“I am too ashamed^(A) and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens.^{(B) 7} From the days of our ancestors^(C) until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword^(D) and captivity,^(E) to pillage and humiliation^(F) at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.

¹³ “What has happened to us is a result of our evil^(A) deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins deserved^(B) and have given us a remnant like this.

¹⁵ Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous!^(A) We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand^(B) in your presence.^(C)”