Complaint about Jews marrying non-Jews
1Some Jewish leaders later came to me with a complaint. They said,“Many of our people ignore our laws. Even some priests and Levites are living like they come from some other abominable culture: Canaanite, Hittite, Perizzite, Jebusite, Ammonite, Moabite, Egyptian, Amorite. [1]
2Some of our men have married non-Jewish women. And some of our women have married those men outside the Jewish faith. We’re supposed to plant holy seed here, but we’re throwing our seeds in a weed patch when we intermarry like this. Our officials are some of the worst offenders.”
Ezra’s disgust
3When I heard this, I got so angry that I ripped my robe and cloak, I tore hair right out of my head and off my beard, [2] then I dropped to the ground and sat there appalled. 4I sat there until the evening sacrifice. Word spread about my reaction, and many who shared my concern for God’s laws came and sat with me.Ezra’s sermon in a prayer
5When it came time for the evening sacrifice, [3] I rose and stood there in my torn clothes. Then I dropped to my knees and prayed to God.6“My dear God, I kneel here because I’m too ashamed to stand and face you. My people are in over their heads. They’re drowning in sin.
7This is nothing new. We’re serial sinners who have been guilty since the time of our ancestors. That’s why we ended up conquered, captured, and exiled to foreign lands ruled by pagan kings. Even our kings and priests were humiliated, robbed, and exiled or killed. Now here we are, once again utterly ashamed.
8Yet even now, my dear LORD and God, you show us a moment of kindness. We are the tiny remnant of Israel you allowed to survive. You’ve brought us back here, to this holy land. You’ve opened our eyes and you’ve supplied all we’ve needed in our continuing slavery. [4] 9There’s no doubt about it. We are slaves, ruled by others. But our God hasn’t abandoned us here. We see his kindness even in this slavery. For our rulers, the kings of Persia, have supported us in our work of rebuilding our Temple, repairing the ruins of Jerusalem, and replanting us back in Judah.
“Prophets warned against intermarriage”
10But dear God, what can we say for ourselves? We have broken your laws. 11These are laws you gave us, delivered by your prophets. You told our ancestors, “I’m bringing you into a land polluted with terribly sinful people. The disgusting stench is everywhere. 12‘Don’t let your daughters marry these men. And don’t let those foreign women into your families, married to your sons. Not if you want to live in peace and prosperity as a strong nation and pass your land on to your children.’ [5]13After all we’ve done and the sins we’ve committed, we got off light. You punished us less than we deserved because you let this tiny part of Israel live.
