A reading from the book of Ezra.

At the time of the evening sacrifice, I Ezra rose in my wretchedness,

and with cloak and mantle torn, I fell on my knees,

stretching out my hands to the Lord, my God. I said, my God, I am too ashamed and confounded to raise my face to you. Oh, my God, for our wicked deeds are heaped upon our heads, and our guilt reaches up to heaven.

From the time of our fathers, even to this day, great has been our guilt.

And for our wicked deeds we have been delivered up.

We and our kings and our priests, to the will of the kings of the foreign lands, to the sword,

to captivity, to pillage and disgrace, as in the case today. And now, but a short time ago,

mercy came to us from the Lord our God,

who left us a remnant and gave us a stake in His holy place.

Thus our God has brightened our eyes and given us relief in our servitude.

For slaves we are, but in our servitude our God has not abandoned us. Rather,

he has turned the goodwill of the kings of Persia towards us. Thus he has given us new life.

To raise again the house of our God and restore its ruins and has granted us a fence

in Judah and Jerusalem. The Word of the Lord. Blessed be God who lives forever. Blessed be God who lives forever.

He scourges and then has mercy.

He casts down to the depths of the nether world and brings up from the great abyss.

No one can escape his hand.

Blessed be God who lives forever.

Praise him, you children of Israel, before the Gentiles.

For though he has scattered you among them, he has shown you his greatness even there.

Blessed be God who lives forever.

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