Ezra 10

1  NOW WHILE Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there gathered to him out of Israel a very great assembly of men, women, and children; for the people wept bitterly.2  And Shecaniah [II] son of Jehiel [one of the congregation], of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra: We have broken faith and dealt treacherously against our God and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land; yet now there is still hope for Israel in spite of this thing.3  Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God; and let it be done according to the Law.4  Arise, for it is your duty, and we are with you. Be strong and brave and do it.5  Then Ezra arose and made the chiefs of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear that they would do as had been said. So they took the oath.6  Then Ezra came from before the house of God and went into the lodging place of Jehohanan son of Eliashib [for the night]. There he ate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned over the returned exiles’ faithlessness [and violation of God’s law].7  And proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles, that they should assemble in Jerusalem,8  And that whoever did not come within three days, by order of the officials and the elders, all his property should be forfeited and he himself banned from the assembly of the exiles.9  Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within three days. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month, and all the people sat in the open space before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain.10  And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, You have acted wickedly and broken faith [with God] and have married foreign (heathen) women, increasing the guilt of Israel.11  So now make confession and give thanks to the Lord, the God of your fathers [for not consuming you], and do His will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from [your] foreign (heathen) wives.12  Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, As you have said, so must we do.13  But the people are many and it is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand outside. Nor can this work be done in a day or two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter.14  Let our officials stand for the whole assembly; let all in our cities who have foreign wives come by appointment, and with each group the elders of that city and its judges, until the fierce wrath of our God over this matter is turned away from us.15  Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.16  Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest and certain heads of fathers’ houses were selected, according to their fathers’ houses, each of them by name; and they sat down on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter.17  And by the first day of the first month they had come to the end of the cases of the men married to foreign wives.18  Of the sons of the priests who had married non-Jewish women were found: of the sons of Jeshua [the high priest] son of Jozadak, and his brethren: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.19  They solemnly vowed to put away their [heathen] wives, and, being guilty, [each] offered a ram of the flock for [his] guilt.20  Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.21  Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.22  Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.23  Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.24  Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.25  And of Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah (Hashabiah), and Benaiah.26  Of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.27  Of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.28  Of the sons also of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.29  Of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.30  Of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.31  Of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,32  Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.33  Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.34  Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,35  Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi (Cheluhu),36  Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,37  Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu [Jaasai],38  Bani, Binnui, Shimei,39  Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,40  Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,41  Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,42  Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.43  Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Iddo (Jaddai), Joel, and Benaiah.44  All these had married foreign women, and some of the wives had borne children.

Ezra 10

The People Confess Their Sins

1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself to the ground before the temple of God, a very large crowd of Israelites – men, women, and children alike – gathered around him. The people wept loudly.t

2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam,s addressed Ezra:
“We have been unfaithful to our God by marryingt foreign women from the local peoples.t Nonetheless, there is still hope for Israel in this regard.t3 Therefore let us enactt a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord,t and that of those who respectt the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law.

4 Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!”
5 So Ezra got up and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath to carry out this plan.t And they all took a solemn oath.

6 Then Ezra got up from in front of the temple of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he stayeds there, he did not eat food or drink water, for he was in mourning over the infidelity of the exiles.
7 A proclamationt was circulatedt throughout Judah and Jerusalems that all the exiles were to be assembled in Jerusalem.

8 Everyone who did not come within three days would thereby forfeit all his property, in keeping with the counsel of the officials and the elders. Furthermore, he himself would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.

9 All the men of Judah and Benjamin were gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. (It was in the ninth month, on the twentieth day of that month.) All the people sat in the square at the temple of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the rains.
10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have behaved in an unfaithful manner by taking foreign wives! This has contributed to the guilt of Israel.

11 Now give praise to the Lord God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the local residentst and from these foreign wives.”
12 All the assembly replied in a loud voice: “We will do just as you have said!t13 However, the people are numerous and it is the rainy season.t We are unable to stand here outside. Furthermore, this business cannot be resolved in a day or two, for we have sinned greatly in this matter.

14 Let our leaders take stepst on behalf of all the assembly. Let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at an appointed time, and with them the elders of each town and its judges, until the hot anger of our God is turned away from us in this matter.”
15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah weret against this, assisted by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite.16 So the exiles proceeded accordingly. Ezra the priest separated outs by name men who were leaders in their family groups.t They sat down to consider this matter on the first day of the tenth month,

17 and on the first day of the first month they finished considering all the men who had married foreign wives.

Those Who Had Taken Foreign Wives

18 It was determinedt that from the descendants of the priests, the following had taken foreign wives: from the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19 (They gave their wordt to send away their wives; their guilt offering was a ram from the flock for their guilt.)

20 From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

21 From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.

22 From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

23 From the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also known as Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

24 From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

25 From the Israelites: from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah, and Benaiah.

26 From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.

27 From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.

28 From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

29 From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.

30 From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
31 Froms the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

33 From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
34 From the descendants of Bani:t Maadai, Amram, Uel,35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi,36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.
38 Froms the descendants of Binnui: Shimei,39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

43 From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.

44 All these had taken foreign wives, and some of them also had children by these women.s