Ezra 10

1 As Ezra prayed and confessed, he wept and threw himself down before God's house. A very great assembly of Israelite men, women, and children gathered to him, for the people were weeping very greatly.

NOW when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.

2 Shekaniah son of Jehiel of the descendants of Elam said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the people of the other lands. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel.

And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

3 So now let us make a covenant with our God to send out all the women and their children according to the Lord's instructions and the instructions of those who tremble at the commandments of our God, and let it be done according to the law.

Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

4 Arise, for this thing is for you to carry out, and we are with you. Be strong and do this.”

Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.

5 So Ezra rose and made the priestly officials, the Levites, and all of Israel promise to act in this way. So they all took a solemn oath.

Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.

6 Then Ezra rose from before God's house and went to the rooms of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. He did not eat any bread or drink any water, since he was mourning concerning the faithlessness of those who had been in captivity.

Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.

7 So they sent word in Judah and Jerusalem to all the people back from exile to assemble in Jerusalem.

And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;

8 Anyone who did not come in three days according to the instructions from the officials and elders forfeited all of his possessions and would be excluded from the great assembly of the people who had come back from exile.

And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.

9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem in three days. It was the ninth month and the twentieth day of the month. All the people stood in the square before God's house and trembled because of the word and the rain.

Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.

10 Ezra the priest arose and said, “You yourselves have committed treason. You lived with foreign women so as to increase Israel's guilt.

And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.

11 But now give praise to Yahweh, your ancestors' God, and do his will. Separate from the people of the land and from the foreign women.”

Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

12 All the assembly answered in a loud voice, “We will do as you have said.

Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.

13 However, there are many people, and it is the rainy season. We have no strength to stand outside, and this is not only one or two days of work, since we have greatly transgressed in this matter.

But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.

14 So let our officials represent all the assembly. Let all who have allowed foreign women to live in our cities come at the time that will be fixed with the city elders and the city judges until the raging wrath of our God goes away from us.”

Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.

15 Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.

Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.

16 So the people who returned from exile did this. Ezra the priest selected men, the leaders in their ancestors' clans and houses—all of them by name, and they looked into the matter on the first day of the tenth month.

And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

17 By the first day of the first month they had finished discovering which men had lived with 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 there were those who had lived with foreign women. Among the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers there were Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19 So they determined to send their wives away. Since they were guilty, they offered a ram from the flock for their guilt.

And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.

20 Among the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.

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

And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.

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

And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

23 Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah—that is, Kelita, Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita, ) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

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

Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.

25 Among the rest of the Israelites—among the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah.

Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.

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

And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.

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

And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.

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

Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

29 Among the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluk, Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal Jeremoth.

And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.

30 Among the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.

And of the sons of Pahath-moab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.

31 Among the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

32 Benjamin, Malluk, and Shemariah.

Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

33 Among the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

34 Among the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,

Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,

35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi,

Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,

36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.

Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,

38 Among the descendants of Binnui: Shimei,

And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,

39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,

And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,

40 Maknadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,

42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

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

Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.

44 All of these had taken foreign wives and had children with some of them.

All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children. THE