Ezra, 10

1. Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.

1. While Ezra bowed before the House of God, weeping, praying and making this confession, a great crowd of men, women and children of Israel were gathered around him; and these people wept bitterly.

2. And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, [one] of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

2. Then Shecaniah, son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have treated our God badly, by marrying foreign women taken from the peoples of this land, but Israel is not without hope because of this.

3. Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

3. Let us make a covenant with our God, and send these women away with their children according to the statement of my lord and all of us who respect the commandment of our God.

4. Arise; for [this] matter [belongeth] unto thee: we also [will be] with thee: be of good courage, and do [it].

4. Let the Law be obeyed. You command and we are with you. Have courage and command."

5. Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.

5. So Ezra arose and made the leaders of the priests, the Levites and of all Israel swear that they would do what had just been said, and so they swore.

6. Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and [when] he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.

6. Then, Ezra withdrew from where he stood, in front of the House of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan, son of Eliashib, but he did not eat bread or drink water there, for he was much afflicted by the sin of those who had returned from exile.

7. And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;

7. A proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all who had returned from exile should assemble in Jerusalem,

8. And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.

8. and if anyone would not come within three days, according to the decision of the leaders and of the local elders, all his prop-erty would be confiscated and he himself banned from the assembly of those who had returned from exile.

9. Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It [was] the ninth month, on the twentieth [day] of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of [this] matter, and for the great rain.

9. All the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem within the three days. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month, and all the people were in the open square of the House of God, trembling because of this matter and because it was raining.

10. And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.

10. Then the priest Ezra stood up and said, "You have been rebels in marrying foreign women, and have increased the offense of Israel.

11. Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

11. Now then, acknowledge your sin before Yahweh, the God of your fathers, and carry out his will; separate yourselves from the peoples of this land and from your foreign wives."

12. Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.

12. The whole assembly answered with a loud voice, "Yes, we shall do as you say.

13. But the people [are] many, and [it is] a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither [is this] a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.

13. But the people are so numerous and we are now in the rainy season; we cannot endure the inclement weather, and besides, this matter cannot be settled in a day or two, for we are many who have committed this sin.

14. Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.

14. Our leaders can represent the whole assembly: those in our cities who have married foreign women shall come at appointed times, accompanied by the local leaders and judges of every city, until we have turned aside from us the anger of our God because of this matter."

15. Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this [matter]: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.

15. The only ones who opposed this option were Jonathan, son of Asahel, and Jahzeiah, son of Tikvah, who were supported by the Levites Meshullam and Shabbethai.

16. And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, [with] certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by [their] names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

16. But those who had returned from exile complied. In accordance with what the priest Ezra ordered, they selected a family head for every family group, each of them designated in a personal way, and they sat down to resolve the matter on the first day of the tenth month.

17. And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.

17. On the first day of the first month, they finished attending to all the cases of Jews who had been married to foreign women.

18. And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: [namely], of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

18. In the clan of the priestly clans, these are the names of those who were found to have married foreign women: among the clan of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and among his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah;

19. And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and [being] guilty, [they offered] a ram of the flock for their trespass.

19. they pledged their word to put their wives away and, for their sin, offered a ram as a sacrifice of reparation;

20. And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.

20. In the clan of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah;

21. And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.

21. In the clan of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah;

22. And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

22. In the clan of Pashhur: Elioenia, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.

23. Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same [is] Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

23. Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah - that is, Kelita - Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

24. Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.

24. Among the Temple musicians: Eliashib and Zaccur. Among the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri.

25. Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.

25. And among the Israelites: of the clan of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah;

26. And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.

26. of the clan of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Meremoth and Elijah;

27. And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.

27. of the clan of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza;

28. Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, [and] Athlai.

28. of the clan of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai;

29. And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.

29. of the clan of Bigvai: Meshullam, Malluch, Jedaiah, Jashub, Sheal, Jeremoth;

30. And of the sons of Pahathmoab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.

30. of the clan of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh;

31. And [of] the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

31. of the clan of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

32. Benjamin, Malluch, [and] Shemariah.

32. Benjamin, Malluch, Shemariah;

33. Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, [and] Shimei.

33. of the clan of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei;

34. Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,

34. of the clan of Bani: Maadai, Amran, Uel,

35. Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,

35. Benaiah, Bediah, Cheluhi,

36. Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

36. Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37. Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,

37. Mattaniah, Matenai and Jaasau;

38. And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,

38. of the clan Binnui; Shimei;

39. And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,

39. Shelemiah, Nathan and Adaiah.

40. Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

40. of the clan Zaccai: Sharai; Shashai, Sharai

41. Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,

41. Azarel, Shelemiah Shemariah,

42. Shallum, Amariah, [and] Joseph.

42. Shallum, Amariah, Joseph;

43. Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.

43. of the clan of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, Benaiah.

44. All these had taken strange wives: and [some] of them had wives by whom they had children.

44. All these had married of foreign wives; they put them away, both women and children.