Beginning
A Holy People and Their Witness
8 Now these are the patriarchal leaders, and the genealogical records of those who came up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:
2 from the sons of Phinehas—Gershom;
from the sons of Ithamar—Daniel;
from the sons of David—Hattush;
3 from the sons of Shecaniah, of the sons of Parosh—Zechariah and with him were 150 males were enrolled by genealogy;
4 from the sons of Pahath-moab—Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah and with him were 200 males enrolled by genealogy;
5 from the sons of Shechaniah—the son of Jahaziel and 300 males with him.
6 from the sons of Adin—Ebed the son of Jonathan and 50 males with him;
7 from the sons of Elam—Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah and 70 males with him;
8 from the sons of Shephatiah—Zebadiah the son of Michael and 80 males with him;
9 from the sons of Joab—Obadiah the son of Jehiel and 128 males with him;
10 from the sons of Shelomith—the son of Josiphiah and 160 males with him;
11 from the sons of Bebai—Zechariah the son of Bebai and 28 males with him;
12 from the sons of Azgad—Johanan the son of Hakkatan and 110 males with him;
13 from the sons of Adonikam (they came later, but these are their names)—Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah and 60 males with them;
14 from the sons of Bigvai—Uthai and Zaccur and 70 males with him.
15 I assembled them at the river that flows toward Ahava. We camped there for three days, and I observed the people and the kohanim, but I did not find any Levites there. 16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, who were leaders and for Joiarib and Elnatan who were men of learning. 17 I sent them to Iddo, the leader at the place Casiphia. I put words in their mouths to speak to Iddo and his brother, who were sanctuary servants at Casiphia, in order to bring us ministers for the House of our God.
18 Now as the good hand of our God was upon us, they brought us Sherebiah, a man of insight from the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel, along with his sons and his brothers, 18 men. 19 Also Hashabiah together with Jeshaiah from the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, 20 men. 20 Also from the sanctuary servants, whom David and his officials had given for the work of the Levites, 220 sanctuary servants, all of them designated by name.
21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the Ahava River so that we might humble ourselves before our God and seek from Him a straight way for us, our little ones, and all of our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and cavalry to protect us from the enemy along the way, because we had spoken to the king saying, “The gracious hand of our God is upon everyone who seeks Him, but His great anger is against everyone who forsakes Him.” 23 So we fasted and sought our God about this, and He responded to our plea.
24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading kohanim—Sherebiah, Hashabiah and with them ten of their brothers— 25 and I weighed out for them the silver, the gold and the utensils, the contribution to the House of our God that the king, his counselors, his officials and all Israel who were present had offered. 26 Specifically, I weighed into their hand 650 talents of silver, silver utensils worth 100 talents, 100 talents of gold, 27 20 golden bowels valued at 1000 darics, and two exquisite vessels of gleaming bronze, as precious as gold.
28 Then I said to them, “You are holy to Adonai and the vessels are holy. The silver and the gold are a freewill offering to Adonai, the God of your fathers. 29 Guard them carefully until you weigh them before the leading kohanim and the Levites and the leading patriarchs of Israel in Jerusalem, in the storerooms of the House of Adonai.” 30 So the kohanim and the Levites received the silver, the gold and the vessels by weight to bring them to Jerusalem to the House of our God.
31 Then we set out from the Ahava River on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was upon us and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the way. 32 So we came to Jerusalem and remained there for three days. 33 On the fourth day the silver, the gold, and the utensils were weighed out in the House of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the kohen. Eleazar the son of Phinehas was with him, and so were the Levites Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. 34 Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the total weight was recorded at that time.
35 Then the exiles returning from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs and as a sin offering 12 male goats. All of this was a burnt offering to Adonai. 36 Then they delivered the decrees of the king to the king’s Persian governors and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who then gave help to the people and the House of God.
