| [an error occurred while processing this directive] | English Standard Version |
| 1[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 1While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. |
| 2[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 2And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra: “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. |
| 3[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 3Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put 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. |
| 4[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 4Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.” |
| 5[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 5Then Ezra arose and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath that they would do as had been said. So they took the oath. |
| 6[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 6Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib, where he spent the night, neither eating bread nor drinking water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles. |
| 7[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 7And a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles that they should assemble at Jerusalem, |
| 8[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 8and that if anyone did not come within three days, by order of the officials and the elders all his property should be forfeited, and he himself banned from the congregation of the exiles. |
| 9[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 9Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. And all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain. |
| 10[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 10And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have broken faith and married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. |
| 11[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 11Now then make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.” |
| 12[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 12Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, “It is so; we must do as you have said. |
| 13[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 13But 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 we have greatly transgressed in this matter. |
| 14[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 14Let our officials stand for the whole assembly. Let all in our cities who have taken foreign wives come at appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of every city, until the fierce wrath of our God over this matter is turned away from us.” |
| 15[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 15Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them. |
| 16[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 16Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest selected men, heads of fathers’ houses, according to their fathers’ houses, each of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to examine the matter; |
| 17[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 17and by the first day of the first month they had come to the end of all the men who had married foreign women. |
| 18[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 18Now there were found some of the sons of the priests who had married foreign women: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah, some of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers. |
| 19[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 19They pledged themselves to put away their wives, and their guilt offering was a ram of the flock for their guilt. |
| 20[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 20Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. |
| 21[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 21Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. |
| 22[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 22Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. |
| 23[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 23Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. |
| 24[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 24Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. |
| 25[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 25And of Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah, and Benaiah. |
| 26[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 26Of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. |
| 27[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 27Of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. |
| 28[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 28Of the sons of Bebai were Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. |
| 29[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 29Of the sons of Bani were Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. |
| 30[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 30Of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. |
| 31[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 31Of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, |
| 32[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. |
| 33[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 33Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. |
| 34[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 34Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, |
| 35[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, |
| 36[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, |
| 37[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 37Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu. |
| 38[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 38Of the sons of Binnui: Shimei, |
| 39[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, |
| 40[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, |
| 41[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 41Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, |
| 42[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 42Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. |
| 43[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 43Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. |
| 44[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 44All these had married foreign women, and some of the women had even borne children. |
| [an error occurred while processing this directive] | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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