Study Desk

The sons of the captivity, that had come out of exile, offered burnt-offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and two lambs, twelve he-goats for a sin-offering: all this was a burnt-offering to Yahweh.

And they delivered the king's commissions to the king's satraps, and to the governors beyond the River: and they furthered the people and the house of God.

Then were assembled to me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the trespass of them of the captivity; and I sat confounded until the evening oblation.

And at the evening oblation I arose up from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe rent; and I fell on my knees, and spread out my hands to Yahweh my God;

and I said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my God; for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our guiltiness has grown up to the heavens.

And now for a little moment grace has been shown from Yahweh our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our slavery.

For we are slaves; yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended loving-kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the ruins thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken your commandments,

And after all that has come on us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, seeing that you our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such a remnant,

O Yahweh, the God of Israel, you are righteous; for we are left a remnant that is escaped, as it is this day: look, we are before you in our guiltiness; for none can stand before you because of this.

Now while Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there was gathered together to him out of Israel a very great assembly of men and women and children; for the people wept very intensely.

And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land: yet now there is hope for Israel concerning this thing.

Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib: and he spent the night there, he ate no bread, nor drank water; for he mourned because of the trespass of them of the captivity.

Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together to Jerusalem within the three days; it was the ninth month, on the twentieth [day] of the month: and all the people sat in the broad place before the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.

Now therefore make confession to Yahweh, the God of your fathers, and do his pleasure; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the foreign women.

Let now our princes be appointed for all the assembly, and let all those that are in our cities that have married foreign women come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God is turned from us, until this matter is despatched.

And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,

and said, I urge you, O Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, that keeps covenant and loving-kindness with those that love him and keep his commandments:

Then the king said to me, For what do you make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.