1When these things were done, the leaders came to me and said, "The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the peoples of the lands. They have copied their detestable ways: the ways of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites."
2"They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons. So the holy seed has mixed itself with the peoples of those lands. And the leaders and rulers have led the way in this unfaithfulness."
3When I heard this, I tore my clothes and my coat. I pulled out hair from my head and my beard, and I sat down in shock.
4Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me, because of the sin of those who had been carried away. And I sat there in shock until the evening sacrifice.
5At the evening sacrifice I got up from my grief. My clothes and my coat were torn. I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God.
6I said, "O my God, I am ashamed. I blush to lift up my face to you, my God. For our sins have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens."
7"From the days of our fathers until this day we have been deeply guilty. Because of our sins we and our kings and our priests have been handed over to the kings of other lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to open shame, as it is today."
8"And now, for a short time, grace has been shown to us from the LORD our God. He has left us a remnant who escaped, and has given us a nail in his holy place. So our God has given light to our eyes, and a little new life in our slavery."
9"For we were slaves. Yet our God has not abandoned us in our slavery. He has shown us mercy before the kings of Persia, giving us new life, so that we could set up the house of our God and repair its ruins, and so that he could give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem."
10"And now, O our God, what can we say after this? For we have abandoned your commandments,"
11"which you gave through your servants the prophets. You said, 'The land you are going in to take is an unclean land. The peoples of those lands have made it filthy with their detestable ways. They have filled it from one end to the other with their uncleanness.'"
12"'So do not give your daughters to their sons, and do not take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or their good. Then you will be strong, and eat the good things of the land, and leave it to your children as their inheritance for ever.'"
13"All this has come on us because of our evil deeds and our great guilt. Yet you, our God, have punished us less than our sins deserve, and have given us a group of survivors like this."
14"Should we then break your commandments again, and marry into these peoples with their detestable ways? Would you not be angry with us until you had destroyed us, so that no remnant was left and no one escaped?"
15"O LORD God of Israel, you are righteous. We are left as those who escaped, as it is today. Look, we are here before you in our guilt. No one can stand before you because of this."