Intermarriage with Neighboring Peoples
(Nehemiah 13:23–31)

1When these thinges were done, the rulers came to me, and sayde: The people of Israel, and the priestes & Leuites are not separated from the people of the landes, as touching their abhominations: namely of the Chanaanites, Hethites, Pherezites, Iebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. 2For they haue taken the daughters of the same to them selues and to their sonnes, and the holy seede is mixed with the nations of the landes, & the hand of the princes and rulers hath ben principall in the trespasse. 3And when I heard this saying, I rent my clothes and my garment, & pluckt of the heere of my head & of my beard, and sate mourning. 4And there resorted vnto me all such as feared the wordes of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of the people of the captiuitie: And I sat mourning vntill the euening sacrifice.

Ezra’s Prayer of Confession

5And about the euening sacrifice I arose vp from my heauinesse, and rent my clothes and my rayment, and fell vpon my knees, and spread out my handes vnto the Lorde my God, 6And sayde: My God, I am ashamed, and dare not lift vp myne eyes vnto thee my God: for our wickednesses are growen ouer our head, and our trespasse is waxed great vnto the heauen. 7Since the time of our fathers haue we ben in great trespasse vnto this day, and because of our wickednesses haue we and our kinges and our priestes ben deliuered into the hande of the kinges of the nations, vnto the sworde, into captiuitie, into a spoyle, and into confusion of face, as it is to see this day. 8And nowe for a litle space grace hath ben shewed from the Lorde our God, in causing a remnaunt to escape, and in geuing vs a nayle in his holy place, that our God may light our eyes, and geue vs a litle lyfe to take breath in our bondage: 9For we were bondmen, and yet our God hath not forsaken vs in our bondage, but hath enclined mercie vnto vs in the sight of the king of Persia, to geue vs lyfe to set vp the house of our God, and to redresse the desolation therof, and to geue vs a wall in Iuda and Hierusalem.

10And nowe O our God, what shall we say after this? for we haue forsaken thy commaundementes, 11Whiche thou hast commaunded by thy seruauntes the prophetes, saying: The lande vnto which ye go to possesse, it is an vncleane lande, because of the filthinesse of the people of the landes, whiche with their abhominations haue made it full of vncleannesse on euery syde. 12Therfore shal ye not geue your daughters vnto their sonnes, and their daughters shall ye not take vnto your sonnes, nor seke their peace and wealth for euer: that ye may be strong and enioy the goodnesse of the lande, and that ye and your children may haue the inheritaunce of it for euermore. 13And after that all these thinges are come vpon vs because of our euyll deedes and great trespasses, seyng that thou our God hast stayed vs from beyng beneath for our iniquities, and hast geuen vs such deliuerance: 14Shoulde we returne to breake thy commaundementes, and ioyne in affinitie with the people of these abhominations? wouldest not thou be angry towardes vs till thou hadst consumed vs, so that there should be no remnaunt, nor any escaping? 15O Lorde God of Israel, thou art righteous, for we remayne yet escaped, as it is to see this day: Beholde also, in thy presence are we in our trespasses, & because of it may we not stand before thee.