Y acabadas estas cosas, se me acercaron los príncipes, diciendo: El pueblo de Israel, los sacerdotes y los levitas no se han separado de los pueblos de las tierras^a y¹ sus abominaciones^b: de los cananeos, hititas, ferezeos, jebuseos, amonitas, moabitas, egipcios y amorreos; 2 sino que han tomado mujeres de entre las hijas de ellos^a para sí y para sus hijos, y el linaje santo^1b se ha mezclado con los pueblos de las tierras^c; es más, la mano de los príncipes y de los gobernantes ha sido la primera en cometer esta infidelidad. 3 Y cuando oí de este asunto, rasgué mi vestido y mi manto^a, y arranqué pelo de mi cabeza y de mi barba, y me senté atónito^b. 4 Entonces se reunieron conmigo todos los que temblaban ante las palabras del Dios de Israel^a por causa de la infidelidad de los desterrados, y estuve sentado atónito hasta la ofrenda de la tarde^b.

5 Pero a la hora de la ofrenda de la tarde, me levanté de mi humillación¹ con mi vestido y mi manto rasgados, y caí de rodillas y extendí mis manos² al SEÑOR mi Dios^a; 6 y dije: Dios mío, estoy avergonzado y confuso para poder levantar mi rostro a ti, mi Dios, porque nuestras iniquidades se han multiplicado por encima de nuestras cabezas, y nuestra culpa ha crecido hasta los cielos^a. 7 Desde los días de nuestros padres hasta el día de hoy hemos estado bajo gran culpa^a, y a causa de nuestras iniquidades, nosotros, nuestros reyes y nuestros sacerdotes hemos sido entregados en mano de los reyes de estas¹ tierras, a la espada, al cautiverio, al saqueo y a la vergüenza pública², como en este día^b. 8 Pero ahora, por un breve momento, ha habido misericordia de parte del SEÑOR nuestro Dios, para dejarnos un remanente que ha escapado^a y darnos un refugio^1b en su lugar santo, para que nuestro Dios ilumine nuestros ojos^c y nos conceda un poco de vida en nuestra servidumbre. 9 Porque siervos somos^a; mas en nuestra servidumbre, nuestro Dios no nos ha abandonado, sino que ha extendido su misericordia sobre nosotros ante los ojos de los reyes de Persia^b, dándonos ánimo para levantar la casa de nuestro Dios y para restaurar sus ruinas, y dándonos una muralla en Judá y en Jerusalén. 10 Y ahora, Dios nuestro, ¿qué diremos después de esto? Porque hemos abandonado tus mandamientos, 11 que por medio¹ de tus siervos los profetas ordenaste, diciendo: «La tierra a la cual entráis para poseerla es una tierra inmunda con la inmundicia de los pueblos de estas² tierras, con sus abominaciones que la han llenado de un extremo a otro, y con su impureza^a. 12 Ahora pues, no deis vuestras hijas a sus hijos ni toméis sus hijas para vuestros hijos^a, y nunca procuréis su paz ni su prosperidad^b, para que seáis fuertes y comáis lo mejor de la tierra y la dejéis por heredad a vuestros hijos para siempre^c». 13 Y después de todo lo que nos ha sobrevenido a causa de nuestras malas obras y nuestra gran culpa^a, puesto que tú, nuestro Dios, nos has pagado menos de lo que nuestras iniquidades merecen, y nos has dado un remanente^b que ha escapado comoeste, 14 ¿hemos de quebrantar de nuevo tus mandamientos emparentándonos^a con los pueblos que cometen estas¹ abominaciones? ¿No te enojarías con nosotros hasta destruirnos^b, sin que quedara remanente ni quien escapara? 15 Oh SEÑOR, Dios de Israel, tú eres justo^a, porque hemos quedado un remanente que ha escapado, como en este día; he aquí, estamos delante de ti en nuestra culpa^b, porque nadie puede estar delante de ti^c a causa de esto.

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.”

Now when these things had been completed, the officials approached me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not ^aseparated themselves from the peoples of the lands, ^bas to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For ^athey have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that ^bthe holy ¹line has ^cintermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the officials and the leaders have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness.” 3 When I heard about this matter, I ^atore my garment and my robe, and pulled out some of the hair from my head and my beard, and ^bsat down ¹appalled. 4 Then ^aeveryone who was frightened by the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat ¹appalled until ^bthe evening offering.

5 But at the evening offering I stood up from my ¹humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I bowed down on my knees and ^aspread out my ²hands to the LORD my God; 6 and I said, “My God, I am ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God, for our wrongful deeds have ¹risen above our heads, and our ^aguilt has grown even to the heavens. 7 ^aSince the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and because of our wrongful deeds we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to ^1bopen shame, as it is this day. 8 But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, ^ato leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a ^1bpeg in His holy place, so that our God may ^cenlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. 9 ^aFor we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not abandoned us, but ^bhas extended favor to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to erect the house of our God, to restore its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

10 “And now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have abandoned Your commandments, 11 which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from end to end, and ^awith their impurity. 12 So now do not ^agive your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters for your sons, and ^bnever seek their peace or their prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, and ^cleave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’ 13 And after everything that has come upon us for our evil deeds and ^aour great guilt, since You our God have spared us by inflicting less than our wrongdoing deserves, and have given us such ^ban escaped remnant as this, 14 ^ashall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples ¹who commit these abominations? ^bWould You not be angry with us ²to the point of destruction, until there would be no remnant nor any who would escape? 15 LORD God of Israel, ^aYou are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in ^bour guilt, for ^cno one can stand before You because of this.”

Now when these things had been completed, the princes approached me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not ^aseparated themselves from the peoples of the lands, ^baccording to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites. 2 For ^athey have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that ^bthe holy ¹race has ^cintermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness.” 3 When I heard about this matter, I ^atore my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and ^bsat down appalled. 4 Then ^aeveryone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until ^bthe evening offering.

5 But at the evening offering I arose from my ¹humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and ^astretched out my ²hands 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 iniquities have ¹risen above our heads and our ^aguilt has grown even to the heavens. 7 ^aSince the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and on account of our iniquities we, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder and to ^1bopen shame, as it is this day. 8 But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, ^ato leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a ^bpeg in His holy place, that our God may ^cenlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. 9 ^aFor we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but ^bhas extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

10 “Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments, 11 which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from end to end and ^awith their impurity. 12 So now do not ^agive your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters to your sons, and ^bnever seek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and ^cleave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’ 13 After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and ^aour great guilt, since You our God have requited us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us ^ban escaped remnant as this, 14 ^ashall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples ¹who commit these abominations? ^bWould You not be angry with us ²to the point of destruction, until there is no remnant nor any who escape? 15 O LORD God of Israel, ^aYou are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in ^bour guilt, for ^cno one can stand before You because of this.”