1 ¶ Now as Ezra prayed and 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; and the people wept very sore.

Ezra was praying and telling their sins, and crying and lying on the ground before the house of God. Many people, men, women and children, gathered around him from Israel, for the people cried with many tears.

2 T hen Shechaniah, the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have rebelled against our God and have taken strange women of the peoples of the land, but there is yet hope for Israel concerning this thing.

Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have not been faithful to our God. We have married strange women from the people of the land. But even so, there is hope for Israel.

3 N ow, therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to send away all the women and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of the Lord and of those that fear the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

So let us make an agreement with our God to put away all the wives and their children. Let this be done by the wise words of my lord and of those who shake with fear at the Word of our God. And let it be done by the Law.

4 A rise; for this matter belongs unto thee; we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.

Get up, for this is your duty, but we will be with you. Have strength of heart and do it.”

5 T hen Ezra arose and made the princes of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel, swear that they should do according to this word. And they swore.

So Ezra got up and made the head religious leaders, the Levites and all Israel promise that they would do as he had said, and they promised.

6 ¶ 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 there, he ate no bread, nor drank water; for he mourned because of the transgression of those that had been carried away.

Then Ezra got up from before the house of God and went into the room of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. He went there, but he did not eat bread or drink water, for he was filled with sorrow because the people who returned had not been faithful to God.

7 A nd they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the sons of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem

And it was made known to all the Jews who had returned to Judah and Jerusalem that they should gather together at Jerusalem.

8 a nd that whoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and of the elders, all his substance should be forfeited and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.

Whoever would not come within three days, as the leaders had said, would have all he owned taken away from him. He would be sent away from the people who had returned from Babylon.

9 T hus were all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month; and all the people sat in the plaza of the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the rains.

So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered together at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month. All the people sat in the open space before the house of God, shaking because of this trouble and because of much rain.

10 A nd Ezra, the priest, stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed because ye have taken strange women, thus increasing the guiltiness of Israel.

Then Ezra the religious leader stood up and said to them, “You have been sinful and have married wives of strange lands, adding to the guilt of Israel.

11 N ow, therefore, make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers and do his will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the lands and from the strange women.

So now tell your sins to the Lord God of your fathers, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from the strange wives.”

12 T hen all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, Let it be done according to thy word.

Then all the people answered with a loud voice, “That is right! We must do as you have said.

13 B ut the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and there is no strength to stand in the street; neither is this a work of one day or two; for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.

But there are many people, and there is much rain. We cannot stand in the open. This cannot be done in one or two days, for we have sinned very much.

14 L et our rulers of all the congregation now stand, and let all those who have taken strange women in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of each city and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter is turned from us.

Let our leaders speak for all the people. Then let all those in our cities who have married strange wives come at certain times, together with the leaders and judges of each city. Let this be done until the anger of our God, because of this sin, is turned away from us.”

15 ¶ Jonathan, the son of Asahel, and Jahaziah, the son of Tikvah, were placed over this matter; and Meshullam and Shabbethai, the Levites, helped them.

Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah were against this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite following them.

16 A nd the sons of the captivity did so. And Ezra, the priest, and the men who were the heads of the fathers in the house of their fathers were separated, all of them by their names, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to inquire into the matter.

But the other people who had returned from Babylon agreed to do this. Ezra the religious leader chose men who were leaders of family groups for each of their fathers’ houses. Each of them were chosen by name. So they met together on the first day of the tenth month to look into the problem.

17 A nd they finished, with all the men that had taken strange women by the first day of the first month.

And by the first day of the first month, they finished finding the names of all the men who had married wives from the other nations.

18 A nd among the sons of the priests that had taken strange women these were found: Of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and of his brethren: Maaseiah and Eliezer, and Jarib and Gedaliah.

Of the sons of the religious leaders who had married strange wives were found the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19 A nd they gave their hands that they would send away their women; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their guiltiness.

They promised to put away their wives, and because they were guilty, they gave a ram of the flock for their sin.

20 A nd of the sons of Immer; Hanani and Zebadiah.

And there were Hanani and Zebadiah of the sons of Immer,

21 A nd of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.

and Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah, of the sons of Harim,

22 A nd of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

and Elionai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah, of the sons of Pashur.

23 A nd of the sons of the Levites; Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,)Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

Of the Levites there were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

24 A nd of the singers; Eliashib; and of the porters; Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

Of the singers there was Eliashib. Of the gate-keepers there were Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

25 L ikewise of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, Jeziah, Malchiah, Miamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah.

Of Israel, there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah, of the sons of Parosh.

26 A nd of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Eliah.

There were Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah, of the sons of Elam.

27 A nd of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.

There were Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza, of the sons of Zattu.

28 A nd of the sons of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

There were Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai, of the sons of Bebai.

29 A nd of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Ramoth.

There were Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeramoth, of the sons of Bani.

30 A nd of the sons of Pahath-moab; Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, Binnui, and Manasseh.

There were Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh, of the sons of Pahath-moab.

31 A nd of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

Of the sons of Harim, there were Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

32 B enjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

33 O f the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

There were Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei, of the sons of Hashum.

34 O f the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,

Of the sons of Bani, there were Maadai, Amram, Uel,

35 B enaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,

Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,

36 V aniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37 M attaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,

Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu,

38 B ani, Binnui, Shimei,

Bani, Binnui, Shimei,

39 S helemiah, Nathan, and Adaiah,

Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,

40 M achnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

41 A zareel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

42 S hallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

43 A nd of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, Joel, and Benaiah.

And there were Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah, of the sons of Nebo.

44 A ll these had taken strange women, and there were women of theirs who had given birth to sons.

All these had married wives of the other nations, and some of the wives had given birth to children.