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人民与异族通婚

“完成这些事以后,众领袖前来见我,说:‘以色列民、祭司和利未人没有从当地的民族中分别出来,他们随从迦南人、赫人、比利洗人、耶布斯人、亚扪人、摩押人、埃及人和亚摩利人行可憎的事。 他们为自己和自己的儿子娶了这些外族的女子为妻,以致圣洁的种族与当地的民族混杂了;而领袖和官长竟是这不忠的事的罪魁。’ 我一听见这事,就撕裂我的衣服和外袍,拔掉头上的头发和胡须,惊惧地坐着。 所有因着以色列 神针对被掳归回的人之不忠、对他们所说的话而战兢的人,都聚集到我面前。我惊惧地坐着,直到献晚祭的时候。

以斯拉认罪祷告

“献晚祭的时候,我在禁食中起来,穿著撕裂了的衣服和外袍,双膝跪下,向耶和华我的 神张开双手, 祷告说:‘我的 神啊,我感觉羞耻惭愧,不敢向我的 神你仰面;因为我们的罪孽多至灭顶,我们的罪过滔天。 从我们列祖的日子直到今日,我们罪恶深重,由于我们的罪孽,我们和我们的王,以及祭司,都被交在各地的列王手中:被刀杀、被掳掠、被抢夺,丢脸蒙羞,就像今天的光景一样。 现在,耶和华我们的 神恩待我们片时,给我们存留一些逃脱的人,使我们像钉子钉在他的圣所那样的安稳,让我们的 神光照我们的眼睛,使我们在所受的奴役中稍得复兴。 虽然我们是奴隶,但在奴役中,我们的 神仍然没有撇弃我们,反而使我们在波斯列王面前得蒙恩惠,使我们复兴,建立我们 神的殿,重修毁坏的地方,使我们在犹大和耶路撒冷有墙垣。 10 我们的 神啊,现在,我们还可以说甚么呢?只能说:我们又离弃了你的诫命, 11 就是你曾借着你的仆人众先知所吩咐的。你说:你们进去要得为业之地是污秽的,充满了当地民族的污秽,他们可憎的事使这地从这边到那边都充满了他们的不洁。 12 所以,你们不可把你们的女儿嫁给他们的儿子,也不可为你们的儿子娶他们的女儿。你们永远不可寻求他们的平安和他们的利益;这样,你们就可以强盛,吃这地的美物,把这地留给你们的子孙作产业,直到永远。 13 虽然因着我们许多的恶行和重大的罪过,这一切就临到我们身上,但我们的 神啊,你惩罚我们实在轻于我们的罪孽所应得的,还给我们留下这些逃脱的人。 14 我们怎可以再违背你的诫命,与这些行可憎事的民族通婚呢?如果我们这样行,你岂不向我们发怒,消灭我们,以致没有一个剩余,或是逃脱的人吗? 15 耶和华以色列的 神啊,你是公义的!我们现今才可以留下,成为逃脱的人。看哪,我们在你面前是有罪过的,因此没有人能在你面前站立得住。’”

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 (A)Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands (B)with their abominations, from the (C)Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. (D)For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the (E)holy race[a] has (F)mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” As soon as I heard this, I (G)tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and (H)sat appalled. Then all who (I)trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat (J)appalled until the evening sacrifice. And at the (K)evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment (L)and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees (M)and spread out my hands to the Lord my God, saying:

“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities (N)have risen higher than our heads, and our (O)guilt has (P)mounted up to the heavens. (Q)From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great (R)guilt. 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, (S)and to utter shame, as it is today. But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a (T)remnant and to give us a (U)secure hold[b] within his holy place, that our God may (V)brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. (W)For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, (X)but 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[c] 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 (Y)their uncleanness. 12 (Z)Therefore 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 (AA)and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ 13 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for (AB)our great guilt, seeing that you, our (AC)God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a (AD)remnant as this, 14 shall we break your commandments again and (AE)intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us (AF)until you consumed us, so that there should be no (AG)remnant, nor any to escape? 15 O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a (AH)remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our (AI)guilt, (AJ)for none can stand before you because of this.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 9:2 Hebrew offspring
  2. Ezra 9:8 Hebrew nail, or tent-pin
  3. Ezra 9:9 Hebrew a wall

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, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

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 those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

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.

Then were assembled unto 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.

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 unto the Lord my God,

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

Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and 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 it is this day.

And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the Lord 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.

For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto 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.

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

11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye 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.

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

13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this;

14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?

15 O Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.