Israel’s Intermarriage with Pagans

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, Hittites, 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 humiliation, with my tunic and robe torn. Then I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to Yahweh my God.^{(K) 6} And I said:^(L)

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 Let us therefore 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 Ezra the priest 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 Yahweh the God of your fathers and do His will. Separate yourselves from the surrounding peoples and your foreign wives.”

¹² Then all the assembly responded with a loud voice: “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. Ezra the priest selected men^[h] who were family leaders, all identified by name, to represent^[i] their ancestral houses. 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)

1 The words of Nehemiah^(A) son of Hacaliah:

News from Jerusalem

During the month of Chislev^[a](B) in the twentieth year,^[b](C) when I was in the fortress city of Susa,^{(D) 2} Hanani,^(E) one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah, and I questioned them about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant^(F) that had survived the exile.^{(G) 3} They said to me, “The remnant in the province,^(H) who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned down.”^(I)

Nehemiah’s Prayer

⁴ When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying^(J) before the God of heaven.^{(K) 5} I said,^(L)

At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.^(Y)

Nehemiah Sent to Jerusalem

2 During the month of Nisan^[f] in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,^(Z) when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence, ² so the king said to me, “Why are you^[g] sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but depression.”^[h](AA)

I was overwhelmed with fear ³ and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I^[i] not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”^(AB)

⁴ Then the king asked me, “What is your request?”

So I prayed to the God of heaven^{(AC) 5} and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried,^[j](AD) so that I may rebuild it.”^(AE)

⁶ The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So I gave him a definite time,^(AF) and it pleased the king to send me.

⁷ I also said to the king: “If it pleases the king, let me have letters written to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River,^(AG) so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.^{(AH) 8} And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress,^(AI) the city wall, and the home where I will live.”^[k](AJ) The king granted my requests, for I was graciously strengthened by my God.^[l](AK)

⁹ I went to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters.^(AL) The king had also sent officers of the infantry and cavalry with me. ¹⁰ When Sanballat the Horonite^(AM) and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased.^(AN)

Preparing to Rebuild the Walls

¹¹ After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,^{(AO) 12} I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took^[m] was the one I was riding. ¹³ I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s^[n] Well and the Dung Gate,^(AP) and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.^{(AQ) 14} I went on to the Fountain Gate^(AR) and the King’s Pool,^(AS) but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through. ¹⁵ So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate^(AT) and returned. ¹⁶ The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work. ¹⁷ So I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned down.^(AU) Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall,^(AV) so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” ¹⁸ I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me,^(AW) and what the king had said to me.

They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and they were encouraged^[o] to do this good work.

¹⁹ When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official,^(AX) and Geshem the Arab^(AY) heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”

²⁰ I gave them this reply, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”^(AZ)