Ezra 10
1 Whiles Ezra prayed thus, and confessed himselfe weeping, and falling downe before the house of God, there assembled vnto him of Israel a very great Congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept with a great lamentation.
While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and falling facedown before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites—men, women, and children—gathered around him, and the people wept bitterly as well.
2 Then Shechaniah the sonne of Iehiel one of the sonnes of Elam answered, and sayd to Ezra, We haue trespassed against our God, and haue taken strange wiues of the people of the land, yet nowe there is hope in Israel concerning this.
Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, an Elamite, said to Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the people of the land, yet in spite of this, there is hope for Israel.
3 Now therfore let vs make a couenant with our God, to put away all the wiues (and such as are borne of them) according to the counsell of the Lord, and of those that feare the commandements of our God, and let it be done according to the Lawe.
So now let us make a covenant before our God to send 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. Let it be done according to the Law.
4 Arise: for the matter belogeth vnto thee: we also wil be with thee: be of comfort and do it.
Get up, for this matter is your responsibility, and we will support you. Be strong and take action!”
5 Then arose Ezra, and caused the chiefe Priestes, the Leuites, and all Israel, to sweare that they would doe according to this worde. So they sware.
So Ezra got up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do what had been said. And they took the oath.
6 And Ezra rose vp from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Iohanan the sonne of Eliashib: he went euen thither, but he did eate neither bread, nor drunke water: for he mourned, because of the transgression of them of the captiuitie.
Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and walked to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. And while he stayed there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
7 And they caused a proclamation to goe throughout Iudah and Ierusalem, vnto all them of the captiuitie, that they should assemble themselues vnto Ierusalem.
And a proclamation was issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should gather at Jerusalem.
8 And whosoeuer woulde not come within three dayes according to the counsel of the Princes and Elders, all his substance should be forfait, and he should be separate from the Congregation of them of the captiuitie.
Whoever failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, according to the counsel of the leaders and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.
9 Then all the men of Iudah and Beniamin assembled theselues vnto Ierusalem within three dayes, which was the twentieth day of the ninth moneth, and all the people sate in the streete of the house of God, trembling for this matter, and for the raine.
So within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem, and on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people sat in the square at the house of God, trembling regarding this matter and because of the heavy rain.
10 And Ezra the Priest stoode vp, and said vnto them, Ye haue transgressed, and haue taken strange wiues, to increase the trespasse of Israel.
Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women, adding to the guilt of Israel.
11 Now therefore giue praise vnto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his will, and separate your selues from the people of the land, and from the strange wiues.
Now, therefore, make a confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from your foreign wives.”
12 And all the Congregation answered, and sayd with a loude voyce, So will we do according to thy wordes vnto vs.
And the whole assembly responded in a loud voice: “Truly we must do as you say!
13 But the people are many, and it is a raynie weather, and we are not able to stande without, neither is it the worke of one day or two: for we are many that haue offended in this thing.
But there are many people here, and it is the rainy season. We are not able to stay out in the open. Nor is this the work of one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter.
14 Let our rulers stand therefore before all the Congregation, and let all them which haue taken strange wiues in our cities, come at the time appoynted, and with them the Elders of euery citie and the Iudges thereof, til the fierce wrath of our God for this matter turne away from vs.
Let our leaders represent the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at an appointed time, together with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us.”
15 Then were appoynted Ionathan the sonne of Asah-el, and Iahaziah the sonne of Tikuah ouer this matter, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Leuites helped them.
(Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this plan.)
16 And they of the captiuitie did so, and departed, euen Ezra the Priest, and the men that were chiefe fathers to the familie of their fathers by name, and sate downe in the first day of the tenth moneth to examine the matter.
So the exiles did as proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, each of them identified by name, to represent their families. On the first day of the tenth month they launched the investigation,
17 And vntill the first day of the first moneth they were finishing the businesse with al the men that had taken strange wiues.
and by the first day of the first month they had dealt with all the men who had married foreign women.
18 And of the sonnes of the Priests there were men founde, that had taken strange wiues, to wit, of the sonnes of Ieshua, the sonne of Iozadak, and of his brethren, Maaseiah, Aeliezer, and Iarib and Gedaliah.
Among the descendants of the priests who had married foreign women were found these descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
19 And they gaue their hads, that they would put away their wiues, and they that had trespassed, gaue a ramme for their trespasse.
They pledged to send their wives away, and for their guilt they presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.
20 And of the sonnes of Immer, Honani, and Zebadiah.
From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
21 And of the sonnes of Harim, Maaseiah, and Eliiah, and Shemaiah, and Iehiel, and Vzziah.
From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22 And of ye sonnes of Pashur, Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Iozabad, and Elasah.
From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 And of the Leuites, Iozabad and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (which is Kelitah) Pethahiah, Iudah and Eliezer.
Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 And of the singers, Eliashib. And of the porters, Shallum, and Telem, and Vri.
From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 And of Israel: of the sonnes of Parosh, Ramiah, and Iesiah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchiiah, and Benaiah.
And among the other Israelites, from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah.
26 And of the sonnes of Elam, Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Iehiel, and Abdi, and Ieremoth, and Eliah.
From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.
27 And of the sonnes of Zattu, Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Ierimoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.
From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
28 And of the sonnes of Bebai, Iehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai.
From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
29 And of the sonnes of Bani, Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Iashub, and Sheal, Ieramoth.
From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.
30 And of the sonnes of Pahath Moab, Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.
From the descendants of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
31 And of the sonnes of Harim, Eliezer, Ishiiah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 Beniamin, Malluch, Shamariah.
Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
33 Of the sonnes of Hashum, Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Ieremai, Manasseh, Shimei.
From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
34 Of the sonnes of Bani, Maadai, Amram, and Vel,
From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
35 Banaiah, Bediah, Chelluh,
Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Iaasau,
Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.
38 And Banni, and Bennui, Shimei,
From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei,
39 And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,
40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Shallum, Amariah, Ioseph.
Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
43 Of the sonnes of Nebo, Ieiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Iadau, and Ioel, Benaiah.
And from the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
44 All these had taken strange wiues: and among them were women that had children.
All these men had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives.
