< Ezra 10 >

1 And at Ezra's praying, and at his making confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there have been gathered unto him out of Israel an assembly very great — men and women and children — for the people have wept, multiplying weeping.
Now 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.
2 And Shechaniah son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answereth and saith to Ezra, 'We — we have trespassed against our God, and we settle strange women of the peoples of the land; and now there is hope for Israel concerning this,
And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, [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.
3 and now, let us make a covenant with our God, to cause all the women to go out, and that which is born of them, by the counsel of the Lord, and of those trembling at the command of our God, and according to law it is done;
Now 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.
4 rise, for on thee [is] the matter, and we [are] with thee; be strong, and do.'
Arise; for [this] matter [belongeth] unto thee: we also [will be] with thee: be of good courage, and do [it].
5 And Ezra riseth, and causeth the heads of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear to do according to this word — and they swear.
Then 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.
6 And Ezra riseth from before the house of God, and goeth unto the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib; yea, he goeth there, bread he hath not eaten, and water he hath not drunk, for he is mourning because of the trespass of the removal.
Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: 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.
7 And they cause a voice to pass over into Judah and Jerusalem, to all sons of the removal, to be gathered to Jerusalem,
And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;
8 and every one who cometh not in by the third day, according to the counsel of the heads and of the elders, all his substance is devoted, and himself separated from the assembly of the removal.
And 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.
9 And gathered are all the men of Judah and Benjamin to Jerusalem by the third day, it [is] the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sit in the broad place of the house of God, trembling on account of the matter and of the showers.
Then 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.
10 And Ezra the priest riseth, and saith unto them, 'Ye — ye have trespassed, and ye settle strange women, to add to the guilt of Israel;
And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.
11 and, now, make confession to Jehovah, God of your fathers, and do His good pleasure, and be separated from the peoples of the land, and from the strange women.'
Now 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.
12 And all the assembly answer and say [with] a great voice, 'Right; according to thy word — on us to do;
Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.
13 but the people [are] many, and [it is] the time of showers, and there is no power to stand without, and the work [is] not for one day, nor for two, for we have multiplied to transgress in this thing.
But 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.
14 'Let, we pray thee, our heads of all the assembly stand, and all who [are] in our cities, who have settled strange wives, do come in at the times appointed, and with them the elders of city and city, and its judges, till the turning back of the fury of the wrath of our God from us, for this thing.'
Let 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.
15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel, and Jahaziah son of Tikvah, stood against this, and Meshullam, and Shabbethai the Levite, helped them.
Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this [matter: ] and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.
16 And the sons of the removal do so, and Ezra the priest, [and] men, heads of the fathers, for the house of their fathers, are separated, even all of them by name, and they sit on the first day of the tenth month, to examine the matter;
And 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.
17 and they finish with all the men who have settled strange women unto the first day of the first month.
And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.
18 And there are found of the sons of the priests that have settled strange women: of the sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brethren, Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah;
And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: [namely], of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.
19 and they give their hand to send out their wives, and, being guilty, a ram of the flock, for their guilt.
And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and [being] guilty, [they offered] a ram of the flock for their trespass.
20 And of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah;
And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.
21 and of the sons of Harim: Masseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah;
And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22 and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 And of the Levites: Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah — he [is] Kelita, — Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same [is] Kelita, ) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 And of the singers: Eliashib. And of the gatekeepers: Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.
Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.
25 And of Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchijah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
26 And of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Elijah.
And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.
27 And of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.
And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.
28 And of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai.
Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, [and] Athlai.
29 And of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.
And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.
30 And of the sons of Pahath-Moab: Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.
And of the sons of Pahath-moab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.
31 And of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
And [of] the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 Benjamin, Malluch, Shemariah.
Benjamin, Malluch, [and] Shemariah.
33 Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei.
Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, [and] Shimei.
34 Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhu,
Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,
Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,
38 and Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
39 and Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
40 Machnadbai, Shashai, Sharai,
Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Shallum, Amariah, Joseph.
Shallum, Amariah, [and] Joseph.
43 Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah;
Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.
44 all these have taken strange women, and there are of them women — who adopt sons.
All these had taken strange wives: and [some] of them had wives by whom they had children.

< Ezra 10 >