Ezra Prays for the People
1After all these things had been done, the leaders came to me. They said, “The people of Israel have committed sins. Even the priests and Levites have sinned. They haven’t kept themselves separate from the nations around them. The Lord hates the practices of those nations. He hates what the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites do. He also hates what the Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites do. 2The men of Israel have married the daughters of some of those people. They’ve also taken some of those women for their sons to marry. So they’ve mixed our holy nation with the nations around us. We leaders and officials have also married women who don’t worship the Lord. By doing this, we have led the way in breaking our covenant with the Lord.”
3When I heard that, I tore my inner robe and my coat. I pulled hair from my head and beard. I was so shocked I sat down. 4Then everyone who trembled with fear at God’s words gathered around me. That’s because the people who had returned from Babylon had not been faithful. So I was very upset. I just sat there until the time of the evening sacrifice.
5Then I got up. I had been very sad for quite a while. My inner robe and my coat were torn. I fell down on my knees. I spread my hands out to the Lord my God. 6I prayed,
“I’m filled with shame and dishonor, my God. I can hardly look to you and pray. That’s because our sins are piled up above our heads. Our guilt reaches all the way to the heavens. 7We are filled with it. It has been like that ever since the days of our people who lived long ago. Kings of other countries have killed many of us and our kings and priests with their swords. They’ve forced others to leave their own land. They’ve taken them away as prisoners. They’ve robbed others. They’ve made still others feel ashamed and dishonored. All these things have happened to us because we’ve committed so many sins. And that’s how things still are to this day.
8“But you are the Lord our God. Now you have shown us your kindness for a short time. That’s because you have allowed a few of us to remain here. Your temple has given us new hope. So you have made things easier for us. You have given us a little rest from our slavery. 9We are still slaves. But you are our God. You haven’t turned away from us. You haven’t left us in our slavery. You have been kind to us. The kings of Persia have seen it. You have given us new life to repair your temple and rebuild it. You have given us a place of safety in Judah and Jerusalem.
10“You are our God. What can we say after the way you have blessed us? We have turned away from your commands. 11You gave us your commands through your servants the prophets. You said, ‘You are entering the land to take it as your own. The sinful practices of its people have made the land impure. They have filled it with their “unclean” acts from one end to the other. The Lord hates all their practices. 12So don’t let your daughters marry their sons. And don’t let their daughters marry your sons. Don’t make a peace treaty with them at any time. Then you will be strong. You will eat the good things the land produces. And you will leave all of it to your children as their share. They and their children after them will enjoy it forever.’
13“Our evil acts and our terrible sins have brought about the things that have happened to us. You are our God. Because we sinned so much, you should have punished us even more than you have. But you have left many of your people alive. 14Suppose we don’t obey your commands again. And suppose we continue to marry people who commit sins that you hate. If we do, you will be so angry with us that you will destroy us. You won’t leave us even a few people. You won’t leave anyone alive. 15Lord, you are the God of Israel. You are holy. You always do what is right. Today you have left many of your people alive. Here we are with all our guilt. You see the guilt of our sin. Because we have sinned, not one of us can stand in front of you.”
Nagsipag-asawa ng mga Dayuhan ang mga Israelita
1Sinabi pa ni Ezra: Pagkatapos ng pangyayaring iyon, pumunta sa akin ang mga pinuno ng mga Judio at nagsabi, “Marami sa mamamayan ng Israel, pati na ang mga pari at mga Levita, ang namumuhay katulad ng mga tao sa paligid nila. Ginagawa nila ang mga kasuklam-suklam na gawain ng mga Cananeo, Heteo, Perezeo, Jebuseo, Ammonita, Moabita, Egipcio, at Amoreo. 2Nagsipag-asawa pa sila at ang mga anak nila ng mga babaeng mula sa mga mamamayang nabanggit. Kaya ang mga mamamayang pinili ng Dios ay nahaluan ng ibang mga lahi. At ang mga pinuno at mga opisyal pa natin ang siyang nangunguna sa paggawa nito.”
