< Ezra 10 >

1 While I was kneeling down in front of the temple and praying and crying, I was confessing [the sins that the Israeli people had committed]. Many people, men and women and children, gathered around me and also cried very much.
וּכְהִתְפַּלֵּל עֶזְרָא וּכְהִתְוַדֹּתוֹ בֹּכֶה וּמִתְנַפֵּל לִפְנֵי בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים נִקְבְּצוּ אֵלָיו מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל קָהָל רַב־מְאֹד אֲנָשִׁים וְנָשִׁים וִֽילָדִים כִּֽי־בָכוּ הָעָם הַרְבֵּה־בֶֽכֶה׃
2 Then Shecaniah, the son of Jehiel from the clan of Elam, said this to me: “We have disobeyed God. [Some of] us have married women who are not Israelis. But we can still confidently expect [Yahweh to be merciful to] us Israeli people.
וַיַּעַן שְׁכַנְיָה בֶן־יְחִיאֵל מִבְּנֵי (עולם) [עֵילָם] וַיֹּאמֶר לְעֶזְרָא אֲנַחְנוּ מָעַלְנוּ בֵאלֹהֵינוּ וַנֹּשֶׁב נָשִׁים נׇכְרִיּוֹת מֵעַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ וְעַתָּה יֵשׁ־מִקְוֶה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַל־זֹֽאת׃
3 We will do what you, and the others who have an awesome respect for what our God has commanded, tell us to do. We will do what God told us in his laws. We will make an agreement with our God, saying that we will divorce our wives who are not Israelis, and we will send them away with their children.
וְעַתָּה נִֽכְרׇת־בְּרִית לֵאלֹהֵינוּ לְהוֹצִיא כׇל־נָשִׁים וְהַנּוֹלָד מֵהֶם בַּעֲצַת אֲדֹנָי וְהַחֲרֵדִים בְּמִצְוַת אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְכַתּוֹרָה יֵעָשֶֽׂה׃
4 (It is your responsibility to/Because you are our leader, you must) [tell us what to do]. So get up, and be courageous, and do [what is necessary]. We will (support you/tell people to do what you say).”
קוּם כִּֽי־עָלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר וַאֲנַחְנוּ עִמָּךְ חֲזַק וַעֲשֵֽׂה׃
5 So I stood up and demanded that the leaders of the priests, the [other] descendants of Levi, and all [the other] Israeli people solemnly declare that they would do what Shecaniah said that they should do. So they all solemnly promised to do that.
וַיָּקׇם עֶזְרָא וַיַּשְׁבַּע אֶת־שָׂרֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם וְכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲשׂוֹת כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַיִּשָּׁבֵֽעוּ׃
6 Then I went away from the front of the temple and went to the room where Jehohanan lived. I stayed there that night, but I did not eat or drink anything. I was still sad because some of the Israelis who had returned [from Babylonia] had not faithfully obeyed [God’s laws].
וַיָּקׇם עֶזְרָא מִלִּפְנֵי בֵּית הָֽאֱלֹהִים וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל־לִשְׁכַּת יְהוֹחָנָן בֶּן־אֶלְיָשִׁיב וַיֵּלֶךְ שָׁם לֶחֶם לֹֽא־אָכַל וּמַיִם לֹֽא־שָׁתָה כִּי מִתְאַבֵּל עַל־מַעַל הַגּוֹלָֽה׃
7 Then we sent a message to all [the people in] Jerusalem and [in other towns in] Judah, saying that all those who had returned [from Babylonia] should come to Jerusalem immediately.
וַיַּעֲבִירוּ קוֹל בִּיהוּדָה וִירֽוּשָׁלַ͏ִם לְכֹל בְּנֵי הַגּוֹלָה לְהִקָּבֵץ יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃
8 We said that if any of them did not arrive within three days, the leaders of the people would order that all the property of those people would be taken from them, and that they would no longer be considered to belong to the Israeli people; [they would be considered to be foreigners].
וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־יָבוֹא לִשְׁלֹשֶׁת הַיָּמִים כַּעֲצַת הַשָּׂרִים וְהַזְּקֵנִים יׇחֳרַם כׇּל־רְכוּשׁוֹ וְהוּא יִבָּדֵל מִקְּהַל הַגּוֹלָֽה׃
9 So within three days, on December 19, all the people of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem. They were there, sitting in the courtyard in front of the temple. They were trembling because it was raining hard and because they were worried [that they would be punished for what they had done].
וַיִּקָּבְצוּ כׇל־אַנְשֵֽׁי־יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן ׀ יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם לִשְׁלֹשֶׁת הַיָּמִים הוּא חֹדֶשׁ הַתְּשִׁיעִי בְּעֶשְׂרִים בַּחֹדֶשׁ וַיֵּשְׁבוּ כׇל־הָעָם בִּרְחוֹב בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים מַרְעִידִים עַל־הַדָּבָר וּמֵהַגְּשָׁמִֽים׃
10 Then I stood up and said to them, “[Some of] you men have committed a very bad sin. You have married women who are not Israelis. By doing that, you have made us Israeli people more guilty [than we were before].
