| [an error occurred while processing this directive] | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 1Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly. |
| 2[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 2Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. |
| 3[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 3"So now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the 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] | 4"Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; be courageous and act." |
| 5[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 5Then Ezra rose and made the leading priests, the Levites and all Israel, take oath that they would do according to this proposal; so they took the oath. |
| 6[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 6Then Ezra rose from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, he did not eat bread nor drink water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. |
| 7[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 7They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they should assemble at Jerusalem, |
| 8[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 8and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited and he himself excluded from the assembly of the exiles. |
| 9[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 9So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain. |
| 10[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel. |
| 11[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 11"Now therefore, make confession to the LORD God of your fathers and do His will; and 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 replied with a loud voice, "That's right! As you have said, so it is our duty to do. |
| 13[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 13"But there are many people; it is the rainy season and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor can the task be done in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter. |
| 14[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 14"Let our leaders represent the whole assembly and let all those in our cities who have married foreign wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each city, until the fierce anger of our God on account of 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, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them. |
| 16[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 16But the exiles did so. And Ezra the priest selected men who were heads of fathers' households for each of their father's households, all of them by name. So they convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. |
| 17[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 17They finished investigating all the men who had married foreign wives by the first day of the first month. |
| 18[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 18Among the sons of the priests who had married foreign wives were found of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. |
| 19[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 19They pledged to put away their wives, and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their offense. |
| 20[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 20Of the sons of Immer there were Hanani and Zebadiah; |
| 21[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 21and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah; |
| 22[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 22and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah. |
| 23[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 23Of Levites there were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer. |
| 24[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 24Of the singers there was Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri. |
| 25[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 25Of Israel, of the sons of Parosh there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah; |
| 26[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 26and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah; |
| 27[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 27and of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza; |
| 28[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 28and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai; |
| 29[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 29and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth; |
| 30[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 30and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh; |
| 31[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 31and of 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] | 38Bani, 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 there were Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah. |
| 44[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 44All these had married foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children. |
| [an error occurred while processing this directive] | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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