When these things were completed, the officials came to me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and Levites have not ^aseparated themselves from the peoples of the lands, but ^bhave committed the repulsive acts of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. 2 For ^athey have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that ^bthe holy ¹race has ^2cintermingled with the peoples of the lands. Indeed, the officials and chief men have been foremost in this unfaithful act and direct violation of God’s will.” Deut 7:3, 4 3 When I heard this, I ^atore my clothing and my robe in grief, I pulled out some of the hair from my head and my beard, and ^bsat down appalled at the shame of it. 4 Then ^aeveryone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me as I sat appalled until ^bthe evening offering.

5 At the evening offering I arose from my time of humiliation and penitence and having torn my clothing and my robe, I fell on my knees and ^astretched out my hands to the LORD my God, 6 and I said, “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our wrongdoings have risen higher than our heads and our ^aguilt has grown to the heavens. 7 ^aSince the days of our fathers to this day we have been exceedingly guilty; and on account of our wrongdoings we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to ^bcomplete shame, as it is today. 8 But now for a brief moment grace has been shown to us from the LORD our God, who ^ahas left us a surviving remnant and has given us a ^bpeg (secure hold) in His holy place, that our God may ^cenlighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our bondage. 9 ^aFor we are slaves; yet our God has not abandoned us in our bondage, but ^bhas extended lovingkindness to us before the kings of Persia, to revive us to rebuild the house of our God, to repair the site of its ruins and to give us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.

10 “Now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have abandoned (turned away from) Your commandments, 11 which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land which you are entering to possess is a defiled land with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, through their repulsive acts which have filled it from one end to the other ^aalong with their impurity. 12 So now do not ^agive your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons; and ^bnever seek their peace or their prosperity, so that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and ^cleave it as an inheritance to your children forever.’ 13 And after everything that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for ^aour great guilt, since You our God have punished us less than our wrongdoings deserve, and have given us ^bsurvivors like these, 14 ^ashall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who practice these repulsive acts? ^bWould You not be angry with us to the point of total destruction, so that there would be no remnant nor survivor? Deut 7:2-4 15 O LORD God of Israel, ^aYou are uncompromisingly just (righteous) , for we have been left as survivors, as it is this day. Behold, we are before You in ^bour guilt, for ^cno one can stand before You because of this.”