1Now when these things were done, 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, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2For they have taken some of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the peoples of the lands: indeed, the hand of the princes and rulers has been foremost in this trespass. 3And when I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled out the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down appalled. 4Then every one who trembled at the words of the God of Israel assembled to me, because of the trespass of those of the captivity; and I sat appalled until the evening offering. 5And at the evening offering I rose up from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn; and I fell on my knees, and spread out my hands to Yehovah my God; 6and I said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my God; for our iniquities have increased over our head, and our guiltiness has grown up to the heavens. 7Since the days of our fathers we have been exceedingly guilty to this day; and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests, have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to plunder, and to confusion of face, as it is this day. 8And now for a little moment grace has been shown from Yehovah 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. 9For we are slaves; yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended lovingkindness to 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 its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. 10And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken your commandments, 11which you have commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, The land, which you are going to possess, is an unclean land through the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their filthiness: 12now therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity forever; that you may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever. 13And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, seeing that you our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such a remnant, 14shall we again break your commandments, and intermarry with the peoples who do these abominations? would you not be angry with us until you had consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? 15O Yehovah, the God of Israel, you are righteous; for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before you in our guiltiness; for none can stand before you because of this.