And when these things were finished, the rulers drew near to me, saying: The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, in their abominations: from the Chanani, the Ethi, the Pherezi, the Iebousi, the Ammoni, the Moabi, the Moseri and the Amori.
for they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, and the holy seed has been mingled among the peoples of the lands; and the hand of the rulers has been in this treachery from the beginning.
And when I heard this word, I tore my garments and leapt up, and I plucked out some of the hairs of my head and of my beard, and I sat still in silence.
And everyone who pursues the word of the God of Israel gathered to me because of the treachery of those of the exile; and I sat still in silence until the evening sacrifice.
And at the evening sacrifice I rose up from my humiliation; and having torn my garments and leapt up, I bend upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord God,
and I said: Lord, I am ashamed and confounded to lift up my face to you, for our lawless deeds have multiplied above our head, and our trespasses have grown great up to heaven.
From the days of our fathers we have been in great trespass until this day; and for our lawless deeds we were given over, we and our kings and our sons, into the hand of the kings of the nations, to the sword and to captivity and to plunder and to shame of face, as it is this day.
And now the Lord our God has dealt gently with us, to leave us for deliverance, and to give us a support in the place of his sanctuary, to enlighten our eyes and to give a little reviving in our bondage.
For we are slaves; yet in our bondage the Lord our God has not forsaken us, but has inclined mercy upon us before the kings of the Persians, to give us a reviving, that they should exalt the house of our God and raise up its desolate places, and to give us a fence in Judah and in Jerusalem.
which you gave us by the hand of your servants the prophets, saying: The land into which you are entering to inherit it is a land that is being displaced, by the displacement of the peoples of the nations, in their abominations, with which they have filled it from mouth to mouth in their uncleannesses.
And now do not give your daughters to their sons, and do not take of their daughters for your sons; and you shall not seek their peace nor their good forever, that you may grow strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.
And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespass; for there is none like our God, for you have lightened our lawless deeds and have given us deliverance;
for we have turned back to break your commandments and to intermarry with the peoples of the lands. Do not be provoked against us unto a complete end, so that there is no remnant nor any escaping.
O Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous, for we are left as those escaping, as it is this day. Behold, we are before you in our trespasses, for there is no standing before you because of this.