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¹ And at the end of these things, the leaders came near to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, as to theiridolatries, even the Canaanites, the Hittites,the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.² For they have taken from their daughters for themselves, and for their sons. So the holy seed have mixed themselves with the people of the lands. Yes, the hand of the leaders and the overseers has been foremost in this treachery.³ And when I heard this thing, I tore my garments and my robe, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down stunned.⁴ Then everyone who trembled at the Words of the God of Israel were gathered to me, because of the perfidy of the exiles. And I remained stunned until the evening offering.

⁵ And at the evening offering I rose up from my fasting, and with my garment and my robe torn, I even fell on my knees and spread out my hands to Jehovah my God.⁶ And I said, O my God, I am ashamed and wounded to lift up my face to You, O my God. For our iniquities have increased over our head, and our guiltiness has grown to the heavens.⁷ Since the days of our fathers we have been in great guilt until this day. And for our iniquities we, our kings, our priests, have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, tothe sword, to captivity, and to plunder, andto shame of faces to this day.⁸ And now, for a little time grace has been shown from Jehovah our God to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in His holy place, so that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our bondage.⁹ For we were slaves, yet our God has not left us in our bondage, but has given mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to raise up the house of our God, and tomake stand its ruins, and to give to us awall in Judah and in Jerusalem.¹⁰ And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments¹¹ which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, The land into which you go, to possess it, it is an unclean land with the impurity of the people of the lands, with their abominations it, from mouth to mouth with their uncleanness.¹² And now do not give your daughters to their sons, and do not take their daughters to your sons, or seek their peace, or their wealth forever, so that you may be strong and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance toyour sons forever.¹³ And after all that has come on us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, since You our God have held back the rod on our iniquities, and have given us such an escape as this,¹⁴ shall we again turn back to break Your commandments and intermarry with the people of these abominations? Would You not be angry with us until You had finished us , until there is no remnant or escapee?¹⁵ O Jehovah the God of Israel, You are righteous. For we are left an escapee, as it is this day. Behold, we are before You in our guilt, for none is able to stand before You because of this.