Shecaniah’s Encouragement

1And 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.

2And 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. 3And 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. 4Arise, for on you is the matter, and we are with you. Be strong and do it.”

5And 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.

The People’s Confession of Sin

6And 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.

7And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the sons of the exile, that they must gather at Jerusalem, 8and 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.

9And 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.

10And 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. 11And 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.”

12And all the assembly answered and said in a loud voice, “Truly according to your word it is upon us to do. 13But 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. 14Please 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.)

16And 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. 17And they finished with all the men who had caused to dwell foreign wives by the first day of the first month.

Those Guilty of Intermarriage

18And 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. 19And they gave their hand to send out their wives, and being guilty, a ram of the flock for their guilt.

20And of the sons of Immer:

Hanani and Zebadiah.

21And of the sons of Harim:

Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.

22And of the sons of Pashhur:

Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Eleasah.

23And of the Levites:

Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah (he is Kelita) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

24And of the singers:

Eliashib.

And of the gatekeepers:

Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.

25And of Israel: Of the sons of Parosh:

Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchijah, and Mijamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah,† and Benaiah.

26And of the sons of Elam:

Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Elijah.

27And of the sons of Zattu:

Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.

28And of the sons of Bebai:

Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai.

29And of the sons of Bani:

Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Jeremoth.

30And of the sons of Pahath-moab:

Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.

31And of the sons of Harim:

Eliezer, Isshiah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32Benjamin, Malluch, Shemariah.

33Of the sons of Hashum:

Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei.

34Of the sons of Bani:

Maadai, Amram, and Uel, 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluh, 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasai,

38From the descendants of Binnui:

Shimei,† 39and Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah, 40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41Azarel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42Shallum, Amariah, Joseph.

43Of the sons of Nebo:

Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, and Joel, Benaiah.

44All these had taken foreign wives, and were from them women, and they bore sons.†