Ezra 10:1-17
World English Bible
10 Now while Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before God’s house, there was gathered together to him out of Israel a very great assembly of men and women and children; for the people wept very bitterly. 2 Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered Ezra, “We have trespassed against our God, and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land. Yet now there is hope for Israel concerning this thing. 3 Now therefore let’s make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and those who are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the law. 4 Arise; for the matter belongs to you, and we are with you. Be courageous, and do it.”
5 Then Ezra arose, and made the chiefs of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they would do according to this word. So they swore. 6 Then Ezra rose up from before God’s house, and went into the room of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. When he came there, he ate no bread, nor drank water; for he mourned because of the trespass of those of the captivity. 7 They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together to Jerusalem; 8 and that whoever didn’t come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited, and himself separated from the assembly of the captivity.
9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together to Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the wide place in front of God’s house, trembling because of this matter, and because of the great rain.
10 Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have trespassed, and have married foreign women, to increase the guilt of Israel. 11 Now therefore make confession to Yahweh, the God of your fathers, and do his pleasure; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the foreign women.”
12 Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, “We must do as you have said concerning us. 13 But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand outside. This is not a work of one day or two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter. 14 Now let our princes be appointed for all the assembly, and let all those who are in our cities who have married foreign women come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and its judges, until the fierce wrath of our God is turned from us, until this matter is resolved.”
15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah stood up against this; and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.
16 The children of the captivity did so. Ezra the priest, with certain heads of fathers’ households, after their fathers’ houses, and all of them by their names, were set apart; and they sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter. 17 They finished with all the men who had married foreign women by the first day of the first month.
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Ezra 10:1-17
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.
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