1 N ow while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly.

Now while Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there gathered to him out of Israel a very great assembly of men, women, and children; for the people wept bitterly.

2 S hecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, “ We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this.

And Shecaniah son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra: We have broken faith and dealt treacherously against our God and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land; yet now there is still hope for Israel in spite of this thing.

3 S o now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God; and let it be done according to the Law.

4 A rise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; be courageous and act.”

Arise, for it is your duty, and we are with you. Be strong and brave and do it.

5 T hen Ezra rose and made the leading priests, the Levites and all Israel, take oath that they would do according to this proposal; so they took the oath.

Then Ezra arose and made the chiefs of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear that they would do as had been said. So they took the oath.

6 T hen Ezra rose from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, he did not eat bread nor drink water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

Then Ezra came from before the house of God and went into the lodging place of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. There he ate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned over the returned exiles’ faithlessness.

7 T hey made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they should assemble at Jerusalem,

And proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles, that they should assemble in Jerusalem,

8 a nd 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.

And that whoever did not come within three days, by order of the officials and the elders, all his property should be forfeited and he himself banned from the assembly of the exiles.

9 S o 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, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain.

Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within three days. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month, and all the people sat in the open space before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain.

10 T hen Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel.

And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, You have acted wickedly and broken faith and have married foreign (heathen) women, increasing the guilt of Israel.

11 N ow therefore, make confession to the Lord God of your fathers and do His will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.”

So now make confession and give thanks to the Lord, the God of your fathers, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from foreign (heathen) wives.

12 T hen all the assembly replied with a loud voice, “That’s right! As you have said, so it is our duty to do.

Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, As you have said, so must we do.

13 B ut 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.

But the people are many and it is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand outside. Nor can this work be done in a day or two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter.

14 L et our leaders represent 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 fierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us.”

Let our officials stand for the whole assembly; let all in our cities who have foreign wives come by appointment, and with each group the elders of that city and its judges, until the fierce wrath of our God over this matter is turned away from us.

15 O nly Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.

Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.

16 B ut the exiles did so. And Ezra the priest selected men who were heads of fathers’ households for each of their father’s households, all of them by name. So they convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter.

Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest and certain heads of fathers’ houses were selected, according to their fathers’ houses, each of them by name; and they sat down on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter.

17 T hey finished investigating all the men who had married foreign wives by the first day of the first month. List of Offenders

And by the first day of the first month they had come to the end of the cases of the men married to foreign wives.

18 A mong the sons of the priests who had married foreign wives were found of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah.

Of the sons of the priests who had married non-Jewish women were found: of the sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brethren: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19 T hey pledged to put away their wives, and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their offense.

They solemnly vowed to put away their wives, and, being guilty, offered a ram of the flock for guilt.

20 O f the sons of Immer there were Hanani and Zebadiah;

Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

21 a nd of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah;

Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.

22 a nd of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.

Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

23 O f Levites there were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.

Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

24 O f the singers there was Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri.

Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

25 O f Israel, of the sons of Parosh there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah;

And of Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah (Hashabiah), and Benaiah.

26 a nd of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah;

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

27 a nd of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza;

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

28 a nd of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai;

Of the sons also of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

29 a nd of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth;

Of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.

30 a nd of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh;

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

31 a nd of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

Of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

32 B enjamin, Malluch and Shemariah;

Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

33 o f the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei;

Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

34 o f the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,

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

35 B enaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,

Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi (Cheluhu),

36 V aniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37 M attaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu,

Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu,

38 B ani, Binnui, Shimei,

Bani, Binnui, Shimei,

39 S helemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,

Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,

40 M achnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

41 A zarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

42 S hallum, Amariah and Joseph.

Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

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

Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Iddo (Jaddai), Joel, and Benaiah.

44 A ll these had married foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

All these had married foreign women, and some of the wives had borne children.