Jauktās laulības
1 Kad viss bija padarīts, pie manis pienāca Israēla augstmaņi un sacīja: “Israēla tauta, priesteri un levīti nav nošķīrušies no šo zemju tautām: kanaāniešiem, hetiešiem, periziešiem, jebūsiešiem, amoniešiem, moābiešiem, ēģiptiešiem, amoriešiem un viņu preteklībām! 2 Viņi ir ņēmuši sev un saviem dēliem sievas no viņu meitām un sajaukuši svēto sēklu ar šīs zemes tautām! Pirmie šajā neuzticībā ir bijuši augstmaņi un valdnieki!” 3 To dzirdējis, es saplēsu savas drānas un apmetni, plēsu matus un bārdu un apsēdos šausmās. 4 Tad pie manis sapulcējās visi, kas gūstekņu neuzticības dēļ bija pārbijušies no Israēla Dieva vārdiem, un es šausmās sēdēju līdz vakara upura laikam.
Ezras lūgšana
5 Vakara upura laikā saplēstās drēbēs un apmetnī es cēlos no savām ciešanām, kritu uz ceļiem, stiepu rokas pret Kungu, savu Dievu, 6 un teicu: “Mans Dievs, es kaunos un bīstos paraudzīties uz tevi, mans Dievs, mūsu netaisnība ir augusi un mūsu vaina sniedzas līdz debesīm! 7 Kopš mūsu tēvu dienām līdz šīm dienām savas netaisnības dēļ mēs esam jo vainīgi! Mūsu ķēniņi un priesteri ir atdoti par laupījumu un kaunu svešzemju ķēniņu zobenam un gūstam, un tā tas ir vēl šodien! 8 Bet tagad mazu brīdi ir dota labvēlība no Kunga, mūsu Dieva, kurš ļāva mums izglābties un uzsliet telti viņa svētvietā, lai mūsu Dievs darītu gaišas mūsu acis un ļautu mazliet atgūties no verdzības, 9 jo mēs esam vergi, bet mūsu Dievs nav mūs pametis verdzībā! Viņš mums ir pievērsis Persijas ķēniņu laipnību, ļaudams atgūties un nostiprināt mūsu Dieva namu, atjaunot, kas izpostīts, lai mums būtu mūri Jūdā un Jeruzālemē.
10 Ko lai sakām tagad, mūsu Dievs! Mēs esam atmetuši tavus baušļus, 11 ko tu esi devis caur saviem kalpiem praviešiem, sacīdams: zeme, kuru jūs ejat iemantot, ir nešķīsta zeme. Tā ir nešķīsta ar tās zemes tautu nešķīstību, savā riebeklībā tie piepildījuši zemi no vienas malas līdz otrai ar savām preteklībām. 12 Tādēļ nedodiet savas meitas viņu dēliem un neņemiet viņu meitas saviem dēliem, nemūžam nelūkojiet pēc miera ar viņiem, nedz labklājības – tad jūs kļūsiet stipri un ēdīsiet tās zemes labumus un jūsu dēli to mantos mūžīgi! 13 Pēc visa, kas pār mums nācis mūsu ļauno darbu un lielās vainas dēļ, tu, mūsu Dievs, esi aizkavējis mums sodu un devis glābšanu – tādu kā šo! 14 Vai lai atkal mēs laužam tavus baušļus un saradojamies ar šīm pretīgo elku tautām? Vai tu uz mums dusmosi, līdz vairs nebūs ne atlikuma, ne glābiņa?
15 Kungs, Israēla Dievs, tu esi taisns, jo mums, atlikušajiem, šodien ir glābšana! Redzi, mēs esam vainīgi tavā priekšā, jo nevaram pastāvēt tavā priekšā šīs lietas dēļ!”
1 Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass. 3 And 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 astonied. 4 Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.
5 ¶ And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God, 6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens. 7 Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass 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 a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day. 8 And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD 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 bondage. 9 For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto 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 desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. 10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments, 11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness. 12 Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever. 13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve , and hast given us such deliverance as this; 14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us , so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? 15 O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.
