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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Ezra 10: KJVAAE
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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 community responds
1While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and bowing down before God’s house, a very large crowd of men, women, and children of Israel gathered around him. The people also wept in distress. 2Then Shecaniah, Jehiel’s son, from the family of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, “We’ve been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the neighboring peoples.#10.2 Or peoples of the lands But even now, there is hope for Israel in spite of this. 3Let’s now make a covenant with our God to send away all these wives and their children, according to the advice of my master and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the Instruction. 4Get up, for it is your duty to deal with this matter; we will support you. Be strong and act.” 5So Ezra got up and made the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israel take a solemn pledge that they would do as had been said. So they took a solemn pledge.
The assembly decides
6Then Ezra got up from the area in front of God’s house and went to the room of Jehohanan, Eliashib’s son, where he spent#10.6 LXX, 1 Esdr 9:2; Heb where he went the night. He didn’t eat food or drink water, for he was mourning because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
7An order was then circulated throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the returned exiles should gather in Jerusalem. 8All those who failed to appear within three days, as mandated by the officials and elders, would have all their property taken away. They would be separated from the congregation of the exiles. 9So within three days, all the people of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month.#10.9 November–December, Kislev All of the people sat in the area in front of God’s house, trembling because of this order and because of the heavy rain.
10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women and adding to Israel’s guilt. 11But now, make a confession to the LORD God of your ancestors and do his will. Separate yourselves from the neighboring peoples#10.11 Or peoples of the lands and from the foreign wives.”
12The whole assembly shouted in reply, “Yes. We must do as you have said. 13But there are many people, and it’s the rainy season; we can’t continue to stand outside. Nor can this task be completed in a day or two because many of us have sinned in this matter. 14Let our leaders represent the entire assembly. Let all in our towns who have taken foreign wives come at appointed times, along with the elders and judges of every town, until God’s great anger at us on account of this matter be averted.” 15Only Jonathan, Asahel’s son, and Jahzeiah, Tikvah’s son, opposed this; Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levites supported them.
Resolving the issue
16Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest chose#10.16 1 Esdr 9:16; Syr; Heb And there were separated certain men, heads of families, each representing their family houses. Each of them was designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month#10.16 December–January, Tevet they sat down to examine the matter. 17By the first day of the first month,#10.17 March–April, Nisan they had come to the end of all the men who had married foreign women.
18Of the family of priests, there were found the following who had married foreign women—of the family of Jeshua, Jozadak’s son and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19They promised to send their wives away, and their compensation offering was a ram of the flock for their guilt.
20Of the family of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
21Of the family of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22Of the family of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25Of Israel: of the family of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah,#10.25 1 Esdr 9:26; LXX, Heb Malchijah and Benaiah.
26Of the family of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.
27Of the family of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
28Of the family of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
29Of the family of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.
30Of the family of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
31Of the family of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
33Of the family of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
34Of the family of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.
38Of the family of Binnui:#10.38 LXX; Heb Bani, Binnui Shimei, 39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
43Of the family of Nebu: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
44All these men#10.44 Heb lacks men. had married foreign women, some of whom had borne children.#10.44 Heb uncertain; 1 Esdr 9:36 they sent them away with their children.
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