Old/New Testament
Ezra’s Prayer
9 After these things had been ·done [completed], the ·leaders [officials] came to me and said, “Ezra, the Israelites, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the people ·around us [L of the land]. Those neighbors ·do [practice] ·evil [detestable; abominable] things, as the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites did. 2 ·The Israelite men and their sons [L They] have ·married [L taken] these women. They have ·mixed [intermingled] the ·people who belong to God [L holy race] with the people ·around them [L of the land]. The leaders and ·officers of Israel [officials] have led the rest of the Israelites to do this unfaithful thing.”
3 When I heard this, I angrily tore my ·robe [tunic; clothes] and ·coat [cloak; mantle], pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down ·in shock [devastated; appalled; in horror]. 4 Everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the ·captives [exiles] who had returned. I sat there ·in shock [devastated; appalled; in horror] until the evening ·sacrifice [offering].
5 At the evening ·sacrifice [offering] I got up from ·where I had shown my shame [my humiliation/self-abasement]. My ·robe [tunic; clothes] and ·coat [cloak; mantle] were torn, and I fell on my knees with my hands ·spread [stretched] out to the Lord my God. 6 I prayed,
“My God, I am too ashamed and ·embarrassed [disgraced] to lift up my face to you, my God, because our ·sins [iniquities] are so many. They are higher than our heads. Our guilt even ·reaches up [extends] to the ·sky [heavens]. 7 From the days of our ·ancestors [fathers] until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our ·sins [iniquities], we, our kings, and our priests have been ·punished by [L given into the hands of the kings of the land, to] the sword and ·captivity [exile]. Foreign kings have ·taken away our things [plundered; pillaged] and ·shamed [humiliated] us, even as ·it [the case] is today.
8 “But now, for a short time, the Lord our God has been ·kind [gracious; merciful] to us. He has let ·some of us [a remnant] ·come back from [escape; or survive] ·captivity [exile] and has ·let us live in safety [L given us a peg; C a tent peg symbolizing pitching a tent after travel] in his holy place. And so our God ·gives us hope [L causes our eyes to shine; C that is, revives] and a little relief ·from [in] our ·slavery [bondage]. 9 Even though we ·are [were] slaves, our God in his ·unfailing love [loyalty] ·has not left [did not abandon/forsake] us. He caused the kings of Persia to ·be kind to [look kindly on] us and has ·given us new life [revived us]. We can rebuild the ·Temple [L house] of our God and ·repair [restore] its ruins. And he has given us a wall [C of protection] in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 “But now, our God, what can we say after you have done all this? We have ·disobeyed [abandoned; forsaken] your commands 11 that you ·gave [commanded] through your servants the prophets. You said, ‘The land you are entering to ·own [possess] is ·ruined [defiled; polluted; unclean]; the people living there have ·spoiled it [defiled it; polluted it; made it unclean] by ·the evil they do [their detestable/abominable practices]. Their evil filled the land with ·uncleanness [corruption; filth; impurity] from one end to the other. 12 So do not ·let your daughters marry [L give your daughters to] their sons, and do not ·let their daughters marry [L take their daughters for] your sons. Do not wish for their peace or ·success [prosperity; welfare]. Then you will be strong and eat the good things of the land. Then you can leave ·this land [L it as an inheritance] to your ·descendants [sons] forever.’
13 “What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt. But you, our God, have punished us less than ·we [our sin/iniquities] deserve; you have left a ·few of us alive [remnant such as this]. 14 ·We should not [L Should we…?] again break your commands by ·allowing marriages [intermarrying] with these ·wicked [detestable; abominable] people. ·If we did, you would get angry [L Would not your anger be…?] enough to destroy us, ·and none of us would be left alive [without remnant or survivor]. 15 Lord, God of Israel, by your ·goodness [righteousness] a ·few of us [remnant] are left alive today. We ·admit that we are guilty [stand/come before you in our guilt] ·and [although] ·none of us should be allowed to [no one can truly] stand before you.”
The People Confess Sin
10 As Ezra was praying and confessing and crying and throwing himself down in front of the ·Temple [L house], a large group of Israelite men, women, and children gathered around him who were also crying loudly. 2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel the Elamite said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying women from the peoples around us. But even so, there is still hope for Israel. 3 Now let us make an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] before our God. We will send away all these women and their children as you and those who ·respect [L tremble at] the commands of our God advise. Let it be done to obey God’s ·Teachings [Law; L Torah]. 4 Get up, Ezra. You are in charge, and we will support you. Have courage and do it.”
5 So Ezra got up and made the priests, Levites, and all the people of Israel promise to do what was suggested; and they promised. 6 Then Ezra left the ·Temple [L house] and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While Ezra was there, he did not eat or drink, because he was still sad about the unfaithfulness of the ·captives [exiles] who had returned.
7 They sent an order in Judah and Jerusalem for all the ·captives [exiles] who had returned to meet together in Jerusalem. 8 Whoever did not come to Jerusalem within three days would lose his property and would no longer be a member of the community of the returned ·captives [exiles]. That was the decision of the officers and elders.
