Ezra 10
10
Foreign Wives and Children Put Away
1Now 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. 2And Shechani´ah the son of Jehi´el, 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. 3Now 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. 4Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it. 5Then 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.
6Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jo´hanan the son of Eli´ashib: 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. 7And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem; 8and 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.
9Then 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. 10And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel. 11Now 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. 12Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do. 13But 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. 14Let 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. 15Only Jonathan the son of As´ahel and Jahazi´ah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshul´lam and Shab´bethai the Levite helped them.
16And 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. 17And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.
18And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jesh´u-a the son of Joz´adak, and his brethren; Ma-asei´ah, and Eli-e´zer, and Jarib, and Gedali´ah. 19And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass. 20And of the sons of Immer; Hana´ni, and Zebadi´ah. 21And of the sons of Harim; Ma-asei´ah, and Eli´jah, and Shemai´ah, and Jehi´el, and Uzzi´ah. 22And of the sons of Pashur; Eli-oe´nai, Ma-asei´ah, Ish´ma-el, Nethan´e-el, Joz´abad, and Ela´sah.
23Also of the Levites; Joz´abad, and Shim´e-i, and Kelai´ah, (the same is Keli´ta,) Pethahi´ah, Judah, and Eli-e´zer. 24Of the singers also; Eli´ashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.
25Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Rami´ah, and Jezi´ah, and Malchi´ah, and Mi´amin, and Ele-a´zar, and Malchi´jah, and Benai´ah. 26And of the sons of Elam; Mattani´ah, Zechari´ah, and Jehi´el, and Abdi, and Jer´emoth, and Eli´ah. 27And of the sons of Zattu; Eli-oe´nai, Eli´ashib, Mattani´ah, and Jer´emoth, and Zabad, and Azi´za. 28Of the sons also of Be´bai; Jeho´hanan, Hanani´ah, Zab´bai, and Ath´lai. 29And of the sons of Bani; Meshul´lam, Malluch, and Adai´ah, Jashub, and She´al, and Ramoth. 30And of the sons of Pahath–mo´ab; Adna, and Chelal, Benai´ah, Ma-asei´ah, Mattani´ah, Bez´aleel, and Bin´nu-i, and Manas´seh. 31And of the sons of Harim; Eli-e´zer, Ishi´jah, Malchi´ah, Shemai´ah, Shim´e-on, 32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemari´ah. 33Of the sons of Hashum; Mat´tenai, Mat´ta-thah, Zabad, Eliph´elet, Jer´emai, Manas´seh, and Shim´e-i. 34Of the sons of Bani; Ma´adai, Amram, and U´el, 35Benai´ah, Bedei´ah, Chelluh, 36Vani´ah, Mer´emoth, Eli´ashib, 37Mattani´ah, Mat´tenai, and Ja´asau, 38and Bani, and Bin´nu-i, Shim´e-i, 39and Shelemi´ah, and Nathan, and Adai´ah, 40Mach-nad´ebai, Sha´shai, Sha´rai, 41Az´areel, and Shelemi´ah, Shemari´ah, 42Shallum, Amari´ah, and Joseph. 43Of the sons of Nebo; Je-i´el, Mattithi´ah, Zabad, Ze-bi´na, Ja´dau, and Joel, Benai´ah. 44All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
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King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.
Ezra 10
10
The Plan for Ending Mixed Marriages
1While Ezra was bowing in prayer in front of the Temple, weeping and confessing these sins, a large group of Israelites — men, women, and children — gathered round him, weeping bitterly. 2Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, of the clan of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have broken faith with God by marrying foreign women, but even so there is still hope for Israel. 3Now we must make a solemn promise to our God that we will send these women and their children away. We will do what you and the others who honour God's commands advise us to do. We will do what God's Law demands. 4It is your responsibility to act. We are behind you, so go ahead and get it done.”
5So Ezra began by making the leaders of the priests, of the Levites, and of the rest of the people take an oath that they would do what Shecaniah had proposed. 6Then he went from in front of the Temple into the living quarters of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, and spent the night#10.6 One ancient translation spent the night; Hebrew went. there grieving over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. He did not eat or drink anything.
7A message was sent throughout Jerusalem and Judah that all those who had returned from exile were to meet in Jerusalem 8by order of the leaders of the people. If anyone failed to come within three days, all his property would be confiscated, and he would lose his right to be a member of the community. 9Within the three days, on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the men living in the territory of Judah and Benjamin came to Jerusalem and assembled in the temple square. It was raining hard, and because of the weather and the importance of the meeting everyone was trembling.
10Ezra the priest stood up and spoke to them. He said, “You have been faithless and have brought guilt on Israel by marrying foreign women. 11Now then, confess your sins to the LORD, the God of your ancestors, and do what pleases him. Separate yourselves from the foreigners living in our land and get rid of your foreign wives.”
12The people shouted in answer, “We will do whatever you say.” 13But they added, “The crowd is too big, and it's raining hard. We can't stand here in the open like this. This isn't something that can be done in one or two days, because so many of us are involved in this sin. 14Let our officials stay in Jerusalem and take charge of the matter. Then let anyone who has a foreign wife come at a set time, together with the leaders and the judges of his city. In this way God's anger over this situation will be turned away.” 15No one was opposed to the plan except Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, who had the support of Meshullam and of Shabbethai, a Levite.
16The returned exiles accepted the plan, so Ezra the priest appointed#10.16 Some ancient translations appointed; Hebrew unclear. men from among the heads of the clans and recorded their names. On the first day of the tenth month they began their investigation, 17and within the next three months they investigated all the cases of men with foreign wives.
The Men who had Foreign Wives
18This is the list of the men who had foreign wives:
Priests, listed by clans:
Clan of Joshua and his brothers, sons of Jehozadak: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19They promised to divorce their wives, and they offered a ram as a sacrifice for their sins.
20Clan of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah
21Clan of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah
22Clan of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23Levites:
Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24Musicians:
Eliashib.
Temple guards:
Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25Others:
Clan of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah
26Clan of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah
27Clan of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza
28Clan of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai
29Clan of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth
30Clan of Pahath Moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh
31-32Clan of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah
33Clan of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei
34-37Clan of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu
38-42Clan of Binnui: Shimei, Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph
43Clan of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
44All these men had foreign wives. They divorced them and sent them and their children away.#10.44 Verse 44 in Hebrew is unclear.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.