3Nang marinig ko ito, pinunit ko ang damit ko, sinabunutan ko ang buhok ko, hinila ko ang balbas ko, at naupo akong tulala. 4Nagtipon sa akin ang mga tao na takot sa mensahe ng Dios ng Israel dahil sa pagtataksil ng mga kapwa nila Israelitang bumalik galing sa pagkabihag. Naupo akong tulala, hanggang sa dumating ang oras ng panggabing paghahandog. 5Pagdating ng oras na iyon, tumigil ako sa pagdadalamhati. Lumuhod akong gutay-gutay ang damit, at nanalangin na nakataas ang mga kamay sa Panginoon na aking Dios. 6Sinabi ko, “Dios ko, hiyang-hiya po ako. Hindi ako makatingala sa inyo sa sobrang hiya, dahil sobra na ang mga kasalanan namin; parang umaapaw na po ito sa ulo namin at umabot na sa langit. 7Simula pa po sa kapanahunan ng mga ninuno namin hanggang ngayon, sobra na ang kasalanan namin; at dahil dito, kami at ang aming mga hari at mga pari ay palaging sinasakop ng mga hari ng ibang mga bansa. Pinatay nila ang iba sa amin, at ang iba naman ay binihag, ninakawan at pinahiya, katulad ng nangyayari sa amin ngayon.
8“At ngayon, sa maikling panahon, kinahabagan nʼyo po kami, Panginoon na aming Dios. Niloob nʼyong may matira sa amin, at pinatira nʼyo kami nang may katiyakan sa lugar na ito na inyong pinili. Binigyan nʼyo po kami ng pag-asa at pinagaan nʼyo ang aming kalagayan sa pagkaalipin. 9Kahit mga alipin kami, hindi nʼyo kami pinabayaan sa pagkaalipin, sa halip ipinapakita nʼyo sa amin ang inyong pag-ibig sa pamamagitan ng mabuting pagtrato ng mga hari ng Persia sa amin. Ginawa nʼyo ito para mabigyan kami ng bagong buhay, at para maipatayo namin muli ang templo nʼyong nagiba, at mabigyan nʼyo po kami ng kalinga dito sa Juda at Jerusalem.
10“Pero ngayong nagkasala kami, O aming Dios, ano pa ang masasabi namin? Sapagkat binalewala namin ang mga utos nʼyo 11na ibinigay nʼyo sa amin sa pamamagitan ng mga propetang lingkod ninyo. Sinabi nila sa amin na ang lupaing pupuntahan namin para angkinin ay maruming lupain dahil sa kasamaan ng mga naninirahan dito. Dinumihan nila ang lahat ng bahagi ng lupaing ito sa pamamagitan ng mga kasuklam-suklam nilang gawain. 12Sinabi rin sa amin ng mga propeta na huwag kaming magsisipag-asawa sa kanila, at huwag kaming tutulong na umunlad sila, para maging matibay at maunlad kami,9:12 maunlad kami: o, makakain kami ng pinakamabubuting ani ng lupain. at para manatili ang pag-unlad na ito sa mga lahi namin magpakailanman. 13Pinarusahan nʼyo kami, O aming Dios, dahil sa mga kasalanan namin. Pero ang parusa nʼyo sa amin ay kulang pa po sa nararapat naming tanggapin, at niloob nʼyo pa na may matirang buhay sa amin. 14Pero sa kabila nito, sinuway ulit namin ang mga utos nʼyo, at nagsipag-asawa kami ng mga taong gumagawa ng mga kasuklam-suklam na gawain. Talagang magagalit kayo sa amin at lilipulin kami hanggang sa wala nang matira sa amin. 15O Panginoon, Dios ng Israel, makatarungan po kayo, sapagkat niloob nʼyo na may matira pang buhay sa amin hanggang ngayon. Inaamin po namin ang aming mga kasalanan, at hindi kami makakatayo sa presensya nʼyo dahil sa mga kasalanang ito.”