וַיָּקׇם עֶזְרָא הַכֹּהֵן וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אַתֶּם מְעַלְתֶּם וַתֹּשִׁיבוּ נָשִׁים נׇכְרִיּוֹת לְהוֹסִיף עַל־אַשְׁמַת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
11 So now you must confess to Yahweh, the God whom your ancestors [worshiped/belonged to], the sin which you have committed, and you must do what he wants. Separate yourselves from the people of other nations and from the women from those nations whom you have married.”
וְעַתָּה תְּנוּ תוֹדָה לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽי־אֲבֹתֵיכֶם וַעֲשׂוּ רְצוֹנוֹ וְהִבָּֽדְלוּ מֵעַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ וּמִן־הַנָּשִׁים הַנׇּכְרִיּֽוֹת׃
12 The whole group answered, shouting loudly, “Yes, what you have said is right! We will do what you have said.”
וַיַּֽעֲנוּ כׇֽל־הַקָּהָל וַיֹּאמְרוּ קוֹל גָּדוֹל כֵּן (כדבריך) [כִּדְבָרְךָ] עָלֵינוּ לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃
13 But then [one of] them said, “But we are a very large group, and it is raining hard. Also, there are many of us who have committed this bad sin. This is something that we cannot (take care of/handle) in one or two days, and we cannot stand here in this rain.
אֲבָל הָעָם רָב וְהָעֵת גְּשָׁמִים וְאֵין כֹּחַ לַעֲמוֹד בַּחוּץ וְהַמְּלָאכָה לֹֽא־לְיוֹם אֶחָד וְלֹא לִשְׁנַיִם כִּֽי־הִרְבִּינוּ לִפְשֹׁעַ בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּֽה׃
14 So allow our leaders to decide for all of us what we should do. Tell everyone who has married a woman who is not Israeli to come at a time that you decide. They should come with the elders and judges from each city. If we do that, our God will stop being angry with us [because of what we have done].”
יַֽעַמְדוּ־נָא שָׂרֵינוּ לְֽכׇל־הַקָּהָל וְכֹל ׀ אֲשֶׁר בֶּעָרֵינוּ הַהֹשִׁיב נָשִׁים נׇכְרִיּוֹת יָבֹא לְעִתִּים מְזֻמָּנִים וְעִמָּהֶם זִקְנֵי־עִיר וָעִיר וְשֹׁפְטֶיהָ עַד לְהָשִׁיב חֲרוֹן אַף־אֱלֹהֵינוּ מִמֶּנּוּ עַד לַדָּבָר הַזֶּֽה׃
15 Jonathan the son of Asahel, Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah, Meshullam, and Shabbethai, a descendant of Levi, were the only ones who objected to this.
אַךְ יוֹנָתָן בֶּן־עֲשָׂהאֵל וְיַחְזְיָה בֶן־תִּקְוָה עָמְדוּ עַל־זֹאת וּמְשֻׁלָּם וְשַׁבְּתַי הַלֵּוִי עֲזָרֻֽם׃
16 All the others who had returned from Babylonia said that they would do it. So I chose leaders of each of the clans, and I wrote down their names. On December 29, these men came and sat down to investigate the matter.
וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־כֵן בְּנֵי הַגּוֹלָה וַיִּבָּדְלוּ עֶזְרָא הַכֹּהֵן אֲנָשִׁים רָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם וְכֻלָּם בְּשֵׁמוֹת וַיֵּשְׁבוּ בְּיוֹם אֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הָעֲשִׂירִי לְדַרְיוֹשׁ הַדָּבָֽר׃
17 By March 27 of the next year they finished determining which men had married women who were not Israelis.
וַיְכַלּוּ בַכֹּל אֲנָשִׁים הַהֹשִׁיבוּ נָשִׁים נׇכְרִיּוֹת עַד יוֹם אֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשֽׁוֹן׃
18 This is a list of the names of the priests who had married non-Israeli women, and the clans to which they belonged. From the clan of Jeshua and his brothers, who were sons of Jehozadak, there were Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
וַיִּמָּצֵא מִבְּנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים אֲשֶׁר הֹשִׁיבוּ נָשִׁים נׇכְרִיּוֹת מִבְּנֵי יֵשׁוּעַ בֶּן־יֽוֹצָדָק וְאֶחָיו מַֽעֲשֵׂיָה וֶֽאֱלִיעֶזֶר וְיָרִיב וּגְדַלְיָֽה׃
19 They solemnly promised to divorce their wives, and they each sacrificed a ram to be an offering [to atone] for their sins.
