1And when these things were finished, the princes drew near to me, saying, "The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations—of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
2For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, and the holy seed has mingled itself with the peoples of the lands; and the hand of the princes and the rulers has been foremost in this faithlessness."
3And when I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and my beard, and sat down appalled.
4And to me were gathered everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the exile; and I sat appalled until the evening offering.
5And at the evening offering I arose from my fasting, even with my garment and my mantle torn, and I bowed upon my knees and spread out my palms to YHWH my God,
6and I said, "O my God, I am ashamed and confounded to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have increased over our head, and our guilt has grown great up to the heavens.
7From the days of our fathers we have been in great guilt to this day; and for our iniquities we, our kings, our priests, have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to plunder, and to shame of face, as it is this day.
8And now for a little moment grace has come from YHWH our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
9For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but has extended to us mercy before the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to raise up the house of our God, and to set up its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
10And now, what shall we say, our God, after this? for we have forsaken Your commandments (mitzvah),
11which You commanded (tzivvah) by the hand of Your servants the prophets, saying, 'The land into which you are entering to possess it is a land of impurity through the impurity of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations with which they have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness.'
12And now, do not give your daughters to their sons, and do not take their daughters for your sons, and do not seek their peace or their good forever; that you may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.
13And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt—for You, our God, have held back below our iniquities, and have given us a remnant such as this—
14shall we again break Your commandments (mitzvah) and intermarry with the peoples of these abominations? Would You not be angry with us until [we are] consumed, so that there is no remnant nor any escaped?
15O YHWH, God of Israel, You are righteous; for we are left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in our guilt, for none can stand before You because of this."