Now when these thingswere done, the princescametome, saying, The peopleof Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have notseparated themselvesfrom the peopleof the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. Forthey have takenof their daughtersfor themselves, and for their sons: so that the holyseedhave mingled themselveswith the peopleof those lands: yea, the handof the princesand rulershath beenchiefin thistrespass. And when I heardthisthing, I rentmy garmentand my mantle, and plucked offthe hairof my headand of my beard, and sat downastonished. Then were assembleduntome every onethat trembledat the wordsof the Godof Israel, becauseof the transgressionof those that had been carried away; and Isatastonisheduntilthe eveningsacrifice. And at the eveningsacrificeI arose upfrom my heaviness; and having rentmy garmentand my mantle, I felluponmy knees, and spread outmy handsuntothe LORDmy God, And said, O my God, I am ashamedand blushto lift upmy facetothee, my God: forour iniquitiesare increasedover our head, and our trespassis grown upuntothe heavens. Since the daysof our fathers have we been in a greattrespassuntothisday; and for our iniquitieshave we, our kings, and our priests, been deliveredinto the handof the kingsof the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusionof face, as it is thisday. And nowfor a littlespacegracehath been showed fromthe LORDour God, to leaveus a remnant to escape, and to giveus a nailin his holyplace, that our Godmay lightenour eyes, and giveus a littlerevivingin our bondage. Forwe were bondmen; yet our Godhath notforsakenus in our bondage, but hath extendedmercyuntous in the sightof the kingsof Persia, to giveus a reviving, to set upthe houseof our God, and to repairthe desolationsthereof, and to giveus a wallin Judahand in Jerusalem. And now, O our God, whatshall we sayafterthis? forwe have forsakenthy commandments, Whichthou hast commandedbythy servantsthe prophets, saying, The land, unto whichyegoto possessit, is an uncleanlandwith the filthinessof the peopleof the lands, with their abominations, whichhave filledit from one endtoanotherwith their uncleanness. Nowtherefore givenotyour daughtersunto their sons, neithertaketheir daughtersunto your sons, norseektheir peaceor their wealthforever: thatye may be strong, and eatthe goodof the land, and leave it for an inheritanceto your childrenforever. And afterallthat is comeuponus for our evildeeds, and for our greattrespass, seeingthat thouour Godhast punishedus lessthan our iniquities deserve , and hast givenus such deliveranceas this; Should we againbreakthy commandments, and join in affinitywith the peopleof theseabominations? wouldest notthou be angrywith us tillthou hadst consumed us , so that there should be noremnantnor escaping? O LORDGodof Israel, thou art righteous: forwe remainyet escaped, as it is thisday: behold, we are beforethee in our trespasses: forwe cannotstandbeforethee becauseof this.