谴责跟异族通婚
这些事完成以后，众领袖来接近我，说：“以色列百姓、祭司和利未人没有弃绝迦南人、赫人、比利洗人、耶布斯人、亚扪人、摩押人、埃及人和亚摩利人等列邦民族所行可憎的事。
Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of 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.
2因他们为自己和儿子娶了这些外邦女子，以致圣洁的种子和列邦民族混杂，而且领袖和官长在这事上是罪魁。”For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.
3我一听见这事，就撕裂衣服和外袍，拔了头发和胡须，惊惶地坐着。And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.
4凡为以色列神言语战兢的人，都因被掳归回之人所犯的罪，聚集到我这里来。我惊惶地坐着，直到献晚祭的时候。Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.
5献晚祭的时候我从愁烦中起来，穿着撕裂的衣服和外袍，双膝跪下，向耶和华－我的神举手，And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,
6说：“我的神啊，我抱愧蒙羞，不敢向你－我的神仰面，因为我们的罪孽多到灭顶，我们的罪恶滔天。
And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.
7从我们祖先的日子直到今日，我们的罪恶深重；因我们的罪孽，我们和君王、祭司都交在邻国诸王的手中，被杀害，掳掠，抢夺，脸上蒙羞，正如今日的景况。Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.
8现在耶和华－我们的神暂且向我们施恩，为我们留下一些残存之民，使我们如钉子钉在他的圣所，好让我们的神光照我们的眼目，使我们在受辖制之中稍微复兴。And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
9我们是奴仆，然而在受辖制之中，我们的神没有丢弃我们，在波斯诸王面前向我们施恩，叫我们复兴，能重建我们神的殿，修补毁坏之处，使我们在犹大和耶路撒冷有城墙。For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
10“我们的神啊，既然如此，现在我们还有什么话可说呢？因为我们离弃了你的诫命，And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,
11就是你藉你仆人众先知所吩咐的，说：‘你们要去得为业之地是污秽之地，因列邦民族的污秽和可憎的事，叫这地从这边到那边都充满了污秽。Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.
12现在，不可把你们的女儿嫁给他们的儿子，也不可为你们的儿子娶他们的女儿，永不可求他们的平安和他们的利益，这样你们就可以强盛，吃这地的美物，并把这地留给你们的子孙永远为业。’Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever.
13我们因自己的恶行和大罪，遭遇这一切的事，但你－我们的神惩罚我们轻于我们罪所当得的，又为我们留下这些残存之民。And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this;
14我们岂可再违背你的诫命，与行这些可憎之事的民族结亲呢？若我们这样行，你岂不向我们发怒，将我们灭绝，以致没有一个余民或残存之民吗？Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?
15耶和华－以色列的神啊，你是公义的，我们才能剩下这些残存之民，正如今日的景况。看哪，我们在你面前有罪恶，因此无人能在你面前站立得住。”O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.