Confession recalls guilt, exile and a remnant

6And I said, “My God, I am ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to you, my God, because our iniquities have multiplied above our heads, and our guilt has grown as high as the heavens.”

7From the days of our fathers until this day, we have been in great guilt. Because of our iniquities, we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to shame of face, as it is this day.

8But now, for a brief moment, favor has come from Yahweh our God, to leave us a remnant that has escaped and to give us a peg in his holy place, so that our God may brighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our slavery.

9For we are servants; yet in our slavery our God has not forsaken us, but has extended covenant faithfulness to us before the kings of Persia, to give us reviving, to raise up the house of our God, to set up its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.