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.

As Ezra prayed and confessed, he wept and threw himself down before God's house. A very great assembly of Israelite men, women, and children gathered to him, for the people were weeping very greatly.

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,

Shekaniah son of Jehiel of the descendants of Elam said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the people of the other lands. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel.

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;

So now let us make a covenant with our God to send out all the women and their children according to the Lord's instructions and the instructions of those who tremble at the commandments 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 thing is for you to carry out, and we are with you. Be strong and do this.”

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.

So Ezra rose and made the priestly officials, the Levites, and all of Israel promise to act in this way. So they all took a solemn oath.

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 from before God's house and went to the rooms of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. He did not eat any bread or drink any water, since he was mourning concerning the faithlessness of those who had been in captivity.

7 And they cause a voice to pass over into Judah and Jerusalem, to all sons of the removal, to be gathered to Jerusalem,

So they sent word in Judah and Jerusalem to all the people back from exile to assemble in 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.

Anyone who did not come in three days according to the instructions from the officials and elders forfeited all of his possessions and would be excluded from the great assembly of the people who had come back from exile.

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.

So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem in three days. It was the ninth month and the twentieth day of the month. All the people stood in the square before God's house and trembled because of the word and the 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;

Ezra the priest arose and said, “You yourselves have committed treason. You lived with foreign women so as to increase Israel's guilt.

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.'

But now give praise to Yahweh, your ancestors' God, and do his will. Separate from the people of the land and from the foreign women.”

12 And all the assembly answer and say [with] a great voice, 'Right; according to thy word — on us to do;

All the assembly answered in a loud voice, “We will do as you have said.

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.

However, there are many people, and it is the rainy season. We have no strength to stand outside, and this is not only one or two days of work, since we have greatly transgressed in this matter.

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.'

So let our officials represent all the assembly. Let all who have allowed foreign women to live in our cities come at the time that will be fixed with the city elders and the city judges until the raging wrath of our God goes away from us.”

15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel, and Jahaziah son of Tikvah, stood against this, and Meshullam, and Shabbethai the Levite, helped them.

Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported 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;

So the people who returned from exile did this. Ezra the priest selected men, the leaders in their ancestors' clans and houses—all of them by name, and they looked into the matter on the first day of the tenth month.

17 and they finish with all the men who have settled strange women unto the first day of the first month.

By the first day of the first month they had finished discovering which men had lived with foreign women.

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;

Among the descendants of the priests there were those who had lived with foreign women. Among the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers there were Maaseiah, Eliezer, 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.

So they determined to send their wives away. Since they were guilty, they offered a ram from the flock for their guilt.

20 And of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah;

Among the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

21 and of the sons of Harim: Masseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah;

Among the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.

22 and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

Among the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

23 And of the Levites: Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah — he [is] Kelita, — Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah—that is, Kelita, Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

24 And of the singers: Eliashib. And of the gatekeepers: Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.

Among the singers: Eliashib. Among the gatekeepers: Shallum, 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.

Among the rest of the Israelites—among the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah.

26 And of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Elijah.

Among the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.

27 And of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.

Among the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.

28 And of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai.

Among the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

29 And of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.

Among the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluk, Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal Jeremoth.

30 And of the sons of Pahath-Moab: Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.

Among the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.

31 And of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

Among the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

32 Benjamin, Malluch, Shemariah.

Benjamin, Malluk, and Shemariah.

33 Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei.

Among the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

34 Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel,

Among the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,

35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhu,

Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi,

36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,

Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.

38 and Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,

Among the descendants of Binnui: Shimei,

39 and Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,

Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,

40 Machnadbai, Shashai, Sharai,

Maknadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

41 Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,

Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

42 Shallum, Amariah, Joseph.

Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

43 Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah;

Among the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.

44 all these have taken strange women, and there are of them women — who adopt sons.

All of these had taken foreign wives and had children with some of them.