Ezra’s prayer about intermarriage
1After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, ‘The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighbouring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. 2They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.’
3When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. 4Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered round me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice.
5Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God 6and prayed:
‘I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. 7From the days of our ancestors until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.
8‘But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place9:8 Or a foothold in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. 9Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: he has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.
10‘But now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commands 11you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: “The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. 12Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.”
13‘What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have given us a remnant like this. 14Shall we then break your commands again and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor? 15Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.’
Ihooya rĩa Ezara Rĩkoniĩ Kũhikania na Ndũrĩrĩ
19:1 Ezar 6:21; Kĩam 19:38; 1Ath 9:20Na rĩrĩ, thuutha wa gwĩka maũndũ macio,9:1 Ezara eerirwo maũndũ macio mĩeri kenda thuutha wa gũkinya Jerusalemu (rora 10:9). atongoria magĩũka kũrĩ niĩ, makĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Andũ a Isiraeli, o hamwe na athĩnjĩri-Ngai na Alawii, matiĩamũranĩtie kuuma kũrĩ andũ arĩa matũrigiicĩirie, na kuuma kũrĩ mĩtugo yao ĩrĩ magigi, ta ĩrĩa ya Akaanani, na Ahiti, na Aperizi, na Ajebusi, na Aamoni, na Amoabi, na Amisiri, na Aamori. 29:2 Thaam 22:31; Gũcook 14:2Nĩmahikĩtie airĩtu amwe ao magatuĩka atumia ao na a ariũ ao, na magatukania rũrĩrĩ rũrĩa rũtheru na andũ arĩa matũrigiicĩirie. Atongoria na anene ao nĩo matongoretie andũ arĩa angĩ ũhoro-inĩ ũyũ wa kwaga kwĩhokeka.”
3Rĩrĩa ndaiguire ũhoro ũcio, ngĩtembũranga nguo yakwa ya thĩinĩ na ya igũrũ,9:3 Gũtarũranga nguo kuonanagia atĩ mũndũ nĩaracakaya. na ngĩmunya njuĩrĩ cia mũtwe wakwa o na nderu, ngĩikara thĩ ndĩ na kĩeha kĩnene. 49:4 Ezar 10:3; Dan 10:2Hĩndĩ ĩyo andũ othe arĩa mainainire nĩ ũndũ wa ciugo icio cia Ngai wa Isiraeli makĩgomana harĩ niĩ nĩ ũndũ wa kwaga kwĩhokeka kũu kwa andũ arĩa maatahĩtwo. Ngĩikara thĩ hau ndĩ na kĩeha kĩnene o nginya hĩndĩ ya igongona rĩa hwaĩ-inĩ.
5Na rĩrĩ, ihinda rĩa igongona rĩa hwaĩ-inĩ rĩakinya-rĩ, ngĩũkĩra ngiuma hau ndaikarĩte ndĩnyiihĩtie, nguo yakwa ya thĩinĩ na ya igũrũ irĩ ndembũkangu, ngĩturia ndu ndambũrũkĩtie moko makwa kũrĩ Jehova Ngai wakwa, 69:6 Jer 31:19; Kũg 18:5ngĩhooya ũũ:
“Wee Ngai wakwa, nĩngũigua thoni mũno na ngaconoka na ndingĩhota gũgũtiirĩra gĩthiithi, Wee Ngai wakwa, tondũ mehia maitũ nĩ maingĩ makaraiha gũkĩra ũraihu witũ na ũũru witũ, ũgakinya o kũu igũrũ. 79:7 2Maũ 29:6; Gũcook 28:37Kuuma matukũ-inĩ ma maithe maitũ ma tene nginya ũmũthĩ, ũũru witũ ũkoretwo ũrĩ mũingĩ. Tondũ wa mehia maitũ, ithuĩ na athamaki aitũ, na athĩnjĩri-Ngai aitũ, tũtũire tũũragagwo na rũhiũ rwa njora, tũgatahwo na tũgatunywo indo ciitũ, na tũgaconorithio guoko-inĩ kwa athamaki a mabũrũri mangĩ, o ta ũrĩa gũtariĩ ũmũthĩ.
89:8 Isa 22:23; Thab 13:3“No rĩrĩ, gwa kahinda kanini, Jehova Ngai witũ akoretwo arĩ mũtugi nĩ gũtũtigĩria matigari na gũtũhe handũ harũmu harĩa hake haamũre, na nĩ ũndũ ũcio Ngai nĩaheete maitho maitũ ũtheri na agatũhooreria hanini ũkombo-inĩ witũ. 99:9 Neh 9:36; Thab 106:46O na gũtuĩka tũrĩ ngombo-rĩ, Ngai witũ ndatũtiganĩirie ũkombo-inĩ.9:9 Hĩndĩ ĩno Ayahudi maathagwo nĩ andũ a mabũrũri mangĩ. Nĩatũiguĩrĩire tha maitho-inĩ ma athamaki a Perisia: Nĩatũheete mũtũũrĩre mwerũ nĩguo tũhote gwaka nyũmba ya Ngai witũ rĩngĩ na tũcookererie kũrĩa ĩthũkĩtio, na nĩatũheete rũthingo rwa gũtũgitĩra thĩinĩ wa Juda na Jerusalemu.
109:10 Gũcook 11:8; Isa 1:19-20“No rĩrĩ, Wee Ngai witũ-rĩ, nĩ atĩa tũngiuga thuutha ũyũ? Tondũ nĩtwagĩire mawatho maku bata 119:11 Alaw 18:25-28; 1Ath 14:24marĩa waheanire na tũnua twa anabii ndungata ciaku, rĩrĩa woigire atĩrĩ, ‘Bũrũri ũrĩa mũrathiĩ kwĩgwatĩra ũtuĩke wanyu nĩmũthaahie nĩ waganu wa andũ aguo. Nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ mao me magigi, nĩmaũiyũrĩtie maũndũ mao mooru kuuma mwena ũmwe nginya ũrĩa ũngĩ. 129:12 Thaam 34:15Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, mũtikanetĩkĩrie airĩtu anyu mahikio nĩ ariũ ao kana ariũ anyu mahikie airĩtu ao. Mũtikanagĩe na kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa ũrata nao o na rĩ, nĩgeetha mũgĩe na hinya na mũrĩĩage indo njega cia bũrũri ũcio, na mũkaaũtigĩra ciana cianyu ũrĩ igai rĩao nginya tene.’
139:13 Ayub 11:6“Maũndũ macio matũkorete nĩ ũndũ wa ciĩko ciitũ njũru na wĩhia witũ mũnene, no rĩrĩ, Wee Ngai witũ ũtũherithĩtie na iherithia inini gũkĩra ũrĩa mehia maitũ magĩrĩire, o na nĩũtũtigĩirie matigari ma andũ ta aya. 149:14 Gũcook 9:8Rĩu-rĩ, no tũcooke kuuna maathani maku rĩngĩ, na tũhikanie na andũ arĩa mekaga maũndũ me magigi ta macio? Githĩ ndũngĩtũrakarĩra nginya ũtũniine, kwage matigari kana mũndũ ũngĩhonoka? 159:15 Thab 130:3; 1Ath 8:47Wee Jehova Ngai wa Isiraeli, ũrĩ mũthingu! Ũmũthĩ ũyũ nĩtũtigĩtwo tũrĩ matigari. Tũrĩ haha mbere yaku twĩhĩtie, na tondũ wa ũndũ ũcio gũtirĩ o na ũmwe witũ ũngĩhota kũrũgama mbere yaku.”
