Now awhile Ezra was praying
and making
confession
, weeping
and prostrating
himself bbefore
the house
of God
, a very
large
assembly
, men
, women
and children
, gathered
to him from Israel
; for the people
wept
bitterly
.
Shecaniah the son
of Jehiel
, one of the sons
of Elam
, said
to Ezra
, " aWe have been
unfaithful
to our God
and have 1married
foreign
women
from the peoples
of the land
; yet now
there
is hope
for Israel
in spite
of this
.
"So now alet us make
a covenant
with our God
to put
away
all
the wives
and 1 btheir children
, according to the counsel
of 2my lord
and of cthose who tremble
at the commandment
of our God
; and let it be done
daccording to the law
.
"Arise! For this matter
is 1your responsibility
, but we will be with you; abe courageous
and act
."
Then Ezra rose
and amade the leading
priests
, the Levites
and all
Israel
, take
oath
that they would do
according to this
1proposal
; so they took
the oath
.
Then Ezra arose
from before
the house
of God
and went
into the chamber
of Jehohanan
the son
of Eliashib
. Although he went
there
, bhe did not eat
bread
nor
drink
water
, for he was mourning
over
the unfaithfulness
of the exiles
.
They made a proclamation
throughout Judah
and Jerusalem
to all
the exiles
, that they should assemble
at Jerusalem
,
and that whoever would not come
within three
days
, according to the counsel
of the leaders
and the elders
, all
his possessions
should be forfeited
and he himself
excluded
from the assembly
of the exiles
.
So all the men
of Judah
and Benjamin
assembled
at Jerusalem
within the three
days
. It was the ninth
month
on the twentieth
of the month
, and all
the people
sat
in the open
square
before the house
of God
, atrembling
because
of this matter
and the heavy rain
.
Then Ezra the priest
stood
up and said
to them, "You have been
unfaithful
and have married
foreign
wives
adding
to the guilt
of Israel
.
"Now therefore, amake
confession
to the LORD
God
of your fathers
and bdo
His will
; and cseparate
yourselves from the peoples
of the land
and from the foreign
wives
."
Then all the assembly
replied
with a loud
voice
, "That's right
! As you have said
, so it is 1our duty
to do
.
"But there are many people
; it is the rainy
season
and we are not able
to stand
in the open
. Nor
can the task
be done in one
or two
days
, for we have transgressed
greatly
in this
matter
.
"Let our leaders 1represent
the whole
assembly
and let all
those in our cities
who have married
foreign
wives
come
at appointed
times
, together
with the elders
and judges
of each
city
, until
the afierce
anger
of our God
on account
of this
matter
is turned
away
from us."
Only Jonathan
the son
of Asahel
and Jahzeiah
the son
of Tikvah
1opposed
this
, with Meshullam
and Shabbethai
the Levite
supporting
them.
But the exiles did
so
. And 1Ezra
the priest
selected
men
who were heads
of fathers'
households for each of their father's
households
, all
of them by name
. So they 2convened
on the first
day
of the tenth
month
to investigate
the matter
.
They finished investigating all
the men
who had married
foreign
wives
by the first
day
of the first
month
.
Among the sons
of the priests
who
had married
foreign
wives
were found
of the sons
of aJeshua
the son
of Jozadak
, and his brothers
: Maaseiah
, Eliezer
, Jarib
and Gedaliah
.
They 1pledged to put
away
their wives
, and being guilty
, athey offered a ram
of the flock
for their offense
.
Of the sons of Immer
there were Hanani
and Zebadiah
;
and of the sons of Harim
: Maaseiah
, Elijah
, Shemaiah
, Jehiel
and Uzziah
;
and of the sons of Pashhur
: Elioenai
, Maaseiah
, Ishmael
, Nethanel
, Jozabad
and Elasah
.
Of Levites there were Jozabad
, Shimei
, Kelaiah
(that is, Kelita
), Pethahiah
, Judah
and Eliezer
.
Of the singers there was Eliashib
; and of the gatekeepers
: Shallum
, Telem
and Uri
.
Of Israel, of the sons
of aParosh
there were Ramiah
, Izziah
, Malchijah
, Mijamin
, Eleazar
, Malchijah
and Benaiah
;
and of the sons of Elam
: Mattaniah
, Zechariah
, Jehiel
, Abdi
, Jeremoth
and Elijah
;
and of the sons of aZattu
: Elioenai
, Eliashib
, Mattaniah
, Jeremoth
, Zabad
and Aziza
;
and of the sons of Bebai
: Jehohanan
, Hananiah
, Zabbai
and Athlai
;
and of the sons of Bani
: Meshullam
, Malluch
and Adaiah
, Jashub
, Sheal
and Jeremoth
;
and of the sons of Pahath-moab
: Adna
, Chelal
, Benaiah
, Maaseiah
, Mattaniah
, Bezalel
, Binnui
and Manasseh
;
and of the sons of Harim
: Eliezer
, Isshijah
, aMalchijah
, Shemaiah
, Shimeon
,
Benjamin, Malluch
and Shemariah
;
of the sons of Hashum
: Mattenai
, Mattattah
, Zabad
, Eliphelet
, Jeremai
, Manasseh
and Shimei
;
of the sons of Bani
: Maadai
, Amram
, Uel
,
Of the sons of aNebo
there were Jeiel
, Mattithiah
, Zabad
, Zebina
, Jaddai
, Joel
and Benaiah
.
All these
had married
aforeign
wives
, and some
of them had
wives
by whom they had
children
.