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.
O LORD God of Israel, you are righteous and just: we are still here as survivors, as we are today. Look, we stand before you in our sins and wrongdoings, because we cannot stand in your presence because of what we have done.
Ezra is confessing that even though God has been merciful in letting them survive as a remnant, they are still guilty of sin and cannot stand before God's holiness because of their wrongdoing.
📚 Historical Context
The Book of Ezra describes the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem after their captivity, focusing on efforts to rebuild the temple and restore obedience to God's law. In Ezra 9, the prophet Ezra learns that many of the returned Jews have intermarried with people from surrounding nations, which was forbidden as it could lead to idolatry and compromise their covenant with God. In his prayer, Ezra confesses the people's sins and affirms God's righteousness, acknowledging their unworthiness to stand before Him.
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