1Now when these things were done, the princes drew near unto me, saying, “The people of Yisra’el, and the Kohanim and the Levi’im, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Kena’ani, the Khiti, the Perizi, the Yevusi, the Amoni, the Mo’avi, the Mitzri, and the Amori. 2For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons; so that the consecrated seed has mingled themselves with the peoples of the lands; yes, the hand of the princes and rulers has been first in this faithlessness.” 3And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down appalled. 4Then every one was assembled unto me that trembled at the words of Elohei Yisra’el, because of the faithlessness of them of the captivity; and I sat appalled until the evening offering. 5And at the evening offering I arose up from my fasting, even with my garment and my mantle rent; and I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto יהוה my Elohim; 6and I said, “O my Elohim, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my Elohim; for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our guiltiness is grown up unto the heavens. 7Since the days of our fathers we have been exceedingly guilty unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to spoiling, and to confusion of face, as it is this day. 8And now for a little moment grace has been shown from יהוה our Elohim, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in His Mikdash, that our Elohim may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. 9For we are servants; yet our Elohim has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Paras, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our Elohim, and to repair the ruins thereof, and to give us a fence in Yehudah and in Yerushalayim. 10And now, O our Elohim, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your Mitzvot, 11which You have commanded by your servants the Nevi’im, saying, ‘The land, unto which you go to possess it, is an unclean land through the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations, wherewith they have filled it from one end to another with their filthiness. 12Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their shalom or their prosperity forever; that you may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ 13And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, seeing that You our Elohim have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such a remnant, 14shall we again break your Mitzvot, and make marriages with the peoples that do these abominations? Would You not be angry with us till You have consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape?”
15“O יהוה Elohei Yisra’el, You are a Tzadik; for we are left a remnant that is escaped, as it is this day; behold, we are before you in our guiltiness; for none can stand before you because of this.”
