36AND THEY GAVE <OBJ.> [THE] DECREES OF THE KING TO [THE] SATRAPS OF THE KING AND [THE] GOVERNORS OF BEYOND THE RIVER AND THEY SUPPORTED <OBJ.> THE PEOPLE AND <OBJ.> [THE] HOUSE OF <THE> GOD 36They also delivered the king’s edicts to the royal satraps*NoteCloseA satrap was a Persian official. and governors of the region west of the Euphrates,*NoteCloseHebrew governors beyond the River who proceeded to assist the people and the house of God.
1AND JUST AS FINISHED THESE [THINGS] THEY DREW NEAR TO ME THE LEADERS <TO> SAYING NOT THEY HAVE SEPARATED THEMSELVES THE PEOPLE ISRAEL AND THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES FROM [THE] PEOPLES OF THE LANDS ACCORDING TO ABOMINATIONS THEIR TO THE CANAANITE[S] THE HITTITE[S] THE PERIZZITE[S] THE JEBUSITE[S] THE AMMONITE[S] THE MOABITE[S] THE EGYPTIAN[S] AND THE AMORITE[S] Intermarriage with Neighboring Peoples (Nehemiah 13:23–31) 1After these things had been accomplished, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the surrounding peoples whose abominations are like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.
2FOR THEY HAVE TAKEN SOME OF DAUGHTERS THEIR FOR THEMSELVES AND FOR SONS THEIR AND THEY HAVE MIXED THEMSELVES [THE] OFFSPRING OF <THE> HOLINESS WITH [THE] PEOPLES OF THE LANDS AND [THE] HAND OF THE LEADERS AND THE OFFICIALS IT HAS BEEN IN THE UNFAITHFULNESS <THE> THIS FIRST 2Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!”
3AND JUST AS HEARD I <OBJ.> THE MATTER <THE> THIS I TORE <OBJ.> GARMENT MY AND ROBE MY AND I PULLED OUT! SOME OF [THE] HAIR OF HEAD MY AND BEARD MY AND I SAT DOWN! APPALLED 3When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down in horror.
4AND TO ME THEY GATHERED EVERY [PERSON] TREMBLING AT [THE] WORDS OF [THE] GOD OF ISRAEL ON [THE] UNFAITHFULNESS OF THE EXILE[S] AND I [WAS] SITTING APPALLED UNTIL <TO> [THE] OFFERING OF THE EVENING 4Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, while I sat there in horror until the evening offering.
5AND AT [THE] OFFERING OF THE EVENING I AROSE FROM HUMILIATION MY AND IN TEARING OF MY GARMENT MY AND ROBE MY AND I BOWED DOWN! ON KNEES MY AND I SPREAD OUT! PALMS MY TO YAHWEH GOD MY Ezra’s Prayer of Confession 5At the evening offering, I got up from my humiliation with my tunic and cloak torn, and I fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the LORD my God,
6AND I SAID! O GOD MY I AM ASHAMED AND I AM HUMILIATED TO LIFT UP O GOD MY FACE MY TO YOU FOR INIQUITIES OUR THEY HAVE INCREASED <TO> UPWARDS <TOWARDS> A HEAD AND GUILT OUR IT IS GREAT TO <TO> THE HEAVENS 6and said: “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heavens.
7FROM [THE] DAYS OF ANCESTORS OUR WE [HAVE BEEN] IN GUILT GREAT UNTIL THE DAY <THE> THIS AND IN INIQUITIES OUR WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN WE KINGS OUR PRIESTS OUR IN [THE] HAND OF [THE] KINGS OF THE LANDS BY <THE> SWORD BY <THE> CAPTIVITY AND BY <THE> PLUNDER AND BY SHAME OF FACE AS THE DAY <THE> THIS 7From the days of our fathers to this day, our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities, we and our kings and priests have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the earth and subjected to the sword and to captivity, to pillage and humiliation, as we are this day.
