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. 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. 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. Arise! For this matter is [d]your responsibility, but we will be with you; (H)be courageous and act.”

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. 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. So they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they were to assemble at Jerusalem, 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.

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.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 10:2 Lit given dwelling to
  2. Ezra 10:3 Lit that which is born of them
  3. Ezra 10:3 Or the Lord
  4. Ezra 10:4 Lit upon you
  5. Ezra 10:5 Lit word; or thing
  6. Ezra 10:12 Lit upon us
  7. Ezra 10:14 Lit stand for
  8. Ezra 10:15 Lit stood against
  9. Ezra 10:16 Heb there were set apart Ezra the priest, men...
  10. Ezra 10:16 Lit sat

The People’s Response

10 While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him out of Israel; the people also wept bitterly.(A) Shecaniah son of Jehiel, of the descendants of Elam, addressed Ezra, saying, “We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this.(B) So now let us make a covenant with our God to send away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the law.(C) Take action, for it is your duty, and we are with you; be strong, and do it.”(D) Then Ezra stood up and made the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear that they would do as had been said. So they swore.(E)

Foreign Wives and Their Children Rejected

Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, where he spent the night.[a] He did not eat bread or drink water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles.(F) They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles that they should assemble at Jerusalem and that, if any did not come within three days, by order of the officials and the elders all their property should be forfeited and they themselves banned from the congregation of the exiles.

Then all the people of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days; it was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. All the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain.(G) 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have trespassed and married foreign women and so increased the guilt of Israel. 11 Now make confession to the Lord the God of your ancestors and do his will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.”(H) 12 Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, “It is so; we must do as you have said. 13 But the people are many, and it is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand in the open. Nor is this a task for one day or for two, for many of us have transgressed in this matter. 14 Let our officials represent the whole assembly, and let all in our towns who have taken foreign wives come at appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of every town, until the fierce wrath of our God on this account is averted from us.”(I) 15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levites supported them.

16 Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest selected men,[b] heads of families, according to their families, each of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to examine the matter.(J) 17 By the first day of the first month they had come to the end of all the men who had married foreign women.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 10.6 1 Esdras 9.2: Heb where he went
  2. 10.16 Syr: Heb And there were selected Ezra,