Shecaniah’s Encouragement

1And whan Esdras prayed after this maner and knowleged, wepte, and laie before the house of God, there resorted vnto him out of Israel a very greate congregacion of men and wemen, and children: for the people wepte very sore. 2And Sachania the sonne of Iehiel one of the children of Elam, answered, and sayde vnto Esdras: We haue trespaced agaynst the LORDE oure God, in that we haue taken straunge wyues of all the people of the londe. Now there is hope yet in Israel cocerninge this, 3therfore let vs make a couenaut now with oure God, that we shal put awaye all the wyues (and soch as are borne of them) acordynge to the councell of ye LORDE, and of them that feare the commaundement of oure God, yt we maye do acordynge to the lawe. 4Get the vp therfore, for the matter belongeth vnto the. We wyll be with the, be of good comforte, and do it.

5Then rose Esdras, and toke an ooth of the rulers, prestes and Leuites, and of all Israel, that they shulde do acordynge to this worde: and they swore.

The People’s Confession of Sin

6And Esdras stode vp before the house of God, and wente in to the chamber of Iohanan the sonne of Eliasab. And whan he came thither, he ate no bred, and dranke no water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had bene in captiuyte. 7And they caused a proclamacion be made thorow out Iuda and Ierusalem, vnto all the children which had bene in captiuite, yt they shulde gather them selues together vnto Ierusale: 8And that who soeuer came not within thre dayes acordinge to the deuyce of the rulers and Elders, all his substaunce shulde be forfett, and he put out from the cogregacion of the captiue.

9Then all the men of Iuda and Ben Iamin gathered them selues together vnto Ierusalem in thre dayes, yt is on the twentieth daye of the nyenth moneth: and all the people sat in the strete before the house of God, and trembled because of the matter, and for the rayne. 10And Esdras ye prest stode vp, and sayde vnto them: Ye haue transgressed, yt ye haue taken straunge wyues, to make the trespace of Israel yet more: 11confesse now therfore vnto ye LORDE God of youre fathers, & do his pleasure, and separate youre selues from the people of the londe, & from ye straunge wyues. 12The answered all the cogregacion, & sayde with loude voyce: Let it be done as thou hast sayde. 13But the people are many, & it is a raynye wether, & they ca not stode here without, nether is this a worke of one daye or two, for we are many yt haue offended in this transgression. 14Let vs appoynte oure rulers therfore in all the congregacion, yt all they which haue taken straunge wyues in oure cities, maye come at the tyme appoynted, and the Elders of euery cite and their Iudges with them, tyll the wrath of oure God because of this matter be turned awaye from vs. 15Then were appoynted Ionathan the sonne of Asahel & Iehasia the sonne of Thecua ouer this matter. And Mesullam and Sabthai the Leuites helped them.

16And the children of the captiuyte dyd euen so. And Esdras the prest, and ye awncient fathers thorow the house of their fathers, and all that were now rehearsed by name, separated the selues, and sat them downe on the first daye of the tenth moneth, to exame this matter. 17And on ye first daye of ye first moneth broughte they the matter to a conclusion, concernynge all the men yt had take straunge wyues.

Those Guilty of Intermarriage

18And amoge the childre of the prestes there were men founde yt had take straunge wyues, namely amoge the children of Iesua the sonne of Iosedec & of his brethre, Maeseia, Elieser, Iarib and Godolia. 19And they gaue their hades there vpon, that they wolde put awaye their wyues: & for their trespace offerynge to geue a rame for their trespace. 20Amoge the children of Immer, Hanani & Sabadia. 21Amonge the childre of Harim, Maeseia, Elia, Semaia, Iehiel, and Vsia. 22Amonge ye children of Pashur, Elioenai, Maeseia, Ismael, Nethaneel, Iosabad & Eleasa.

23Amonge the Leuites, Iosabad, Simei and Celaia, He is that Celita, Pethahia, Iuda & Eleasar.

24Amonge the syngers, Elyasib. Amonge the porters, Sallum, Telem and Vri.

25Of Israel. Amonge the children of Pareos, Ramia, Iesia, Malchia, Meiamin, Eleasar, Malchia & Benaia. 26Amonge ye children of Elam, Mathania, Zachary, Iehiel, Abdy, Ieremoth & Elia. 27Amonge the children of Sathu, Elioenai, Eliasib, Mathania, Ieremoth, Sabad & Asisa. 28Amonge the children of Bebai, Iohanan, Hanania, Sabai & Athlai. 29Amonge the children of Bani, Mesullam, Malluch, Adaia, Iasub, Seal and Ieremoth. 30Amonge the children of Pahath Moab, Adna, Chelal, Benaia, Maesea, Mathania, Bezaleel, Benui and Manasse. 31Amonge the children of Harim, Elieser, Iesia, Malchia, Semaia, Simeon, 32Be Iamin, Malluch & Samaria. 33Amonge the childre of Hasum, Mathnai, Mathatha, Sabad, Eliphelet, Ieremai, Manasse & Simei. 34Amoge the childre of Bani, Maedai, Amram, Huel, 35Benaia, Bedia, Chelui, 36Naia, Meremoth, Eliasib, 37Mathania, Mathnai, Iaesau, 38Bani, Benui, Simei, 39Selemia, Nathan, Adaia, 40Machnadbai, Sasai, Sarai, 41Asareel, Selemia, Samaria, 42Sallum, Amaria, & Ioseph. 43Amonge the childre of Nebo, Ieiel, Mathithia, Sabad, Sebina, Iaddai, Ioel, and Benaia. 44All these had taken straunge wyues. And amonge the same wyues there were some, that had borne children.