Ezra 10

The People Take Action

1 While Ezra was praying, confessing these sins, crying, and throwing himself down in front of God’s temple, a large crowd of Israelite men, women, and children gathered around him. They also began to cry bitterly.2 Then Shecaniah, son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, interrupted by saying to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women who came from the people around us. However, there is still hope for Israel.3 So we must now make a promise to our God to get rid of all foreign women and the children born from them, as my lord Ezra and the others who tremble at the commandments of our God have advised us to do. We must do what Moses’ Teachings tell us.

4 Get up! It’s your duty to take action. We are with you, so be strong and take action.”
5 Then Ezra got up and made the leaders, priests, Levites, and all the rest of Israel swear to do what they had said. So they took an oath.

6 Then Ezra left the front of God’s temple and went to the room of Jehohanan, son of Eliashib. Ezra didn’t eat any food or drink any water while he was there. He was mourning because these former exiles had been so unfaithful.
7 Then he sent a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the former exiles must gather in Jerusalem.8 If any of them didn’t come within three days as the leaders and the older men had advised, then they would lose all their property and be excluded from the community of former exiles.

9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered within three days in Jerusalem. On the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people sat in the courtyard of God’s temple. They were trembling because of this matter and shivering because of the heavy rain.
10 Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women, and now you have added to Israel’s guilt.

11 Confess to the Lord God of your ancestors what you have done, and do what he wants. Separate yourselves from the people of this land and from your foreign wives.”
12 Then the whole assembly shouted in reply, “Yes! We will do as you say.13 But the crowd is too large, and it’s the rainy season. We can’t take care of this outside. Besides, there are so many of us who are involved in this sin that it can’t be taken care of in a day or two.

14 Let our leaders represent the whole community. At a set time, everyone who has married a foreign woman must meet with the leaders and judges of each city until our God’s burning anger has turned away from us in this matter.”
15 (Only Jonathan, Asahel’s son, and Jahzeiah, Tikvah’s son, opposed this. Meshullam and Shabbethai, the Levite, supported Jonathan and Jahzeiah.)16 The former exiles did this. Ezra the priest chose men who were heads of families. He chose one from each family division. (They were all listed by name.) They sat down on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter.

17 By the first day of the first month, they had finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.
18 Among the descendants of the priests, the following were married to foreign women: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah, a descendant of Jeshua (who was Jozadak’s son) and his brothers.

19 They shook hands as a pledge that they would get rid of their wives. They sacrificed a ram from their flock as an offering for guilt because they were guilty.

Those Who Were Guilty of Marrying Foreign Women

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 (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer
24 From the singers: Eliashib
From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri
25 From the other Israelites:
From the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchiah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchiah, 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, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh
31 From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Isshiah, Malchiah, 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: Maadai, Amram, Uel,35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasau

38 From 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 of these men had married foreign women. Some of these women had given birth to children.t

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