The People Break Faith With the Father
Officials report that Israel's own leaders led the way in marrying into the surrounding peoples. Ezra tears his clothes, pulls out his hair, and sits appalled until evening, then prays a confession naming the guilt plainly and marveling that our Father punished them less than they deserved.
9 1When this was done, the officials came to me: "The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not kept separate from the surrounding peoples with their detestable things—the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. 2They took some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, mixing the holy offspring with the surrounding peoples. And the officials and leaders led the way in this unfaithfulness."
3Hearing this, I tore my garment and robe, pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down appalled. 4Then all who trembled at the words of Israel's God, our Father, gathered to me over the exiles' unfaithfulness, and I sat appalled until the evening offering. a a v4 The evening offering was the regular daily sacrifice made around three in the afternoon.
5At the evening offering I rose from my humbling, with my garment and robe torn, and fell on my knees, spreading my hands to my Father, 6and I said: "My Father, I am ashamed and disgraced to lift my face to you, my Father, for our sins have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown to the heavens. 7From our ancestors' days until now we have been in deep guilt, and for our sins we—our kings and priests—were handed to the kings of the lands, to the sword, captivity, plunder, and open shame on our faces, as it is today. 8But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from our Father, leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm foothold in his holy place, to brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. 9We are slaves; yet our Father has not abandoned us in our slavery. He extended his covenant love to us before the kings of Persia, reviving us to raise our Father's house, repair its ruins, and give us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.
10And now, our Father, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments,
11which you commanded through your servants the prophets: "The land you are entering to possess is defiled by the impurity of its peoples, whose detestable practices have filled it end to end with their uncleanness. 12So now do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or their prosperity, so you may be strong, eat the good of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever."
13After all that has come on us for our evil deeds and great guilt—even then you, our Father, held back, punishing us less than our sins deserved, and gave us a remnant like this, 14will we again break your commands and intermarry with peoples who do these detestable things? Would you not be angry with us until you destroyed us, leaving no remnant or survivor? 15Our Father, God of Israel, you are righteous, for we are left a surviving remnant, as it is today. Here we are before you in our guilt, though none can stand before you because of it."
