Bishops(i)
6 And sayde: My God, I am ashamed, and dare not lift vp myne eyes vnto thee my God: for our wickednesses are growen ouer our head, and our trespasse is waxed great vnto the heauen
7 Since the time of our fathers haue we ben in great trespasse vnto this day, and because of our wickednesses haue we and our kinges and our priestes ben deliuered into the hande of the kinges of the nations, vnto the sworde, into captiuitie, into a spoyle, and into confusion of face, as it is to see this day
8 And nowe for a litle space grace hath ben shewed from the Lorde our God, in causing a remnaunt to escape, and in geuing vs a nayle in his holy place, that our God may light our eyes, and geue vs a litle lyfe to take breath in our bondage
9 For we were bondmen, and yet our God hath not forsaken vs in our bondage, but hath enclined mercie vnto vs in the sight of the king of Persia, to geue vs lyfe to set vp the house of our God, and to redresse the desolation therof, and to geue vs a wall in Iuda and Hierusalem
10 And nowe O our God, what shall we say after this? for we haue forsaken thy commaundementes
11 Whiche thou hast commaunded by thy seruauntes the prophetes, saying: The lande vnto which ye go to possesse, it is an vncleane lande, because of the filthinesse of the people of the landes, whiche with their abhominations haue made it full of vncleannesse on euery syde
12 Therfore shal ye not geue your daughters vnto their sonnes, and their daughters shall ye not take vnto your sonnes, nor seke their peace and wealth for euer: that ye may be strong and enioy the goodnesse of the lande, and that ye and your children may haue the inheritaunce of it for euermore
13 And after that all these thinges are come vpon vs because of our euyll deedes and great trespasses, seyng that thou our God hast stayed vs from beyng beneath for our iniquities, and hast geuen vs such deliuerance
14 Shoulde we returne to breake thy commaundementes, and ioyne in affinitie with the people of these abhominations? wouldest not thou be angry towardes vs till thou hadst consumed vs, so that there should be no remnaunt, nor any escaping
15 O Lorde God of Israel, thou art righteous, for we remayne yet escaped, as it is to see this day: Beholde also, in thy presence are we in our trespasses, & because of it may we not stand before thee