so that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his children.

Fasting and Prayer for Protection

Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the River Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our possessions.

Therefore, do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’

The People’s Response

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.

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.

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. He did not eat bread or drink water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles.

All these had married foreign women, and they sent them away with their children.