Ezra 10

1 As Ezra was praying and confessing sins, weeping and falling down on his face before God's Temple, a very large crowd of Israelites, men, women, and children, gathered around him. The people were weeping bitterly as well.

Now when Esdras was thus praying, and beseeching, and weeping, and lying before the temple of God, there was gathered to him of Israel an exceeding great assembly of men and women and children, and the people wept with much lamentation.

2 Shecaniah, son of Jehiel, an Elamite, said to Ezra: “Yes, we have been unfaithful to our God because we have married foreign women from the people of the land. But even so there is still hope for Israel over this.

And Sechenias the son of Jehiel of the sons of Elam answered, and said to Esdras: We have sinned against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: and now if there be repentance in Israel concerning this,

3 Let us make a solemn agreement right now before our God that we will send away all the foreign wives and their children. We will follow the directions given by you and those who respect the instructions of our God, carried out according to the Law.

Let us make a covenant with the Lord our God, to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the will of the Lord, and of them that fear the commandment of the Lord our God: let it be done according to the law.

4 Take action! It's your responsibility. We are with you. Be brave and do it!”

Arise, it is thy part to give orders, and we will be with thee: take courage, and do it.

5 So Ezra stood up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all the Israelites present take an oath to act on what had just been said. They all took the oath.

So Esdras arose, and made the chiefs of the priests and of the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they would do according to this word, and they swore.

6 Then Ezra left them in front of God's Temple, and went to the room of Jehohanan, son of Eliashib. During the time he stayed there, he didn't eat or drink anything, because he was still mourning the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

And Esdras rose up from before the house of God, and went to the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliasib, and entered in thither: he ate no bread, and drank no water: for he mourned for the transgression of them that were come out of the captivity.

7 Then a proclamation was issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should assemble in Jerusalem.

And proclamation was made in Juda and Jerusalem to all the children of the captivity, that they should assemble together into Jerusalem.

8 Anyone who did not come within three days would have all their property confiscated, and would be banned from the assembly of the exiles. This was the decision of the leaders and elders.

And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the ancients, all his substance should be taken away, and he should be cast out of the company of them that were returned from captivity.

9 Within three days, everyone from Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem. On the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people sat in the square beside God's Temple, shivering because of this issue and also because of the heavy rain.

Then all the men of Juda, and Benjamin gathered themselves together to Jerusalem within three days, in the ninth month, the twentieth day of the month: and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of the sin, and the rain.

10 Ezra the priest stood up and told them, “You have committed sin by marrying foreign women, making Israel's guilt even worse.

And Esdras the priest stood up, and said to them: You have transgressed, and taken strange wives, to add to the sins of Israel.

11 Now you must confess your sin to the Lord, the God of your forefathers, and do what he requires. Sever your connections with the people of the land and your foreign wives.”

And now make confession to the Lord the God of your fathers, and do his pleasure, and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from your strange wives.

12 The whole assembly answered in a loud voice: “We agree, and we promise to do as you say!

And all the multitude answered and said with a loud voice: According to thy word unto us, so be it done.

13 But there are a lot of people here, and it's pouring with rain. We can't stay outside. More to the point, this isn't something that can be fixed in one or two days, for we have sinned extremely seriously in this.

But as the people are many, and it is time of rain, and me are not able to stand without, and it is not a work of one day or two, (for we have exceedingly sinned in this matter, )

14 Let our leaders act on behalf of the whole assembly. Then let every man in each of our towns who has married a foreign woman be given an appointment to come and meet, together with the elders and judges of that town, until our God is no longer angry with us over this.”

Let rulers be appointed in all the multitude: and in all our cities, let them that have taken strange wives come at the times appointed, and with them the ancients and the judges of every city, until the wrath of our God be turned away from us for this sin.

15 The only ones to oppose this were Jonathan, son of Asahel, and Jahzeiah, son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite.

Then Jonathan the son of Azahel, and Jaasia the son of Thecua were appointed over this, and Mesollam and Sebethai, Levites, helped them:

16 So this what the exiles did, selecting Ezra the priest and family leaders, according to their family divisions, all of them specifically named. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to begin the inquiry,

And the children of the captivity did so. And Esdras the priest, and the men heads of the families in the houses of their fathers, and all by their names, went and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

17 and by the first day of the first month they had finished handling all the cases of men who had married foreign women.

And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.

18 Among the descendants of the priests, the following had married foreign women: from the sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

And there were found among the sons of the priests that had taken strange wives: Of the sons of Josue the son of Josedec, and his brethren, Maasia, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Godolia.

19 They vowed to send their wives away, and they presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering for their guilt.

And they gave their hands to put away their wives, and to offer for their offence a ram of the flock.

20 From the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

And of the sons of Emmer, Hanani, and Zebedia.

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

And of the sons of Harim, Maasia, and Elia, and Semeia, and Jehiel, and Ozias.

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

And of the sons of Pheshur, Elioenai, Maasia, Ismael, Nathanael, Jozabed, and Elasa.

23 Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (or Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

And of the sons of the Levites, Jozabed, and Semei, and Celaia, the same is Calita, Phataia, Juda, and Eliezer.

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

And of the singing men, Elisiab: and of the porters, Sellum, and Telem, and Uri.

25 Among the Israelites: From the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah, and Benaiah.

And of Israel, of the sons of Pharos, Remeia, and Jezia, and Melchia, and Miamin, and Eliezer, and Melchia, and Banea.

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

And of the sons of Elam, Mathania, Zacharias, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jerimoth, and Elia.

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

And of the sons of Zethua, Elioenai, Eliasib, Mathania, Jerimuth, and Zabad, and Aziaza.

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

And of the sons of Babai, Johanan, Hanania, Zabbai, Athalai:

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

And of the sons of Bani, Mosollam, and Melluch, and Adaia, Jasub, and Seal, and Ramoth.

30 From the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.

And of the sons of Phahath, Moab, Edna, and Chalal, Banaias, and Maasias, Mathanias, Beseleel, Bennui, and Manasse.

31 From the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

And of the sons of Herem, Eliezer, Josue, Melchias, Semeias, Simeon,

32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

Benjamin, Maloch, Samarias.

33 From the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

And of the sons of Hasom, Mathanai, Mathatha, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jermai, Manasse, Semei.

34 From the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,

Of the sons of Bani, Maaddi, Amran, and Uel,

35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi,

Baneas, and Badaias, Cheliau,

36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

Vania, Marimuth, and Eliasib,

37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.

Mathanias, Mathania, and Jasi,

38 From the sons of Binnui: Shimei,

And Bani, and Bennui, Semei,

39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,

And Salmias, and Nathan, and Adaias,

40 Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

And Mechnedebai, Sisai, Sarai,

41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

Ezrel, and Selemiau, Semeria,

42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

Sellum, Amaria, Joseph.

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

Of the sons of Nebo, Jehiel, Mathathias, Zabad, Zabina, Jeddu, and Joel, and Banaia.

44 All of these men listed had married foreign women. They divorced them and sent them away with their children.

All these had taken strange wives, and there were among them women that had borne children.