Interceding for Unfaithful Remnant
9 Now when these things had been completed, the leaders approached me to say: “The people of Israel, the kohanim and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands who practice detestable things just like the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons and have mingled the holy seed with the peoples of the lands. Indeed, the hand of the leaders and the officials have been at the forefront in this unfaithful act.”
3 When I heard this report, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled out some of the hair from my head and from my beard. Then I sat down devastated. 4 Everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered themselves around me because of the unfaithful act of the exiles. Devastated, I sat there until the evening offering.
5 At the time of the evening offering, I rose up from my self-abasement with my garment and robe torn, then I bowed down on my knees and spread out my hands to Adonai my God. 6 I prayed, “O my God, I am ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God! For our iniquities are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. 7 From the days of our fathers to this day our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities we, our kings and our kohanim have been subjected to the sword, to captivity, to plunder and to humiliation at the hand of the kings of the lands, as it is today.
8 “But now for a brief moment Adonai our God has shown us favor in leaving us a remnant and giving us as a peg in His holy place. Thus our God has enlightened our eyes and has given us a little relief in our bondage. 9 Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, reviving us in order to restore the House of our God, to raise up its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
10 “So now, our God, what should we say after this? For we have forsaken Your mitzvot 11 that You commanded through Your servants the prophets saying, ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land defiled by the impurities of the peoples of the lands. Through their abominations, they have filled it from one end to the other with their uncleanness. 12 Therefore, do not give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek their shalom or their welfare, so that you may be strong, eat the good things of the land and leave it as an inheritance for your children forever.’
13 “After everything that has happened to us because of our evil deeds and our great guilt—for You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and given us a remnant such as this— 14 shall we once again break Your mitzvot and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable actions as these? Would You not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor? 15 Adonai, God of Israel, You are righteous, for we are left this day as a remnant. Behold, here we are before You in our guilt; because of it no one can stand before You.”
Putting Away Pagan Wives
10 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and prostrating himself before the House of God, a very large assembly of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. The people also wept very bitterly. 2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. 3 So now let us make a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Torah. 4 Arise! For this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and do it!”
5 So Ezra rose up and made the leading kohanim, the Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do according to this word; and they took the oath. 6 Then Ezra got up from before the House of God and went into the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no bread and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
7 A proclamation was then circulated throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all of the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem. 8 Everyone who did not come within three days, would forfeit all his property according to the counsel of the officials and the elders, and would himself be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.
9 So within three days all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem. On the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the plaza before the House of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the rain. 10 Then Ezra the kohen stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful and taken foreign wives, increasing the guilt of Israel. 11 So now, give praise to Adonai, the God of your fathers, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from your foreign wives.”
12 The entire assembly answered and said with a loud voice, “Yes, we will do just as you have said. [a] 13 However, there are many people here and it is the rainy season, and we are not able to stand outside. Besides, this task cannot be resolved in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter. 14 Let our leaders stand for the whole assembly. Let everyone in our cities who has married a foreign woman come at an appointed time, and with them the elders of each city and its judges, until the burning wrath of our God is turned back from us in this matter.” 15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah stood against this, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite. 16 So the exiles did as proposed. Ezra the kohen, set apart men who were patriarchal leaders of their fathers’ households each designated by name. So they sat down on the first day of the tenth month to consider the matter, 17 and they were finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women on the first day of the first month.
18 Among the sons of the kohanim it was found that the following had married foreign women: The sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. 19 They all gave their hands in pledge to put away their wives, and for their guilt, they offered a ram of the flock as a guilt offering.
20 Also from the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
21 From the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22 From the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.
23 From the Levites:
Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah—he is Kelita—Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.
24 From the singers: Eliashib.
From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 Also from Israel:
From the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah.
26 From the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.
27 From the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
28 From the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai.
29 From the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Ramoth.
30 From the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh.
31 From the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah.
33 From the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei.
34 From the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhu, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasai, 38 Bani, Binnui, Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.
43 From the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah.
44 All these had taken foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.