¶ When all this was performed, the rulers came to me, and said: The people of Israel, and the priests, and Levites are not separated from the nations in the lands as touching their abominations, namely of the Cananites, Hethites, Pheresites, Iebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.
For they have taken the daughters of the same, and their sons, and have mixt the holy seed with the nations in the lands: and the hand of the princes and rulers hath been principal in this trespass.
When I heard this, I rent my clothes and my raiment, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat mourning.
And there resorted unto me all such as feared the word of the Lord God of Israel, because of the great transgression. And I sat mourning until the evening sacrifice.
¶ And about the evening sacrifice I rose up from my heaviness, and rent my clothes and my raiment, and fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God;
And said: My God, I am ashamed, and dare not lift up mine eyes unto thee my God: for our wickednesses are grown over our head, and our trespasses are waxen great unto the heaven.
Since the time of our fathers have we been in great trespass unto this day, and because of our wickedness have we and our kings been delivered into the hand of the kings of the nations, in to the sword, in to captivity, in to spoil, and in to confusion of face, as it is come to pass this day.
But now is there a little and sodaine graciousness come from the LORD our God, so that some of us are escaped, that he may give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may light our eyes, and give us a little life in our bondage.
For we are bondmen, and our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, and hath inclined mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, that he should give us life, and promote the house of our God, and to set up the desolation thereof, and to give us an hedge in Iudah and in Ierusalem.
And now O our God, what shall we say after this: for we have forsaken thy commandments,
which thou hast commanded by thy servants the Prophets, and said: The land unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land thorow the filthiness of the people of the lands, in their abominations wherewith they have made it full of uncleanness on every side.
Therefore shall ye not give your daughters unto their sons, and their daughters shall ye not take unto your sons, and seek not their peace and wealth for ever, that ye may be strong, and enjoy the good in the land, and that ye and your children may have the inheritance of it for evermore.
And after all this that is come upon us (because of our evil deeds and great trespass) thou our God hast spared our wickednesses, and hast given us a deliverance as it is come to pass this day.
As for us, we have turned back, and have let go thy commandments, to make contract with the people of these abominations. Wilt thou then be wroth at us, till we be utterly consumed, so that nothing remain, and there be no deliverance?
O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous, for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day. Behold in thy presence are we in our trespass, for because of it is there no stonding before thee.
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Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.