Ezra 10
Christian Standard Bible
Sending Away Foreign Wives
10 While Ezra prayed and confessed, weeping and falling facedown(A) before the house of God, an extremely large assembly of Israelite men, women, and children gathered around him. The people also wept bitterly.(B) 2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel,(C) an Elamite, responded to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the surrounding peoples,(D) but there is still hope for Israel in spite of this. 3 Therefore, let’s make a covenant before our God(E) to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God.(F) Let it be done according to the law. 4 Get up, for this matter is your responsibility,(G) and we support you. Be strong and take action!” (H)
5 Then Ezra got up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do what had been said; so they took the oath.(I) 6 Ezra then went from the house of God and walked to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, where he spent the night.[a] He did not eat food or drink water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.(J)
7 They circulated a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should gather at Jerusalem. 8 Whoever did not come within three days would forfeit all his possessions,[b] according to the decision of the leaders and elders, and would be excluded(K) from the assembly of the exiles.
9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. On the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people sat in the square at the house of God,(L) trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain. 10 Then the priest Ezra stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt.(M) 11 Therefore, make a confession to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the surrounding peoples and your foreign wives.”
12 Then all the assembly responded loudly, “Yes, we will do as you say! 13 But there are many people, and it is the rainy season. We don’t have the stamina to stay out in the open. This isn’t something that can be done in a day or two, for we have rebelled terribly in this matter. 14 Let our leaders represent the entire assembly. Then let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each town, in order to avert the fierce anger of our God(N) concerning[c] this matter.” 15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam(O) and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.
16 The exiles did what had been proposed. The priest Ezra selected men[d] who were family heads, all identified by name, to represent[e] their ancestral families.[f] 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 dealt with all the men who had married foreign women.
Those Married to Foreign Wives
18 The following were found to have married foreign women from the descendants of the priests:
from the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19 They pledged[g] to send their wives away, and being guilty, they offered a ram from the flock for their guilt;(P)
20 Hanani and Zebadiah from Immer’s(Q) descendants;
21 Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah from Harim’s(R) descendants;
22 Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah from Pashhur’s(S) descendants.
23 The Levites:(T)
Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 The singers:(U)
Eliashib.
The gatekeepers:(V)
Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 The Israelites:(W)
Parosh’s descendants:(X) Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah,[h] and Benaiah;
26 Elam’s descendants:(Y) Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah;
27 Zattu’s descendants:(Z) Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza;
28 Bebai’s descendants:(AA) Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai;
29 Bani’s descendants:(AB) Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth;
30 Pahath-moab’s descendants:(AC) Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh;
31 Harim’s descendants:(AD) Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah;
33 Hashum’s descendants:(AE) Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei;
34 Bani’s descendants:(AF) Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu, 38 Bani, Binnui, Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph;
43 Nebo’s descendants:(AG) Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
44 All of these(AH) had married foreign women, and some of the wives had given birth to children.(AI)
Footnotes
- 10:6 1 Esdras 9:2, Syr; MT, Vg read he went
- 10:8 Lit would set apart all his possessions for destruction
- 10:14 Some Hb mss, LXX, Vg; other Hb mss read until
- 10:16 1 Esdras 9:16, Syr; MT, Vg read priest and men were selected
- 10:16 Lit name, for
- 10:16 Lit the house of their fathers
- 10:19 Lit gave their hand
- 10:25 Some LXX mss, 1 Esdras 9:26 read Hashabiah
Ezra 10
New American Standard Bible
Reconciliation with God
10 Now (A)while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself (B)before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women, and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept greatly. 2 Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, “(C)We have been unfaithful to our God and have [a]married foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. 3 So now (D)let’s make a covenant with our God to send away all the wives and [b](E)their children, following the counsel of [c]my lord and of (F)those who fear the commandment of our God; and let it be done (G)according to the Law. 4 Arise! For this matter is [d]your responsibility, but we will be with you; (H)be courageous and act.”
5 Then Ezra stood and (I)made the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israel take an oath that they would do according to this [e]proposal; so they took the oath. 6 Then Ezra (J)rose from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, (K)he did not eat bread nor drink water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. 7 So they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they were to assemble at Jerusalem, 8 and that whoever did not come within three days, in accordance with the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his property would be forfeited, and he himself would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.
9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the public square before the house of God, (L)trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives, adding to the guilt of Israel. 11 Now therefore, (M)make confession to the Lord God of your fathers and (N)do His will; and (O)separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.” 12 Then all the assembly replied with a loud voice, “It is [f]our duty to do exactly as you have said! 13 However, there are many people, it is the rainy season, and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor can the task be done in one or two days, because we have done a great wrong in this matter. 14 Please let our leaders [g]represent all the assembly and have all those in our cities who have married foreign wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each city, until the (P)fierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us.” 15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah [h]opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.
16 But the exiles did so. And [i]Ezra the priest selected men who were the heads of fathers’ households for each of their father’s households, all of them by name. So they [j]convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. 17 And they finished investigating all the men who had married foreign wives by the first day of the first month.
List of Offenders
18 Now among the sons of the priests who had married foreign wives were found of the sons of (Q)Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19 They [k]pledged to send away their wives, and being guilty, (R)they offered a ram of the flock for their guilt. 20 Of the sons of Immer, there were Hanani and Zebadiah; 21 and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah; 22 and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 Of the Levites there were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 Of the singers there was Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 Of Israel, of the sons of (S)Parosh there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah; 26 and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah; 27 and of the sons of (T)Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza; 28 and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai; 29 and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth; 30 and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh; 31 and of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, (U)Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah; 33 of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei; 34 of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu, 38 Bani, Binnui, Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. 43 Of the sons of (V)Nebo there were Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. 44 All of these men had married (W)foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
Footnotes
- Ezra 10:2 Lit given dwelling to
- Ezra 10:3 Lit that which is born of them
- Ezra 10:3 Or the Lord
- Ezra 10:4 Lit upon you
- Ezra 10:5 Lit word; or thing
- Ezra 10:12 Lit upon us
- Ezra 10:14 Lit stand for
- Ezra 10:15 Lit stood against
- Ezra 10:16 Heb there were set apart Ezra the priest, men...
- Ezra 10:16 Lit sat
- Ezra 10:19 Lit gave their hand
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