# Ezra 9

> Lumin Translation

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/read/ezra/9

Lumin’s own translation, drafted with AI from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, checked verse by verse against them, and approved by Lumin. Brackets mark verses not found in the earliest manuscripts.

How it was made: https://www.lumin.faith/lumin-translation.md

1. After these things had been done, the officials came to me and said, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not kept themselves separate from the peoples of the lands and their detestable practices—from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
2. For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy seed has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And the officials and leaders have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”
3. When I heard this, I tore my tunic and my cloak, pulled hair from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled.
4. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the returned exiles, while I sat appalled until the evening offering.
5. At the evening offering I got up from my self-humiliation, with my tunic and cloak torn, and I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to Yahweh my God,
6. and said, “My God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown as high as the heavens.
7. From the days of our ancestors until this day we have been deeply guilty. Because of our iniquities 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 open shame, as it is today.
8. But now, for a brief moment, Yahweh our God has shown us grace, leaving us a remnant that has escaped and giving us a firm foothold in his holy place, so that our God may brighten our eyes and give us a little new life in our slavery.
9. For we are slaves, yet our God has not abandoned us in our slavery. He has extended his steadfast love to us before the kings of Persia, to give us new life to rebuild the house of our God and restore its ruins, and to give us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem.
10. And now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have abandoned your commandments,
11. which you gave through your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land made impure by the impurity of the peoples of the lands, by their detestable practices, with which they have filled it from one end to the other with their uncleanness.
12. So now, do not give your daughters to their sons, and do not take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.’
13. After all that has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our great guilt—even though you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us a remnant like this—
14. are we to break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these detestable things? Would you not be angry with us until you had destroyed us, leaving no remnant or survivor?
15. Yahweh, the God of Israel, you are righteous, for we are left as a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Here we are before you in our guilt, for because of this no one can stand before you.”

## Nearby chapters

[Ezra 8](https://www.lumin.faith/read/ezra/8.md)
[Ezra 10](https://www.lumin.faith/read/ezra/10.md)

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