Ezra 10:1-19 ▼

1 And at the praying of Ezra, and at his making confession, weeping and bowing down before the face of the house of God, there gathered to him from Israel a very large assembly of men and women and children, for the people wept very bitterly.

2 And Shechaniah son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, “We have trespassed against our God, and have caused foreign wives to dwell from the peoples of the land. Yet there is hope in Israel concerning this.

3 And now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the women and those born to them, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. And according to the law let it be done.

4 Arise, for on you is the matter, and we are with you. Be strong and do it.”

5 And Ezra arose, and he made swear an oath the leaders of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel, that they would do this according to the word. And they swore an oath.

6 And Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and he went into the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. And in his going there, he ate no bread, and he drank no water, for he mourned on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

7 And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the sons of the exile, that they must gather at Jerusalem,

8 and all who would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the leaders and elders, all his property would be confiscated and he would be separated from the assembly of the exiles.

9 And all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and because of the rains.

10 And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You? You? have acted unfaithfully and have caused to dwell foreign wives to add to the guilt of Israel.

11 And now, make confession to YHWH, God of your? fathers, and do His will, and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign women.”

12 And all the assembly answered and said in a loud voice, “Truly according to your word it is upon us to do.

13 But the people are many, and it is the time of rains, and we have no strength to stand outside, and the work is not of one day or two, for we have multiplied to transgress in this matter.

14 Please let the leaders of all the assembly stand, and all who are in our cities, who have settled foreign wives, and come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each of their cities, until the turning back of the fury of the wrath of our God from us even in this matter.”

15 (Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahaziah son of Tikvah stood against this. And Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.)

16 And the sons of the exile did so, and Ezra the priest, and men, the heads of the fathers, for the house of their fathers, were set apart, each of them by name, and they sat down on the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

17 And they finished with all the men who had caused to dwell foreign wives by the first day of the first month.

18 And they were found among the sons of the priests who had taken foreign wives: Of the sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19 And they gave their hand to send out their wives, and being guilty, a ram of the flock for their guilt.