אוּכְכַלּוֹת אֵלֶּה נִגְּשׁוּ אֵלַי הַשָּׂרִים לֵאמֹר לֹא נִבְדְּלוּ הָעָם יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם מֵעַמֵּי הָאֲרָצוֹת: כְּתֹעֲבֹתֵיהֶם לַכְּנַעֲנִי הַחִתִּי הַפְּרִזִּי הַיְבוּסִי הָעַמֹּנִי הַמֹּאָבִי הַמִּצְרִי וְהָאֱמֹרִי. בכִּי נָשְׂאוּ מִבְּנֹתֵיהֶם לָהֶם וְלִבְנֵיהֶם וְהִתְעָרְבוּ זֶרַע הַקֹּדֶשׁ בְּעַמֵּי הָאֲרָצוֹת; וְיַד הַשָּׂרִים וְהַסְּגָנִים הָיְתָה בַּמַּעַל הַזֶּה רִאשׁוֹנָה. גוּכְשָׁמְעִי אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה קָרַעְתִּי אֶת בִּגְדִי וּמְעִילִי; וָאֶמְרְטָה מִשְּׂעַר רֹאשִׁי וּזְקָנִי וָאֵשְׁבָה מְשׁוֹמֵם. דוְאֵלַי יֵאָסְפוּ כֹּל חָרֵד בְּדִבְרֵי אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל מַעַל הַגּוֹלָה; וַאֲנִי יֹשֵׁב מְשׁוֹמֵם עַד לְמִנְחַת הָעָרֶב. הוּבְמִנְחַת הָעֶרֶב קַמְתִּי מִתַּעֲנִיתִי וּבְקָרְעִי בִגְדִי וּמְעִילִי; וָאֶכְרְעָה עַל בִּרְכַּי וָאֶפְרְשָׂה כַפַּי אֶל יהוה אֱלֹהָי. ווָאֹמְרָה אֱלֹהַי בֹּשְׁתִּי וְנִכְלַמְתִּי לְהָרִים אֱלֹהַי פָּנַי אֵלֶיךָ: כִּי עֲוֹנֹתֵינוּ רָבוּ לְמַעְלָה רֹּאשׁ וְאַשְׁמָתֵנוּ גָדְלָה עַד לַשָּׁמָיִם. זמִימֵי אֲבֹתֵינוּ אֲנַחְנוּ בְּאַשְׁמָה גְדֹלָה עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה; וּבַעֲוֹנֹתֵינוּ נִתַּנּוּ אֲנַחְנוּ מְלָכֵינוּ כֹהֲנֵינוּ בְּיַד מַלְכֵי הָאֲרָצוֹת בַּחֶרֶב בַּשְּׁבִי וּבַבִּזָּה וּבְבֹשֶׁת פָּנִים כְּהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה. חוְעַתָּה כִּמְעַט רֶגַע הָיְתָה תְחִנָּה מֵאֵת יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְהַשְׁאִיר לָנוּ פְּלֵיטָה וְלָתֶת לָנוּ יָתֵד בִּמְקוֹם קָדְשׁוֹ לְהָאִיר עֵינֵינוּ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וּלְתִתֵּנוּ מִחְיָה מְעַט בְּעַבְדֻתֵנוּ. טכִּי עֲבָדִים אֲנַחְנוּ וּבְעַבְדֻתֵנוּ לֹא עֲזָבָנוּ אֱלֹהֵינוּ; וַיַּט עָלֵינוּ חֶסֶד לִפְנֵי מַלְכֵי פָרַס לָתֶת לָנוּ מִחְיָה לְרוֹמֵם אֶת בֵּית אֱלֹהֵינוּ וּלְהַעֲמִיד אֶת חָרְבֹתָיו וְלָתֶת לָנוּ גָדֵר בִּיהוּדָה וּבִירוּשָׁלִָם. יוְעַתָּה מַה נֹּאמַר אֱלֹהֵינוּ אַחֲרֵי זֹאת: כִּי עָזַבְנוּ מִצְוֹתֶיךָ. יאאֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָ בְּיַד עֲבָדֶיךָ הַנְּבִיאִים לֵאמֹר הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם בָּאִים לְרִשְׁתָּהּ אֶרֶץ נִדָּה הִיא בְּנִדַּת עַמֵּי הָאֲרָצוֹת: בְּתוֹעֲבֹתֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר מִלְאוּהָ מִפֶּה אֶל פֶּה בְּטֻמְאָתָם. יבוְעַתָּה בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם אַל תִּתְּנוּ לִבְנֵיהֶם וּבְנֹתֵיהֶם אַל תִּשְׂאוּ לִבְנֵיכֶם וְלֹא תִדְרְשׁוּ שְׁלֹמָם וְטוֹבָתָם עַד עוֹלָם לְמַעַן תֶּחֶזְקוּ וַאֲכַלְתֶּם אֶת טוּב הָאָרֶץ וְהוֹרַשְׁתֶּם לִבְנֵיכֶם עַד עוֹלָם. יגוְאַחֲרֵי כָּל הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂינוּ הָרָעִים וּבְאַשְׁמָתֵנוּ הַגְּדֹלָה: כִּי אַתָּה אֱלֹהֵינוּ חָשַׂכְתָּ לְמַטָּה מֵעֲוֹנֵנוּ וְנָתַתָּה לָּנוּ פְּלֵיטָה כָּזֹאת. ידהֲנָשׁוּב לְהָפֵר מִצְוֹתֶיךָ וּלְהִתְחַתֵּן בְּעַמֵּי הַתֹּעֵבוֹת הָאֵלֶּה: הֲלוֹא תֶאֱנַף בָּנוּ עַד כַּלֵּה לְאֵין שְׁאֵרִית וּפְלֵיטָה.
טו יהוה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל צַדִּיק אַתָּה כִּי נִשְׁאַרְנוּ פְלֵיטָה כְּהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה; הִנְנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּאַשְׁמָתֵינוּ כִּי אֵין לַעֲמוֹד לְפָנֶיךָ עַל זֹאת.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 