Intermarriage with Pagans

When these things were done , 

the leaders came to me, saying ,

"The people of Israel and the priests and the 

Levites have not separated themselves

from the peoples  of the lands, 

with respect to the abominations of the Canaanites, 

the Hittites, the Perizzites,

the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites,

the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

"For they have taken some of their daughters as wives

for themselves and their sons,

that the holy seed is intermingled with the peoples of those lands.

Indeed, the hand of the leaders and rulers 

has been foremost in this trespass."

So when I heard this thing, I tore my 

garment and my robe , and plucked out

some of the hair of my head and beard,

and sat down astonished.

Then everyone who trembled at the

words of the God of Israel assembled to 

me, because  of the trangression of 

those who had been carried away captive,

and I sat astonished until the evening sacrifice.

At the evening sacrifice I arose from

my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe,

I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God.

and said, " O my God: I am too ashamed and humiliated

to lift up my face to You, my God;

for our inquities have risen higher than our heads, 

and our guilt has grownn up to the heavens.

" Since the days of our fathers to this 

day we have been very guilty , 

and for our inquities we, 

our kings, and our priests have delivered into the hand

of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to

captivity, to plunder, and to humiliation,

as it is this day.

"And now for a little while grace has 

been shown from the LORD our God, to

leave us a remnant to escape, and to give

us a peg in His holy place, that our God 

may enlighten our eyes and give us a 

measure of revival in our bondage.

"For we were slaves. Yet our God did

not forsake us in our bondage;

but He extended mercy to us in the sight of the 

kings of Persia, to revive us, 

to repair the house of our God,

to rebuild its ruins,

and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

"And now, O our God , what shall we 

say after this ? For we have forsaken

Your commandments,

"which You have commanded by 

Your servants the prophets , saying, 

'The land which you are entering to posses is

an unclean land, with the uncleanness of 

the peoples of the lands, with their

abominations which have filled it from

one end to another with their impurity.

'Now therefore, do not give your \daughters as wives

for their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons;

and never seek their peace or prosperity , 

that you may be strong and eat the good of 

the land, and leave it as an inheritance

to your children forever.'

'And after all that has come upon us

for our evil deeds and for our great guilt,

since You our God have punished us less

than our inquities deserve,

and have given us such deliverance as this,

"sholud we again break Your commandments, 

and join in marriage with 

the people of these abominations?

Would You not be angry with us until

You had consumed us, so that there

would be no remnant or survivor?

" O LORD God of Israel, You are righteous, for we

are left as a remnant , as it

is this day. Here we are before You,

in our guilt, though no one can stand before

You because of  this!"