²⁴ Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, namely, Sherebiah,^(A) Hashabiah and ten of their brothers, ²⁵ and I weighed out^(B) to them the offering of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his advisers, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house of our God. ²⁶ I weighed out to them 650 talents^[a] of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents,^[b] 100 talents^[c] of gold, ²⁷ 20 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 darics,^[d] and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.

²⁸ I said to them, “You as well as these articles are consecrated to the Lord.^(C) The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your ancestors. ²⁹ Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem before the leading priests and the Levites and the family heads of Israel.” ³⁰ Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem.

³¹ On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal^(D) to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us,^(E) and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. ³² So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days.^(F)

³³ On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out^(G) the silver and gold and the sacred articles into the hands of Meremoth^(H) son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, and so were the Levites Jozabad^(I) son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui.^{(J) 34} Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the entire weight was recorded at that time.

³⁵ Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls^(K) for all Israel,^(L) ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering,^[e] twelve male goats.^(M) All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. ³⁶ They also delivered the king’s orders^(N) to the royal satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates,^(O) who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God.^(P)

Ezra’s Prayer About Intermarriage

9 After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate^(Q) from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites,^(R) Ammonites,^(S) Moabites,^(T) Egyptians and Amorites.^{(U) 2} They have taken some of their daughters^(V) as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled^(W) the holy race^(X) with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”^(Y)

³ When I heard this, I tore^(Z) my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled.^{(AA) 4} Then everyone who trembled^(AB) at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled^(AC) until the evening sacrifice.

⁵ Then, at the evening sacrifice,^(AD) I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands^(AE) spread out to the Lord my God ⁶ and prayed:

The People’s Confession of Sin

10 While Ezra was praying and confessing,^(BI) weeping^(BJ) and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. ² Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam,^(BK) said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful^(BL) to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel.^{(BM) 3} Now let us make a covenant^(BN) before our God to send away^(BO) all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. ⁴ Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.”

⁵ So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath^(BP) to do what had been suggested. 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. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water,^(BQ) because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

⁷ A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem. ⁸ Anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.

⁹ Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin^(BR) had gathered in Jerusalem. And on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain. ¹⁰ Then Ezra^(BS) the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt.^{(BT) 11} Now honor^[g] the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.”^(BU)

¹² The whole assembly responded with a loud voice:^(BV) “You are right! We must do as you say. ¹³ But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing. ¹⁴ Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges^(BW) of each town, until the fierce anger^(BX) of our God in this matter is turned away from us.” ¹⁵ Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai^(BY) the Levite, opposed this.

Paul’s Arrival at Rome

¹¹ After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexandrian ship^(A) with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. ¹² We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. ¹³ From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. ¹⁴ There we found some brothers and sisters^(B) who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. ¹⁵ The brothers and sisters^(C) there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. ¹⁶ When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.^(D)

Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard

¹⁷ Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders.^(E) When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers,^(F) although I have done nothing against our people^(G) or against the customs of our ancestors,^(H) I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. ¹⁸ They examined me^(I) and wanted to release me,^(J) because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death.^{(K) 19} The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar.^(L) I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. ²⁰ For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel^(M) that I am bound with this chain.”^(N)

²¹ They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people^(O) who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. ²² But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”^(P)