8AND NOW LIKE A LITTLE OF A MOMENT IT HAS COME FAVOR FROM WITH YAHWEH GOD OUR TO LEAVE TO US AN ESCAPED REMNANT AND TO GIVE TO US A TENT PEG IN [THE] PLACE OF HOLINESS HIS TO LIGHT UP EYES OUR GOD OUR AND TO GIVE TO US REVIVING A LITTLE IN SERVITUDE OUR 8But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the LORD our God to preserve for us a remnant and to give us a stake*NoteCloseOr nail or foothold in His holy place. Even in our bondage, our God has given us new life and light to our eyes.
9FOR [ARE] SLAVES WE AND IN SERVITUDE OUR NOT HE HAS ABANDONED US GOD OUR AND HE HAS EXTENDED TOWARDS US COVENANT LOYALTY <TO> BEFORE [THE] KINGS OF PERSIA BY GIVING TO US REVIVING TO RAISE UP <OBJ.> [THE] HOUSE OF GOD OUR AND TO SET UP <OBJ.> RUINS ITS AND BY GIVING TO US A WALL IN JUDAH AND IN JERUSALEM 9Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but He has extended to us grace in the sight of the kings of Persia, giving us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and giving us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.
10AND THEREFORE WHAT? WILL WE SAY O GOD OUR AFTER THIS FOR WE HAVE FORSAKEN COMMANDMENTS YOUR 10And now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commandments
11WHICH YOU COMMANDED BY [THE] HAND OF SERVANTS YOUR THE PROPHETS <TO> SAYING THE LAND WHICH YOU [ARE] GOING TO TAKE POSSESSION OF IT [IS] A LAND OF IMPURITY IT BY [THE] IMPURITY OF [THE] PEOPLES OF THE LANDS BY ABOMINATIONS THEIR WHICH THEY HAVE FILLED IT FROM MOUTH TO MOUTH WITH UNCLEANNESS THEIR 11that You gave through Your servants the prophets, saying: ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the impurity of its peoples and the abominations with which they have filled it from end to end.
12AND THEREFORE DAUGHTERS YOUR MAY NOT YOU GIVE TO SONS THEIR AND DAUGHTERS THEIR MAY NOT YOU TAKE FOR SONS YOUR AND NOT YOU MUST SEEK PEACE THEIR AND GOOD THEIR UNTIL PERPETUITY SO THAT YOU MAY BE STRONG AND YOU WILL EAT <OBJ.> [THE] GOOD THING[S] OF THE LAND AND YOU WILL CAUSE TO INHERIT [IT] <TO> SONS YOUR UNTIL PERPETUITY 12Now, therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, leaving it as an inheritance to your sons forever
13AND AFTER EVERY <THE> [THING WHICH] HAS COME ON US BY DEEDS OUR <THE> EVIL AND BY GUILT OUR <THE> GREAT FOR YOU O GOD OUR YOU HAVE WITHHELD <TO> DOWNWARDS FROM INIQUITY OUR AND YOU HAVE GIVEN TO US AN ESCAPED REMNANT LIKE THIS 13After all that has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our great guilt (though You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve and have given us such a remnant as this),
14¿ WILL WE RETURN TO BREAK COMMANDMENTS YOUR AND TO INTERMARRY WITH [THE] PEOPLES OF THE ABOMINATIONS <THE> THESE ¿ NOT WILL YOU BE ANGRY WITH US UNTIL MAKE AN END TO THERE NOT [WILL BE] A REMNANT AND AN ESCAPED REMNANT 14shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not become so angry with us as to wipe us out, leaving no remnant or survivor?
15O YAHWEH [THE] GOD OF ISRAEL [ARE] RIGHTEOUS YOU FOR WE ARE LEFT AN ESCAPED REMNANT AS THE DAY <THE> THIS HERE WE [ARE] <TO> BEFORE YOU IN GUILT OUR FOR NOT TO STAND <TO> BEFORE YOU ON THIS 15O LORD, God of Israel, You are righteous! For we remain this day as a remnant. Here we are before You in our guilt, though because of it no one can stand before You.”