וַיִּתְּנוּ יָדָם לְהוֹצִיא נְשֵׁיהֶם וַאֲשֵׁמִים אֵֽיל־צֹאן עַל־אַשְׁמָתָֽם׃
20 From the clan of Immer there were Hanani and Zebadiah.
וּמִבְּנֵי אִמֵּר חֲנָנִי וּזְבַדְיָֽה׃
21 From the clan of Harim there were Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
וּמִבְּנֵי חָרִם מַעֲשֵׂיָה וְאֵֽלִיָּה וּֽשְׁמַֽעְיָה וִיחִיאֵל וְעֻזִּיָּֽה׃
22 From the clan of Pashhur there were Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
וּמִבְּנֵי פַּשְׁחוּר אֶלְיוֹעֵינַי מַֽעֲשֵׂיָה יִשְׁמָעֵאל נְתַנְאֵל יוֹזָבָד וְאֶלְעָשָֽׂה׃
23 The [other] descendants of Levi [who had married non-Israeli women] were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (whose other name was Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
וּמִֽן־הַלְוִיִּם יוֹזָבָד וְשִׁמְעִי וְקֵֽלָיָה הוּא קְלִיטָא פְּתַֽחְיָה יְהוּדָה וֶאֱלִיעֶֽזֶר׃
24 There was Eliashib the musician. From the temple guards there were Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
וּמִן־הַמְשֹׁרְרִים אֶלְיָשִׁיב וּמִן־הַשֹּׁעֲרִים שַׁלֻּם וָטֶלֶם וְאוּרִֽי׃
25 This is a list of the names of the other Israelis who had married foreign wives: From the clan of Parosh there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah, and Benaiah.
וּמִֽיִּשְׂרָאֵל מִבְּנֵי פַרְעֹשׁ רַמְיָה וְיִזִּיָּה וּמַלְכִּיָּה וּמִיָּמִן וְאֶלְעָזָר וּמַלְכִּיָּה וּבְנָיָֽה׃
26 From the clan of Elam there were Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.
וּמִבְּנֵי עֵילָם מַתַּנְיָה זְכַרְיָה וִיחִיאֵל וְעַבְדִּי וִירֵמוֹת וְאֵלִיָּֽה׃
27 From the clan of Zattu there were Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
וּמִבְּנֵי זַתּוּא אֶלְיוֹעֵנַי אֶלְיָשִׁיב מַתַּנְיָה וִֽירֵמוֹת וְזָבָד וַעֲזִיזָֽא׃
28 From the clan of Bebai there were Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
וּמִבְּנֵי בֵּבָי יְהוֹחָנָן חֲנַנְיָה זַבַּי עַתְלָֽי׃
29 From the clan of Bani there were Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.
וּמִבְּנֵי בָּנִי מְשֻׁלָּם מַלּוּךְ וַעֲדָיָה יָשׁוּב וּשְׁאָל (ירמות) [וְרָמֽוֹת]׃
30 From the clan of Pahath-Moab there were Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
וּמִבְּנֵי פַּחַת מוֹאָב עַדְנָא וּכְלָל בְּנָיָה מַעֲשֵׂיָה מַתַּנְיָה בְצַלְאֵל וּבִנּוּי וּמְנַשֶּֽׁה׃
31 From the clan of Harim there were Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
וּבְנֵי חָרִם אֱלִיעֶזֶר יִשִּׁיָּה מַלְכִּיָּה שְׁמַֽעְיָה שִׁמְעֽוֹן׃
32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
בִּנְיָמִן מַלּוּךְ שְׁמַרְיָֽה׃
33 From the clan of Hashum there were Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
מִבְּנֵי חָשֻׁם מַתְּנַי מַתַּתָּה זָבָד אֱלִיפֶלֶט יְרֵמַי מְנַשֶּׁה שִׁמְעִֽי׃
34 From the clan of Bigvai there were Maadai, Amram, Uel,
מִבְּנֵי בָנִי מַעֲדַי עַמְרָם וְאוּאֵֽל׃
35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi,
בְּנָיָה בֵדְיָה (כלוהי) [כְּלֽוּהוּ]׃
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
וַנְיָה מְרֵמוֹת אֶלְיָשִֽׁיב׃
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.
מַתַּנְיָה מַתְּנַי (ויעשו) [וְיַעֲשָֽׂי]׃
38 From the clan of Binnui there were Shimei,
וּבָנִי וּבִנּוּי שִׁמְעִֽי׃
39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,
וְשֶֽׁלֶמְיָה וְנָתָן וַעֲדָיָֽה׃
40 Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
מַכְנַדְבַי שָׁשַׁי שָׁרָֽי׃
41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
עֲזַרְאֵל וְשֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ שְׁמַרְיָֽה׃
42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
שַׁלּוּם אֲמַרְיָה יוֹסֵֽף׃
43 From the clan of Nebo there were Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
מִבְּנֵי נְבוֹ יְעִיאֵל מַתִּתְיָה זָבָד זְבִינָא (ידו) [יַדַּי] וְיוֹאֵל בְּנָיָֽה׃
44 Each of those men had married a woman who was not an Israeli. [But immediately] they divorced those women and sent them and their children away.
כׇּל־אֵלֶּה (נשאי) [נָשְׂאוּ] נָשִׁים נׇכְרִיּוֹת וְיֵשׁ מֵהֶם נָשִׁים וַיָּשִׂימוּ בָּנִֽים׃

< Ezra 10 >