Ezra’s Confession

Everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel(A) gathered around me, because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles,(B) while I sat devastated until the evening offering.(C) At the evening offering, I got up from my humiliation, with my tunic and robe torn. Then I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to Yahweh my God.(D) And I said:(E)

My God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face toward You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads and our guilt is as high as the heavens.(F) Our guilt has been terrible from the days of our fathers until the present. Because of our iniquities we have been handed over, along with our kings and priests, to the surrounding kings, and to the sword, captivity, plundering, and open shame,(G) as it is today. But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from Yahweh our God to preserve a remnant(H) for us and give us a stake(I) in His holy place. Even in our slavery, God has given us new life and light to our eyes.(J) Though we are slaves,(K) our God has not abandoned us in our slavery. He has extended grace to us in the presence of the Persian kings,(L) giving us new life, so that we can rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins,(M) to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

10 Now, our God, what can we say in light of[a] this? For we have abandoned the commands 11 You gave through Your servants the prophets, saying: “The land you are entering to possess is an impure land. The surrounding peoples have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness by their impurity and detestable practices.(N) 12 So do not give your daughters to their sons in marriage or take their daughters for your sons.(O) Never seek their peace or prosperity,(P) so that you will be strong, eat the good things of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.” 13 After all that has happened to us because of our evil deeds and terrible guilt—though You, our God, have punished us less than our sins deserve and have allowed us to survive[b](Q) 14 should we break Your commands again and intermarry with the peoples who commit these detestable practices?(R) Wouldn’t You become so angry with us that You would destroy us, leaving no survivors?(S) 15 Lord God of Israel, You are righteous, for we survive as a remnant(T) today. Here we are before You with our guilt, though no one can stand in Your presence because of this.(U)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezra 9:10 Lit say after
  2. Ezra 9:13 Lit and gave us a remnant like this

Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel because of the sin of the returned exiles were gathered around me and I sat appalled until the evening offering.

Ezra Prays

At the evening offering I got up from my mourning posture and, with my garment and robe torn, I fell down on my knees and I spread out my palms to Yahweh my God and said, “My God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God. For our sins have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown up to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors[a] until this day we have been in great guilt, and because of our sins we ourselves, our kings, and our priests have been handed into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to utter shame, as it is this day. But now for a brief moment mercy has been shown by Yahweh our God, who left behind for us a remnant, and given us security in his holy place—for our God to brighten our eyes and to give us brief relief in our bondage. For we are slaves and in our bondage our God did not forsake us, and he has extended to us loyal love in the presence of the kings of Persia, to give to us deliverance[b] and to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judea and Jerusalem.

10 “And now our God what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, 11 which you commanded by the hand of your servants the prophets saying, ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land of impurity with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their detestable things which they have filled from end to end with their uncleanness. 12 Therefore, do not give your daughters to their sons, and do not take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek their peace and prosperity so that forever you may be strong and eat the good of the land and may give it as an inheritance to your sons.’ 13 After all that has come upon us for our evil practices and for our great guilt—you, our God, have held back less than our guilt deserved and you have given us a remainder such as this. 14 Shall we again break your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who practice these detestable things? Would you not be angry with us until you destroy us with no remnant or remainder? 15 Yahweh, God of Israel, you are righteous, for we have been left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.”

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Footnotes

  1. Ezra 9:7 Or “fathers”
  2. Ezra 9:9 Or “preservation”