6
and I said, "O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risenabove our heads and our guilt has growneven to the heavens.
7
"Since the days of our fathers to thisday we have been in greatguilt, and on account of our iniquities we, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder and to openshame, as it is thisday.
8
"But now for a briefmomentgrace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an escapedremnant and to give us a peg in His holyplace, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a littlereviving in our bondage.
9
"For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but has extendedlovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.
11
which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, 'The landwhich you are entering to possess is an uncleanland with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominationswhich have filled it from end to end and with their impurity.
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'So now do not give your daughters to their sonsnortake their daughters to your sons, and neverseek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your sonsforever*.'
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"Afterall that has come upon us for our evildeeds and our greatguilt, since You our God have requited us lessthan our iniquities deserve, and have given us an escapedremnant as this,
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shall we againbreak Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit theseabominations? Would You not be angry with us to the point of destruction, untilthere is noremnantnor any who escape?
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"O LORDGod of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left an escapedremnant, as it is thisday; behold, we are before You in our guilt, for noone can standbefore You because of this."