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 prayed, and when he made his confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there gathered themselves unto him out of Israel a very large assembly of men and women and children; for the people wept exceedingly much.

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.

Thereupon commenced Shechanyah the son of Jechiel, of the sons of 'Elam, and said unto 'Ezra, we have indeed trespassed against our God, and have brought home strange wives of the nations 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.

And now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the direction of the 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 is obligatory upon thee; and we will be with thee: be strong, 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 caused the princes of the priests, the Levites, and of all Israel, to swear to do according to this word. And they swore.

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 arose 'Ezra from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jochanan the son of Elyashib; and he went thither without having eaten bread, or having drunk water; for he was mourning because of the trespass of the exiles.

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 exile, to gather themselves together at 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 should not come within three days, according to the resolve of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be devoted, and himself separated from the congregation of the exiles.

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 were all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered together unto Jerusalem within three days: it was in the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the open place before the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and by reason of the showers of 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 rose up, and said unto them, Ye have acted unfaithfully, and have brought home strange wives, to increase yet more the guiltiness 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 the God of your fathers, and do his will; and separate yourselves from the nations of the earth, and from the strange wives.

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

Then answered all the assembly and said with a loud voice, So be it: according to thy word it is our duty to 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 the rainy season, and we have not the strength to remain in the street, nor is this a work for one day or for two days; for we are many that have transgressed in this matter.

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 however our princes stand forward for all the congregation, and let all those in our cities who have brought home strange wives come at appointed times, and with them the elders of each and every city, and its judges, until the fierce wrath of our God be turned away from us for this whole matter.

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 'Assahel and Jachzeyah the son of Thikvah withstood this [proposal]: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite assisted 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 exile did so. And then were set apart 'Ezra the priest, [and] certain chiefs of the divisions, for their family divisions, and all of them [designated] by their names; and they sat down on 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, with the men that had brought home strange wives, not before 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 there were found among the sons of the priests that had brought home strange wives, namely, of the sons of Jeshua' the son of Jozadak, and his brethren: Ma'asseyah, and Eli'ezer, and Jarib, and Gedalyah.

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 hand to 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: Chanani, and Zebadyah.

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

And of the sons of Charim: Ma'asseyah, and Elijah, and Shema'yah, and Jechiel, and 'Uzziyah.

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

And of the sons of Pashchur: Elyo'enai, Ma'asseyah. Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and El'assah.

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

Also of the Levites: Jozabad, and Shim'i, and Kelayan, the same is Kelita, Pethachyah, Judah, and Eli'ezer.

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

And of the singers, Elyashib; and of the gate-keepers, 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.

And of Israel: Of the sons of Par'osh, Ramyah, and Yizziyah, and Malkiyah, and Miyamin, and El'azar, and Malkiyah, and Benayah.

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

And of the sons of 'Elam; Matthanyah, Zecharyah, and Jechiel, and 'Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliyah.

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

And of the sons of Zatthu: Elyo'enai, Elyashib, Matthanyah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and 'Aziza.

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

And of the sons of Bebai: Jehochanan, Chananyah, 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 'Adayah, 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 Pachath-moab: 'Adna, and Kelal, Benayah, Ma'asseyah, Matthanyah, Bezalel, and Binnui, and Menasseh.

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

And of the sons of Charim: Eli'ezer, Yishiyah, Malkiyah, Shema'yah, Shim'on,

32 Benjamin, Malluk, and Shemariah.

Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemaryah.

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

Of the sons of Chashum: Matthenai, Matthathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Menasseh, and Shim'i.

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

Of the sons of Bani: Ma'adai, 'Amram, and Uel,

35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi,

Benayah, Bedeyah, Keluhu,

36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

Vanyah, Meremoth, Elyashib,

37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.

Matthanyah, Matthenai, and Ja'assai,

38 Among the descendants of Binnui: Shimei,

And Bani, and Binnui, and Shim'i,

39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,

And Shelemyah, and Nathan, and 'Adayah,

40 Maknadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

Machnadbai, Shashai, Sharai,

41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

'Asar'el, and Shelemyahu, Shemaryah,

42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

Shallum, Amaryah, and Joseph.

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

Of the sons of Nebo: Je'iel, Matthithyah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, and Joel, Benayah.

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.