Shecaniah’s Encouragement

1And when Esdras prayed after this maner, and knowledged, wept, and lay before the house of God, there resorted vnto hym out of Israel a very great congregation, of men, and women, and children: and the people wept very sore. 2And Sechania the sonne of Iehiel, one of the children of Elam, aunswered, and sayde vnto Esdras: We haue trespassed against our God, & haue taken straunge wyues of the people of the lande: Yet nowe there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. 3For nowe we will make a couenaunt with our God, and put away all the wiues and such as are borne of them, according to the counsel of the Lorde: and we wil be in the feare of the commaundementes of our God, that we may do according to the lawe. 4Get thee vp, for this matter belongeth vnto thee, we also will be with thee: be of good comfort therfore, and do it.

5Then rose Esdras, and toke an oth of the chiefe priestes and Leuites, and of all Israel, that they should do according to this worde: And they sware.

The People’s Confession of Sin

6And Esdras rose vp from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Iohanan the sonne of Eliasib: and when he came thyther, he dyd eate no bread, nor dronke water: for he mourned, because of the transgression of the people that had ben in captiuitie. 7And they caused a proclamation to go throughout Iuda & Hierusalem vnto al them of the captiuitie, that they shoulde gather them selues together vnto Hierusalem: 8And that whosoeuer came not within three dayes, according to the deuice of the rulers and elders, all his substaunce should be forfayted, and he should be put out from the congregation of them of the captiuitie.

9Then all the men of Iuda and Beniamin gathered them selues together vn- Hierusalem within three dayes, euen the twentith day of the nynth moneth: & all the people sate in the streete of the house of God, and trembled, because of this matter, and for the rayne. 10And Esdras the priest stoode vp, and sayd vnto them: Ye haue transgressed, & haue taken straunge wyues, to make the trespasse of Israel yet more. 11Confesse now therfore vnto the Lord God of our fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate your selues from the people of the lande, and from the straunge wyues. 12And all the congregation aunswered, and sayde with a loude voyce: It shalbe so, and we will do as thou hast sayde. 13But the people are many, and it is a rayny weather, & the people are to faynt to tary without in the streete, neither is this a worke of one day or two: for we haue offended very sore in this thing. 14Let our rulers stande therefore in all the congregation, and let al them which haue taken straunge wyues in our cities come at the time appoynted, and let the elders of euery citie and their iudges be with them, till the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from vs. 15Then were appoynted Ionathan the sonne of Asahel, and Iahasia the sonne of Thecua ouer this matter: & Mesullam and Sabathai the Leuites helped them.

16And the children of the captiuitie dyd euen so: And Esdras the priest, and the auncient heads through the house of their fathers, all men of great fame, separated themselues, & sate them downe in the first day of the tenth moneth to examine the matter. 17And vntill the first day of the first moneth they were finishing the businesse, with al the men that had taken straunge wyues.

Those Guilty of Intermarriage

18And among the children of the priestes there were men found that had taken straunge wiues, namely among the children of Iesua, the sonne of Iosedec, and of his brethren, Maasia, and Eliezer, Iarib, and Gedalia. 19And they gaue their handes that they woulde put away their wiues: and they that had trespassed, gaue a ramme for their trespasse. 20And among the children of Immer: Hanani, and Zebadia. 21Among the children of Harim: Maasia, Elia, Semeia, Iehiel, and Uzziah. 22Among the children of Pashur: Elioenai, Maasia, Ismael, Nethanel, Iosabad, and Elasah.

23Among the Leuites: Iosabad, Semei, and Celaia (whiche same is Celitah) Phathaiah, Iuda, and Eliezer.

24Among the singers also, Eliasib: And among the porters, Sellum, and Telem, and Uri.

25And of Israel: Among the children of Pharos, Remeia, Iesia, Melchia, Miamin, Eliezer, Melchia, & Banaiah. 26Among the children of Elam: Mathama, Zacharia, Iehiel, Abdi, Ierimoth, and Elia. 27Among the children of Zatthu: Elioenai, Eliasib, Mathania, Ierimoth, Zabad, and Aziza. 28Among the children of Bebai: Iehohanan, Hanania, Zabbai, and Athalai. 29Among the children of Bani: Mesullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Iasub, Saal, and Ieramoth. 30Among the children of the captayne of Moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaia, Maasia, Mathania, Besalel, Bennui, & Manasse. 31Among the children of Harim: Eliezer, Isuah, Melchiia, Semeia, and Simeon, 32Beniamin, Malluch, and Semariah. 33Among the children of Hasum: Matthenai, Mathatha, Zabad, Eliphelet, Ieremai, Manasse, and Semei. 34Among the children of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel, 35Banea, Badaia, Cheliau, 36Uaniah, Maremoth, Eliasib, 37Mathaniah, Mathanai, Iasi, 38Bani, Bennui, and Semei, 39Selemia, Nathan, Adaiah, 40Machnadebai, Sasai, Sarai, 41Asarel, Selennahu, and Semariah, 42Sallum, Amaria, and Ioseph. 43Among the children of Nebo, Iehiel, Mathathia, Zabad, Zabina, Iadau, Ioel, and Banaia. 44All these had taken straunge wyues, and among the same there were some that had children by the wyues.