Israel’s Intermarriage

9 After these things had been done, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves^(A) from the surrounding peoples whose detestable practices^(B) are like those of the Canaanites, Hethites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.^{(C) 2} Indeed, the Israelite men^[a] have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed^(D) has become mixed with the surrounding peoples.^(E) The leaders^[b] and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!” ^{(F) 3} When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and robe, pulled out some of the hair from my head and beard, and sat down devastated.^(G)

Ezra’s Confession

⁴ Everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel^(H) gathered around me, because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles,^(I) while I sat devastated until the evening offering.^{(J) 5} At the evening offering, I got up from my time of humiliation, with my tunic and robe torn. Then I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God.^{(K) 6} And I said:^(L)

My God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face toward you, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads and our guilt is as high as the heavens.^{(M) 7} Our guilt has been terrible from the days of our ancestors until the present. Because of our iniquities we have been handed over, along with our kings and priests, to the surrounding kings, and to the sword, captivity, plundering, and open shame,^(N) as it is today. ⁸ But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the Lord our God to preserve a remnant^(O) for us and give us a stake^(P) in his holy place. Even in our slavery, God has given us a little relief and light to our eyes.^{(Q) 9} Though we are slaves,^(R) our God has not abandoned us in our slavery. He has extended grace to us in the presence of the Persian kings,^(S) giving us relief, so that we can rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins,^(T) to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

¹⁰ Now, our God, what can we say in light of^[c] this? For we have abandoned the commands ¹¹ you gave through your servants the prophets, saying, “The land you are entering to possess is an impure land. The surrounding peoples have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness by their impurity and detestable practices.^{(U) 12} So do not give your daughters to their sons in marriage or take their daughters for your sons.^(V) Never pursue their welfare or prosperity,^(W) so that you will be strong, eat the good things of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.” ¹³ After all that has happened to us because of our evil deeds and terrible guilt—though you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve and have allowed us to survive^[d](X)— ¹⁴ should we break your commands again and intermarry with the peoples who commit these detestable practices?^(Y) Wouldn’t you become so angry with us that you would destroy us, leaving neither remnant nor survivor?^{(Z) 15} Lord God of Israel, you are righteous, for we survive as a remnant^(AA) today. Here we are before you with our guilt, though no one can stand in your presence because of this.^(AB)

Sending Away Foreign Wives

10 While Ezra prayed and confessed, weeping and falling facedown^(AC) before the house of God, an extremely large assembly of Israelite men, women, and children gathered around him. The people also wept bitterly.^{(AD) 2} Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel,^(AE) an Elamite, responded to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the surrounding peoples,^(AF) but there is still hope for Israel in spite of this. ³ Therefore, let’s make a covenant before our God^(AG) 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.^(AH) Let it be done according to the law. ⁴ Get up, for this matter is your responsibility,^(AI) and we support you. Be strong and take action!” ^(AJ)

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.^{(AK) 6} Ezra then went from the house of God and walked to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, where he spent the night.^[e] He did not eat food or drink water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.^(AL)

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,^[f] according to the decision of the leaders and elders, and would be excluded^(AM) 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,^(AN) 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.^{(AO) 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^(AP) concerning^[g] this matter.” ¹⁵ Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam^(AQ) and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.

¹⁶ The exiles did what had been proposed. The priest Ezra selected men^[h] who were family heads, all identified by name, to represent^[i] their ancestral families.^[j] 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:

²³ The Levites:^(AV)

²⁴ The singers:^(AW)

The gatekeepers:^(AX)

²⁵ The Israelites:^(AY)

⁴⁴ All of these^(BJ) had married foreign women, and some of the wives had given birth to children.^(BK)

Paul’s Sermon in Antioch of Pisidia

¹³ Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia, but John left them and went back to Jerusalem.^{(A) 14} They continued their journey from Perga and reached Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.^{(B) 15} After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, you can speak.”^(C)

¹⁶ Paul stood up and motioned with his hand and said, “Fellow Israelites, and you who fear God, listen!^{(D) 17} The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors, made the people prosper during their stay in the land of Egypt, and led them out of it with a mighty^[a] arm.^{(E) 18} And for about forty years he put up with them^[b] in the wilderness;^{(F) 19} and after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan,^(G) he gave them their land as an inheritance. ²⁰ This all took about 450 years. After this, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.^{(H) 21} Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.^{(I) 22} After removing him,^(J) he raised up David as their king and testified about him, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man after my own heart,^[c](K) who will carry out all my will.’

²³ “From this man’s descendants, as he promised, God brought to Israel^(L) the Savior, Jesus.^{[d] 24} Before his coming to public attention, John had previously proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.^{(M) 25} Now as John was completing his mission, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the one. But one is coming after me, and I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.’^(N)

²⁶ “Brothers and sisters, children of Abraham’s race, and those among you who fear God, it is to us that the word of this salvation has been sent.^{(O) 27} Since the residents of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize him or the sayings of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, they have fulfilled their words by condemning him.^{(P) 28} Though they found no grounds for the death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him killed.^{(Q) 29} When they had carried out all that had been written about him, they took him down from the tree and put him in a tomb.^{(R) 30} But God raised him from the dead,^{(S) 31} and he appeared for many days to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.^{(T) 32} And we ourselves proclaim to you the good news of the promise that was made to our ancestors.^{(U) 33} God has fulfilled this for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm:

³⁴ As to his raising him from the dead, never to return to decay, he has spoken in this way, I will give you the holy and sure promises of David.^[g](W)

Psalm 82

A Plea for Righteous Judgment

A psalm of Asaph.^(A)