Ezra 9-10

Complete Jewish Bible

9 After these things had been done, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Isra’el, the cohanim and the L’vi’im have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands and their disgusting practices — the Kena‘ani, Hitti, P’rizi, Y’vusi, ‘Amoni, Mo’avi, Egyptians and Emori. ²They have taken some of the women from these nations as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has assimilated to the peoples of the lands; moreover, the officials and leaders have been the main offenders in this treachery.” ³When I heard this, I tore my robe and tunic, pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down in shock. ⁴All who trembled at the words of the God of Isra’el assembled around me when confronted with the treachery of these exiles; and I sat there in shock until the evening offering.

⁵At the evening offering, with my cloak and tunic torn, I got up from afflicting myself, fell on my knees, spread out my hands to Adonai my God, ⁶and said, “My God, I am ashamed. I blush to lift my face to you, my God! For our sins tower over our heads; our guilt reaches up to heaven. ⁷Since the times of our ancestors, we have been deeply guilty; and because of our sins, we, our kings and our cohanim have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to exile, to pillage and to disgrace, as is the case today. ⁸Now, for a brief moment, Adonai our God has shown us the favor of allowing a remnant to escape and giving us a secure foothold in his holy place, in order for God to make things look brighter to us and revive us a little in our slavery. ⁹For we are slaves. Yet our God has not abandoned us in our slavery, but has caused the kings of Persia to extend grace to us, reviving us, so that we can rebuild the house of our God, repair its ruins, and have a wall of defense in Y’hudah and Yerushalayim.

¹⁰“But now, our God, what are we to say after this? For we have abandoned your mitzvot, ¹¹which you gave us through your servants the prophets when they said, ‘The land which you are going to in order to take possession of it is a land defiled by the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, because of their disgusting practices, which have filled it with their filth from one end to the other. ¹²Therefore, you are not to give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons; and you are not to promote their peace or prosperity ever. Only in this way will you grow strong, enjoy the good things of the land and leave it as a lasting inheritance to your children.’ ¹³Now, after all that has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our deep guilt — and even so, you, our God, have punished us less than our sins deserve and have given us a surviving remnant — ¹⁴are we to break your mitzvot again by making marriages with the peoples who have these disgusting practices? Won’t you become so angry with us that you would destroy us completely, so that there would be no surviving remnant and no one who escapes? ¹⁵Adonai, God of Isra’el! You are just; yet we have been left a surviving remnant that has escaped, as is the case today. Look, we are before you in our guilt; because of it, no one can stand in your presence.”

10 While ‘Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrated before the house of God, a huge crowd of Isra’el’s men, women and children gathered around him; and the people were weeping bitterly. ²Sh’khanyah the son of Yechi’el, one of the descendants of ‘Eilam, spoke up and said to ‘Ezra, “We have acted treacherously toward our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples of the land. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Isra’el. ³We should make a covenant with our God to send away all these wives, along with their children, in obedience to the advice of Adonai and of those who tremble at the mitzvah of our God; let us act in accordance with the Torah. ⁴Stand up, and do your duty, for we are with you; take courage, and do it!”

⁵‘Ezra stood up, and he made the chief cohanim, the L’vi’im and all Isra’el swear that they would act according to what had been said; and they took the oath. ⁶‘Ezra then left his place in front of the house of God and went to the room of Y’hochanan the son of Elyashiv. After going there, he neither ate food nor drank water; because he was mourning over the treachery of the exiles.

