Ezra Condemns Mixed Marriages
1 Later the Jewish leaders came to me and said:
Many Israelites, including priests and Levites, are living just like the people around them. They are even guilty of some of the horrible sins of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
2 Some Israelite men have married foreign women and have let their sons do the same thing. Our own officials and leaders were the first to commit this disgusting sin, and now God's holy people are mixed with foreigners.
3 This news made me so angry that I ripped my clothes and tore hair from my head and beard. Then I just sat in shock 4 until the time for the evening sacrifice. Many of our people were greatly concerned and gathered around me, because the God of Israel had warned us to stay away from foreigners.
Ezra's Prayer
5 At the time of the evening sacrifice, I was still sitting there in sorrow with my clothes all torn. So I got down on my knees, then lifted my arms, 6 and prayed:
I am much too ashamed to face you, Lord God. Our sins and our guilt have swept over us like a flood that reaches up to the heavens. 7 Since the time of our ancestors, all of us have sinned. That's why we, our kings, and our priests have often been defeated by other kings. They have killed some of us and made slaves of others; they have taken our possessions and made us ashamed, just as we are today.
8 But for now, Lord God, you have shown great kindness to us. You made us truly happy by letting some of us settle in this sacred place and by helping us in our time of slavery. 9 We are slaves, but you have never turned your back on us. You love us, and because of you, the kings of Persia have helped us. It's as though you have given us new life! You let us rebuild your temple and live safely in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 Our God, what can we say now? Even after all this, we have disobeyed the commands 11 that were given to us by your servants the prophets. They said the land you are giving us is full of sinful and wicked people, who never stop doing disgusting things. 12 And we were warned not to let our daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters.
Your prophets also told us never to help those foreigners or even let them live in peace. You wanted us to become strong and to enjoy the good things in the land, then someday to leave it to our children forever.
13 You punished us because of our terrible sins. But you did not punish us nearly as much as we deserve, and you have brought some of us back home. 14 Why should we disobey your commands again by letting our sons and daughters marry these foreigners who do such disgusting things? That would make you angry enough to destroy us all! 15 Lord God of Israel, you have been more than fair by letting a few of us survive. But once again, our sins have made us ashamed to face you.
Ondjivisiro ya Esra komakupasaneno kuna ovandu mbe he ri Ovajuda
1 Avihe mbi tji vya za nokutjitwa, ovanane tjiva votjiwaṋa tja Israel otji ve ya nave ndji raere kutja otjiwaṋa novapristeri nOvalevi kave yapukire peke noviwaṋa vyomahi omararanganda wOvaamoni nOvamoab nOvaengipte nOvakanaan nOvahetite nOvaperesi nOvajebusi nOvaamori. Owo ve tjita oviṋa oviyaukise tjingevyo mbi mbi tjitwa i oviwaṋa mbi. 2 Ovarumendu Ovajuda ve kupa ovakazendu wozonganda, notjiwaṋa tja Ndjambi otjiyapuke tja hovekasanena noviwaṋa mbi. Ovanane novahongore omba tenga po okutjita nai. 3 Tji mba zuva otjiṋa hi, otji mba nyondorora ozombanda zandje moruhoze, e pora ozondjise noruyezu rwandje ne kara pehi amba temwa. 4 Ami mba kara pehi mbo amba temwa nao, nga oruveze rwokupunguha ombunguhiro yongurova; novandu avehe mba mumaparere mena romambo Ndjambi wa Israel nga hungira ohunga nourunde wa imba mba kotokere okuza kouhuura, ve ndji woronganena.
5 Oruveze ndwi rwombunguhiro youngurova tji rweya, mba sekama poṋa pu mba karere pehi momburuma yandje, nu ngunda ambi nozombanda nḓa nyondoroka nao, otji mba wora ozongoro mongumbiro ne yere omake wandje ku Muhona, Ndjambi wandje, 6 e kumbu e tja: “Ndjambi, ami mba ṱohoṋi tjinene okuyera otjiuru tjandje komurungu woye. Ozondataiziro zetu maye riwezire ko nga tji maze kapita oviuru vyetu; ozo za kavaza nga keyuru. 7 Eṱe, otjiwaṋa tjoye, twa tura ondjo tjinene okuza komayuva wootate mukururume nga ku ndinondi. Mena romauvi wetu eṱe nozombara zetu novapristeri vetu twa wira momake wozombara zozonganda, nu twa ṱa atu pundwa natu twarewa mouhuura. Eṱe twa yamburuka oparukaze otja tji tu ri ndinondi. 8 Nambano moruveze orusupi, ove, Muhona, Ndjambi wetu, we tu ṱirotjari no henisa tjiva vetu mouhuura no tu turisa nokuhinatjipo moṋa momuyapuke mwi. Ove we tu pa omuinyo omupe mouhuura wetu. 9 Eṱe twa ri ovahuurwa, nungwari ove ko tu zembire ko mouhuura. Ove wa tjita kutja ozombara za Persie ze kare nondjingonekero mu eṱe, nokutja ze tu ese tu hupe komurungu nu tu tungurure ondjuwo ya Muhona, ndja ri otjitambatundu, nokutja tu kare nokuhinatjipo muno mOjuda na mOjerusalem.
10 “Nambano, Ndjambi, ngatu tje vi koviṋa avihe mbi mbya tjitwa? Eṱe rukwao twa kara nokuhinonḓuviro komarakiza 11 ngu we tu pa notjinyo tjovakarere voye, imba ovaprofete. Owo ve tu raera kutja ehi, ndi matu kakambura ra zunḓaka, orondu otjiwaṋa tji tja turire mu ro, tje urisa ehi ndo novitjitwa oviyaukise novinandova okuza kotjikoro nga kotjikoro. 12 Owo ve tu raera kutja atu ha roro okukupasana noviwaṋa mbyo, nokutja atu ha ningi ko na tja nohange nouṋingandu wawo, kokutja eṱe oveni tu kare nomasa, tu rye ovihape oviwaviwa vyehi, nu tu isire ozondekurona zetu ehi ndi ri rire otjirumatwa tjawo nga aruhe. 13 Nandarire kutja otjiṋa ngamwa atjihe tja tjitwa ku eṱe mena romauvi nozondataiziro zetu, eṱe matu tjiwa kutja oove, ngu u ri Ndjambi wetu, we tu vera kehi yaindu pu twa sokuverwa, nu we tu esa kutja tu hupe. 14 Nambano matu yenene vi okunyengwa omatwako woye rukwao mokukupasana noviwaṋa ovirunde mbi? Tji twa tjiti nai, mo ṱomazenge nga tji mo tu yandeke okumana, nu ko nakuhupisa po omundu nangarire umwe. 15 Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel, oove omusemba; nungwari we tu hupisa. Matu rihepura ozondjo zetu kove; katu pwire okukurama komurungu woye.”