9 So within three days all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month. All the men were sitting in the open place in front of the ·Temple [L house] and were upset because of the meeting and because it was raining. 10 Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful and have married ·non-Jewish [L foreign] women. You have made Israel more guilty. 11 Now, confess it to the Lord, the God of your ·ancestors [fathers]. Do his will and separate yourselves from the people living around you and from your ·non-Jewish [L foreign] wives.”
12 Then the whole group answered Ezra with a loud voice, “Ezra, you’re right! We must do what you say. 13 But there are many people here, and it’s the rainy season. We can’t stand outside, and this problem can’t be solved in a day or two, because we have sinned badly. 14 Let our officers make a decision for the whole group. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a non-Jewish woman meet with the elders and judges of each town at a planned time, until the hot anger of our God turns away from us.” 15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel, Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, Meshullam, and Shabbethai the Levite were against the plan.
16 So the returned ·captives [exiles] did what was suggested. Ezra the priest chose men who were leaders of the family groups and named one from each family division. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to study each case. 17 By the first day of the first month, they had finished with all the men who had married non-Jewish women.
Those Guilty of Marrying Non-Jewish Women
18 These are the ·descendants [sons; C and so throughout this section] of the priests who had married foreign women:
From the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak [3:2] and Jeshua’s brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19 (They all promised to ·divorce [send away; L put out] their wives, and each one brought a male sheep from the flock as a ·penalty [guilt; reparation] offering [Lev. 5:14—6:7].)
20 From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
21 From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22 From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 Among the singers: Eliashib.
Among the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 And among the other Israelites, these married ·non-Jewish [L foreign] women:
From the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah, and Benaiah.
26 From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.
27 From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
28 From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
29 From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.
30 From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
31 From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
33 From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
34 From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.
38 From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
43 From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
44 All these men had married ·non-Jewish [L foreign] women, and some of them had children by these wives.
Luke’s Second Volume
1 ·To [L O] Theophilus [C a name meaning “Lover of God”; probably a specific individual, though possibly addressing all who love God].
The ·first [or former; previous] ·book [account; C a reference to the Gospel of Luke] I wrote was about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up into heaven. Before this, ·with the help of [through] the Holy Spirit, Jesus ·told [instructed; commanded] the apostles he had chosen [Luke 6:13] what they should do. 3 After his ·death [L suffering], he showed himself to them and ·proved [provided undeniable evidence] in many ways that he was alive [Luke 24:13–49]. The apostles saw Jesus during the forty days after he was raised from the dead, and he spoke to them about the kingdom of God. 4 Once when he was ·eating [or staying; meeting] with them, he ·told [commanded] them not to leave Jerusalem. He said, “Wait here to receive the promise from the Father [C the gift of the Holy Spirit] which I told you about [Luke 24:49]. 5 John baptized people ·with [or in] water [Luke 3:1–20], but in a few days you will be baptized ·with [by; or in] the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus Is Taken Up into Heaven
6 When the apostles were all together, they ·asked [kept asking] Jesus, “Lord, are you ·now [at this time] going to ·give the kingdom back [restore the kingdom] to Israel [C Israel had lived for centuries under the oppression of foreign nations; Jer. 16:15; 23:8; Hos. 11:8–11; the disciples were expecting the messianic kingdom; Is. 9:1–7; 11:1–16]?”
7 Jesus said to them, “The Father is the only One who has the ·authority [or power] to ·decide [set] dates and times [Mark 13:32]. These things are not for you to know. 8 But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem [2:1—8:3], in all of Judea, in Samaria [8:4—11:18], and ·in every part of the world [to the ends of the earth; 11:19—28:31; Luke 24:45–48].”
9 After he said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud ·hid him from [or took him out of; C a reference to the cloud chariot; Dan. 7:13–14] their sight [C a description of Christ’s ascension into heaven]. 10 As he was going, they were ·looking [staring; gazing] into the ·sky [heavens]. Suddenly, two men wearing white clothes [C angels] stood beside them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here ·looking into [staring at] ·the sky [heaven]? Jesus, whom you saw taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go [C on a cloud; Luke 21:27].”
A New Apostle Is Chosen
12 Then they went back to Jerusalem from the Mount ·of Olives [or called Olivet]. (This mountain is about ·half a mile [L a Sabbath day’s journey] from Jerusalem.) 13 When they entered the city, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon (known as the Zealot [C either a political revolutionary or one zealous for the Law of Moses; Luke 6:15]), and Judas son of James were there. 14 They all ·continued [or were constantly] praying together with some women [C followers of Jesus (Luke 8:3; 24:22) and perhaps wives of the apostles], including Mary the mother of Jesus, and Jesus’ brothers.
15 ·During this time [L In those days] there was a meeting of the ·believers [L brothers (and sisters)] (about one hundred twenty of them). Peter stood up and said,
‘May his ·place [dwelling; home] be ·empty [deserted];
leave no one to live in it [Ps. 69:25].’
And it is also written:
‘Let another man ·replace him as leader [take his office/position of leadership; Ps. 109:8].’
23 They put the names of two men before the group. One was Joseph Barsabbas, who was also called Justus. The other was Matthias.
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