1 Esdras 9:1-36

Common English Bible

9 Ezra went out from the temple court to the inner room of Jehohanan, Eliashib’s son, ² and stayed the night there. He neither ate bread nor drank water, as he was mourning for the great immoral deeds of the multitude.

³ An announcement was issued throughout Judea and Jerusalem to all who had returned from exile that they should gather at Jerusalem. ⁴ Whoever didn’t meet there within two or three days, according to the order of the leading elders, their animals would be used for sacrifice and the people themselves cut off from the company of those who had returned from the exile.

⁵ Then everyone from the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin gathered together at Jerusalem within three days; this was the twentieth day of the ninth month.^{[a] 6} The whole crowd sat in the square of the temple, shivering because it was winter. ⁷ Then Ezra stood up and said, “You have broken the Law and married foreign women, and thus have increased the sin of Israel. ⁸ So confess and give glory to the Lord God of our ancestors. ⁹ Do God’s will and separate yourselves from the neighboring peoples and from the foreign women.”

¹⁰ The whole crowd cried out, “We will do what you have said. ¹¹ But it’s a big crowd, and it’s winter, and we aren’t strong enough to keep standing outside. This isn’t something we can do in one or two days, because we have sinned too greatly in these matters. ¹² So let the leaders of the crowd remain, and let all those in our settlements who have foreign wives come at a specific time, ¹³ with the local elders and judges, until we are free from the Lord’s wrath that is against us in this affair.”

¹⁴ Jonathan, Asahel’s son, and Jahzeiah, Tikvah’s^[b] son, accepted these terms, and Meshullam and Levi and Shabbethai supported them as moderators. ¹⁵ Those who had returned from exile followed these recommendations in every respect. ¹⁶ Ezra the priest chose for himself the leading men of their families, each by name. On the new moon of the tenth month^[c] they convened their investigation of this affair. ¹⁷ The cases of the men who had married foreign wives were completed by the new moon of the first month.^[d]

¹⁸ Those who were found to have married foreign wives from the priesthood were: ¹⁹ Of the family of Jeshua, Jozadak’s son, and his brothers Maaseiah, Eleazar, Jarib, and Jodan. ²⁰ They pledged to divorce their wives and to offer rams as reconciliation for their error in judgment. ²¹ Of the family of Immer: Hanani, Zebadiah, Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Azariah. ²² Of the family of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nathanael, Gedaliah, and Salthas.

²³ And of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah who was Kelita, Pethahiah, Judah, and Jonah. ²⁴ Of the temple singers: Eliashib and Zaccur.^{[e] 25} Of the gatekeepers: Shallum and Telem.^[f]

²⁶ Of Israel: of the family of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Asibias, and Benaiah. ²⁷ Of the family of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jezrielus, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. ²⁸ Of the family of Zamoth: Eliadas, Eliashib, Othoniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Zerdaiah. ²⁹ Of the family of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Emathis. ³⁰ Of the family of Mani: Olamus, Mamuchus, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. ³¹ Of the family of Addi: Naathus, Moossias, Laccunus, Naidus, Bescaspasmys, Sesthel, Belnuus, and Manasseas. ³² Of the family of Annan: Elionas, Asaias, Melchias, Sabbaias, and Simon Chosamaeus. ³³ Of the family of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Manasseh, and Shimei. ³⁴ Of the family of Bani: Jeremai, Momdius, Maerus, Joel, Mamdai, Bedeiah, Vaniah, Carabasion, Eliashib, Mamitanemus, Eliasis, Binnui, Elialis, Shimei, Shelemiah, and Nethaniah. Of the family of Ezora: Shashai, Azarel, Azael, Samatus, Zambris, and Joseph. ³⁵ Of the family of Nooma: Mazitias, Zabad, Iddo, Joel, and Benaiah. ³⁶ All these had married foreign women, and they divorced them, along with their children.