ezra 9
Ezra Prays About Intermarriage
After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the aLevites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands bwith their abominations, from the cCanaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 aFor they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the bholy race has cmixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” 3 As soon as I heard this, I atore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and bsat appalled. 4 Then all who atrembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat bappalled until the evening sacrifice. 5 And at the aevening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment band my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees cand spread out my hands to the Lord my God, 6 saying:
“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities ahave risen higher than our heads, and our bguilt has cmounted up to the heavens. 7 aFrom the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great bguilt. And for 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, to plundering, cand to utter shame, as it is today. 8 But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a aremnant and to give us a bsecure hold within his holy place, that our God may cbrighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. 9 aFor we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, bbut has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem.
10 “And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, 11 which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with atheir uncleanness. 12 aTherefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land band leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ 13 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for aour great guilt, seeing that you, our bGod, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a cremnant as this, 14 shall we break your commandments again and aintermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us buntil you consumed us, so that there should be no cremnant, nor any to escape? 15 O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a aremnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our bguilt, cfor none can stand before you because of this.”
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.