Ezra 9

Ezra Prays About Intermarriage

1 After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, "The people of Israel and the priests and the e Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands f with their abominations, from the g Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 h For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the i holy race 1 has j mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost." 3 As soon as I heard this, I k tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and l sat appalled. 4 Then all who m trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat n appalled until the evening sacrifice. 5 And at the n evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment k and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees o and spread out my hands to the Lord my God,

6 saying: "O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities p have risen higher than our heads, and our q guilt has r mounted up to the heavens. 7 s From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great q guilt. And for 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, to plundering, t and to utter shame, as it is today. 8 But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a u remnant and to give us a v secure hold 2 within his holy place, that our God may w brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. 9 x For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, y but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection 3 in Judea and Jerusalem.

10 "And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, 11 which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, 'The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with z their uncleanness. 12 a Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land b and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.' 13 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for c our great guilt, seeing that you, our d God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a e remnant as this, 14 shall we break your commandments again and f intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us g until you consumed us, so that there should be no e remnant, nor any to escape? 15 O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a e remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our h guilt, i for none can stand before you because of this."

  1. Cross References
    Ezra 6:21
    It was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and also by every one who had joined them and separated himself from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to worship the Lord, the God of Israel.
    Nehemiah 9:2
    And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
  2. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 12:30 - 31
    Take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? - that I also may do the same.
  3. Cross References
    Exodus 13:5
    And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month.
  4. Cross References
    Ezra 10:2
    And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of...
    Nehemiah 13:23
    In those days also I saw the Jews who had marri...
    Nehemiah 13:27
    Shall we then listen to you and do all this gre...
    Exodus 34:16
    And you take of their daughters for your sons, ...
    Deuteronomy 7:3
    You shall not intermarry with them, giving your...
    Nehemiah 10:30
    We will not give our daughters to the peoples o...
  5. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 7:6
    For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
  6. Cross References
    Psalms 106:35
    But they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did.
    2 Corinthians 6:14
    Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
  7. Cross References
    Joshua 7:6
    Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads.
  8. Cross References
    Nehemiah 1:4
    As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
  9. Cross References
    Ezra 10:3
    Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the Law.
    Isaiah 66:2
    All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.
    Isaiah 66:5
    Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word: "Your brothers who hate you and cast you out for my name's sake have said, 'Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy'; but it is they who shall be put to shame.
  10. Cross References
    Exodus 29:39
    One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight.
    Exodus 29:41
    The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.
  11. Cross References
    Ezra 9:4
    Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice.
  12. Cross References
    Ezra 9:3
    As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled.
  13. Cross References
    1 Kings 8:22
    Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.
  14. Cross References
    Psalms 38:4
    For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
  15. Cross References
    Ezra 9:7
    From the days of our fathers to this day we hav...
    Ezra 9:13
    And after all that has come upon us for our evi...
    Ezra 9:15
    O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we...
    Ezra 10:10
    And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, ...
    Ezra 10:19
    They pledged themselves to put away their wives...
    2 Chronicles 24:18
    And they abandoned the house of the Lord, the G...
  16. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 28:9
    But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded, and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria and said to them, "Behold, because the Lord, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand, but you have killed them in a rage that has reached up to heaven.
    Revelation 18:5
    For her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
  17. Cross References
    Psalms 106:6
    Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.
    Daniel 9:5 - 6
    We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.
  18. Cross References
    Ezra 9:6
    Saying: "O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.
  19. Cross References
    Daniel 9:7 - 8
    To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you.
  20. Cross References
    Ezra 9:13 - 14
    And 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 deserved and have given us such a remnant as this.
    Ezra 9:15
    O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.
  21. Cross References
    Isaiah 22:23
    And I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father's house.
  22. Cross References
    Psalms 13:3
    Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.
  23. Cross References
    Nehemiah 9:36
    Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves.
  24. Cross References
    Ezra 7:28
    And who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.
  25. Cross References
    Ezra 6:21
    It was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and also by every one who had joined them and separated himself from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to worship the Lord, the God of Israel.
  26. Cross References
    Ezra 9:2
    For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.
  27. Cross References
    Proverbs 13:22
    A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.
  28. Cross References
    Ezra 9:6 - 7
    Saying: "O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.
  29. Cross References
    Job 11:6
    And that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.
    Psalms 103:10
    He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
  30. Cross References
    Ezra 9:8
    But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery.
  31. Cross References
    Ezra 9:2
    For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.
  32. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 9:8
    Even at Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath, and the Lord was so angry with you that he was ready to destroy you.
  33. Cross References
    Ezra 9:13
    And 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 deserved and have given us such a remnant as this.
  34. Cross References
    Ezra 9:13
    And 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 deserved and have given us such a remnant as this.
  35. Cross References
    Nehemiah 9:33
    Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly.
    Psalms 119:137
    Righteous are you, O Lord, and right are your rules.
    Jeremiah 12:1
    Righteous are you, O Lord, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?
    Daniel 9:14
    Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.
  36. Cross References
    Psalms 130:3
    If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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