10
1 Now
while Ezra prayed
and made
confession, weeping
and casting himself
down before God’s
house, there was
gathered together
to him out
of Israel a
very great
assembly of men
and women and
children; for the
people wept very
bitterly.
2 Shecaniah
the son of
Jehiel, one of
the sons of
Elam, answered
Ezra, “We have
trespassed against
our God, and have
married foreign women
of the peoples
of the land. Yet
now there is
hope for Israel
concerning this
thing.
3 Now
therefore let’s
make a covenant
with our God to
put away all
the wives and
those who are
born of them,
according to the
counsel of my lord
and of those
who tremble at
the commandment of
our God. Let it
be done according
to the law.
4 Arise,
for the
matter belongs to
you and we
are with you.
Be courageous, and
do it.”
5 Then
Ezra arose, and
made the chiefs
of the priests,
the Levites, and
all Israel to
swear that they
would do according
to this word.
So they swore.
6 Then
Ezra rose up
from before God’s
house, and went
into the room
of Jehohanan the
son of Eliashib.
When he came
there, he didn’t
eat bread or
drink water, for
he mourned because
of the trespass
of the exiles.
7 They
made a
proclamation throughout
Judah and
Jerusalem to all
the children of
the captivity,
that they should
gather themselves
together to
Jerusalem;
8 and
that whoever didn’t come within
three days, according
to the counsel
of the princes
and the elders,
all his
possessions should
be forfeited, and
he himself separated
from the assembly
of the captivity.
9 Then
all the men
of Judah and
Benjamin gathered
themselves together
to Jerusalem
within the three
days. It was
the ninth month,
on the twentieth
day of the
month; and all
the people sat
in the wide place
in front of God’s
house, trembling
because of this
matter, and
because of
the great rain.
10 Ezra
the priest stood
up and said to
them, “You have
trespassed, and
have married
foreign women, increasing
the guilt of
Israel.
11 Now
therefore make
confession to the
LORD, the God
of your fathers
and do his
pleasure. Separate yourselves
from the peoples
of the land and
from the
foreign women.”
12 Then
all the assembly
answered with a
loud voice, “We
must do as you
have said
concerning us.
13 But
the people are
many, and it
is a time
of much rain,
and we are
not able to
stand outside.
This is not
a work of
one day or
two, for we
have greatly
transgressed in
this matter.
14 Now
let our princes
be appointed for
all the assembly,
and let all
those who are
in our cities
who have married
foreign women come
at appointed times,
and with them
the elders of
every city and
its judges, until
the fierce wrath
of our God is
turned from us,
until this matter
is resolved.”
15 Only
Jonathan the son
of Asahel and
Jahzeiah the son
of Tikvah stood
up against this;
and Meshullam and
Shabbethai the
Levite helped them.
16 The
children of the
captivity did so.
Ezra the priest,
with certain heads
of fathers’ households,
after their fathers’
houses, and all
of them by
their names, were
set apart; and
they sat down
in the first
day of the
tenth month to
examine the matter.
17 They
finished with all
the men who
had married
foreign women by
the first day
of the first
month.
18 Among
the sons of
the priests there
were found who
had married
foreign women:
of the sons of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and his brothers:
Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
19 They gave their hand that
they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram
of the flock for their guilt.
20 Of the sons of Immer: Hanani
and Zebadiah.
21 Of the sons of Harim:
Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22 Of the sons of Pashhur:
Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 Of the Levites: Jozabad,
Shimei, Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 Of the singers: Eliashib.
Of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 Of Israel: Of the sons of
Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and
Benaiah.
26 Of the sons of Elam:
Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.
27 Of the sons of Zattu:
Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
28 Of the sons of Bebai:
Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
29 Of the sons of Bani:
Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.
30 Of the sons of Pahathmoab:
Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and
Manasseh.
31 Of the sons of Harim:
Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 Benjamin, Malluch, and
Shemariah.
33 Of the sons of Hashum:
Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
34 Of the sons of Bani: Maadai,
Amram, Uel,
35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu,
38 Bani, Binnui, Shimei,
39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,
40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
43 Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel,
Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Iddo, Joel, and Benaiah.
44 All
these had taken
foreign wives. Some
of them had wives
by whom they
had children.