Ezra 10
1 While Ezra was praying and confessing this, weeping and lying prostrate before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites gathered around him: men, women, and children. The people were weeping bitterly.
2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, answered Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land. Yet there is still hope for Israel in this matter.
3 Now let us make a covenant with our God to send away all the women and the children born to them. Let it be done according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God, and in accordance with the Law.”
4 Rise, for this matter is your responsibility, and we are with you. Be strong and act!”
5 Ezra rose and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear to do as this had been said; and they swore.
6 Ezra left the front of the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. He went in there and ate no bread and drank no water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
7 They issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, telling them to gather in Jerusalem.
8 Anyone who did not come within three days, as decided by the officials and elders, would have all his property devoted to destruction and would himself be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.
9 All the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within 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 the matter and the heavy rain.
10 Ezra the priest stood up and said to them: “You have been unfaithful and have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt.
11 Now give praise to the LORD, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign women.”
12 The whole assembly answered in a loud voice: “Yes, we must do as you have said.
13 But the people are numerous, it is the rainy season, and we cannot stand outside. This is not a matter of one or two days, for many of us have transgressed in this matter.
14 Let our officials represent the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at appointed times, accompanied by the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God over this matter has turned away from us.”
15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, while Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.
16 The exiles did as proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, one from each family, all designated by name. They sat down on the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.
17 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, some had married foreign women: among the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers were Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
19 They pledged to send away their wives, and, guilty as they were, they offered a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.
20 Of the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
21 Of the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22 Of the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 And of Israel: of the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Miamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah.
26 Of the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.
27 Of the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
28 Of the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
29 Of the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Ramoth.
30 Of the descendants of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
31 Of the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Isshiah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Simeon,
32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
33 Of the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
34 Of the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasai,
38 Bani, Binnui, Shimei,
39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,
40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Shallum, Amariah, Joseph.
43 Of the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
44 All these had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives.
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