Then, at the evening sacrifice,(A) I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands(B) spread out to the Lord my God and prayed:

“I am too ashamed(C) and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens.(D) From the days of our ancestors(E) until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword(F) and captivity,(G) to pillage and humiliation(H) at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.

“But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious(I) in leaving us a remnant(J) and giving us a firm place[a](K) in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes(L) and a little relief in our bondage. Though we are slaves,(M) our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness(N) in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins,(O) and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezra 9:8 Or a foothold

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