Chapter 9.
Now when these things were done, the princess came to me, saying,
And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment to 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 rose up from my heaviness, and having rent my
garment to 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 blushed to lift up my
face to Thee, my God, for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our
trespasses 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.
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, 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.
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.
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, 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?
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.