Ezra 10

¹ While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children from Israel gathered around him, and the people wept bitterly.

² Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples of the land. But even now, there is hope for Israel in spite of this.

³ Now let us make a covenant with our God to send away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. Let it be done according to the law.

⁴ Rise up, for this matter is your responsibility. We will support you; be strong and act."

⁵ So Ezra rose and made the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do as had been said. And they took the oath.

⁶ Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. He went there but ate no food and drank no water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

⁷ A proclamation was issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the returned exiles should assemble in Jerusalem.

⁸ Anyone who did not come within three days, by the decision of the officials and elders, would have all his property confiscated and would himself be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.

⁹ So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. All the people sat in the square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain.

¹⁰ Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful and have married foreign women, adding to the guilt of Israel.

¹¹ Now make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives."

¹² The whole assembly answered with a loud voice: "Yes! We must do as you say.

¹³ But there are many people, and it is the rainy season. We cannot stand outside. Besides, this is not a task for one or two days, because we have greatly transgressed in this matter.

¹⁴ Let our officials represent the whole assembly. Then let all in our cities who have married foreign women come at appointed times, accompanied by the elders and judges of each city, until the fierce anger of our God over this matter is turned away from us."

¹⁵ Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.

¹⁶ So the returned exiles did as proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were heads of families, each identified by name. They convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter,

¹⁷ and by the first day of the first month they had finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.

¹⁸ Among the descendants of the priests who had married foreign women were found: from the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

¹⁹ They pledged to send away their wives, and being guilty, they offered a ram from the flock for their guilt.

²⁰ From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

²¹ From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.

²² From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

²³ From the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

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

²⁵ From the Israelites: from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah, and Benaiah.

²⁶ From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.

²⁷ From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.

²⁸ From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

²⁹ From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluk, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.

³⁰ From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.

³¹ From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

³² Benjamin, Malluk, and Shemariah.

³³ From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

³⁴ From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,

³⁵ Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi,

³⁶ Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

³⁷ Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu,

³⁸ and Bani, and Binnui, and Shimei,

³⁹ and Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,

⁴⁰ Maknadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

⁴¹ Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

⁴² Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

⁴³ From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.

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