⁷A proclamation was issued throughout Y’hudah and Yerushalayim that all the exiles were to assemble in Yerushalayim; ⁸and that whoever didn’t come within three days, in answer to the summons from the officials and leaders, would forfeit all he owned and himself be banished from the community of the exiles. ⁹All the men of Y’hudah and Binyamin assembled in Yerushalayim within the three days. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month. All the people sat in the open place in front of the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain. ¹⁰‘Ezra the cohen stood up and addressed them: “You have acted treacherously by marrying foreign women and have thus increased Isra’el’s guilt. ¹¹Now, therefore, make confession to Adonai, the God of your ancestors; and do what will please him by separating yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign women.” ¹²In response, the whole assembly cried aloud, “Yes, our duty is to do as you have said. ¹³But there are many people, and it’s the rainy season — we can’t stay out here in the open. Also, it isn’t the work of a day or two; for there are many of us who have committed this crime. ¹⁴Let our leaders represent the whole community; and let all those in our cities who have married foreign women appear at prearranged times, accompanied by the elders and judges of each city; until our God’s fierce anger over this has been turned away from us.” ¹⁵Only Yonatan the son of ‘Asah’el and Yachz’yah the son of Tikvah, supported by Meshulam and Shabtai the Levi, opposed this.

¹⁶The exiles did as agreed. ‘Ezra the cohen chose heads of fathers’ clans by name, and they began their sessions to look into the matter on the first day of the tenth month. ¹⁷They finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women by the first day of the first month.

¹⁸Among the cohanim were found these who had married foreign women: of the sons of Yeshua the son of Yotzadak and his brothers: Ma‘aseiyah, Eli‘ezer, Yariv and G’dalyah. ¹⁹They promised that they would send their wives away; and since they were guilty, they offered a ram from the flock for their guilt. ²⁰Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Z’vadyah; ²¹of the sons of Harim: Ma‘aseiyah, Eliyah, Sh’ma‘yah, Yechi’el and ‘Uziyah; ²²of the sons of Pash’chur: Elyo‘einai, Ma‘aseiyah, Yishma‘el, N’tan’el, Yozavad and El‘asah.

²³Of the L’vi’im: Yozavad, Shim‘i, K’layah (also known as K’lita), P’tachyah, Y’hudah and Eli‘ezer.

²⁴Of the singers: Elyashiv.

Of the gatekeepers: Shalum, Telem and Uri.

²⁵Of Isra’el: of the descendants of Par‘osh: Ramyah, Yizziyah, Malkiyah, Miyamin, El‘azar, Malkiyah and B’nayah; ²⁶of the descendants of ‘Eilam: Mattanyah, Z’kharyah, Yechi’el, ‘Avdi, Yeremot and Eliyah; ²⁷of the descendants of Zatu: Elyo‘einai, Elyashiv, Mattanyah, Yeremot, Zavad and ‘Aziza; ²⁸of the descendants of B’vai: Y’hochanan, Hananyah, Zabai and ‘Atlai; ²⁹of the descendants of Bani: Meshulam, Malukh, ‘Adayah, Yashuv, Sh’al and Ramot; ³⁰of the descendants of Pachat-Mo’av: ‘Adna, K’lal, B’nayah, Ma‘aseiyah, Mattanyah, B’tzal’el, Binui and M’nasheh; ³¹of the descendants of Harim: Eli‘ezer, Yishiyah, Malkiyah, Sh’ma‘yah, Shim‘on, ³²Binyamin, Malukh, and Sh’maryah; ³³of the descendants of Hashum: Matnai, Matatah, Zavad, Elifelet, Yeremai, M’nasheh and Shim‘i; ³⁴of the descendants of Bani: Ma‘adai, ‘Amram, U’el, ³⁵B’nayah, Bedyah, K’luhu, ³⁶Vanyah, M’remot, Elyashiv, ³⁷Mattanyah, Matnai, Ya‘asai, ³⁸Bani, Binui, Shim‘i, ³⁹Shelemyah, Natan, ‘Adayah, ⁴⁰Makhnavdai, Shashai, Sharai, ⁴¹‘Azar’el, Shelemyah, Sh’maryah, ⁴²Shalum, Amaryah and Yosef; and ⁴³of the descendants of N’vo: Ye‘i’el, Mattityah, Zavad, Z’vina, Yadai, Yo’el and B’nayah.