| English Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. | 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. |
| 2And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra: “We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. | 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. |
| 3Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these 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. | 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. |
| 4Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.” | 4"Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; be courageous and act." |
| 5Then Ezra arose and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath that they would do as had been said. So they took the oath. | 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. |
| 6Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib, where he spent the night, neither eating bread nor drinking water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles. | 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. |
| 7And a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles that they should assemble at Jerusalem, | 7They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they should assemble at Jerusalem, |
| 8and that if anyone did not come within three days, by order of the officials and the elders all his property should be forfeited, and he himself banned from the congregation of the exiles. | 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. |
| 9Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. And all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain. | 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. |
| 10And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have broken faith and married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. | 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. |
| 11Now then make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.” | 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." |
| 12Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, “It is so; we must do as you have said. | 12Then all the assembly replied with a loud voice, "That's right! As you have said, so it is our duty to do. |
| 13But the people are many, and it is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand in the open. Nor is this a task for one day or for two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter. | 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. |
| 14Let our officials stand for the whole assembly. Let all in our cities who have taken foreign wives come at appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of every city, until the fierce wrath of our God over this matter is turned away from us.” | 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." |
| 15Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them. | 15Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them. |
| 16Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest selected men, heads of fathers’ houses, according to their fathers’ houses, each of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to examine the matter; | 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. |
| 17and by the first day of the first month they had come to the end of all the men who had married foreign women. | 17They finished investigating all the men who had married foreign wives by the first day of the first month. |
| 18Now there were found some of the sons of the priests who had married foreign women: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah, some of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers. | 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. |
| 19They pledged themselves to put away their wives, and their guilt offering was a ram of the flock for their guilt. | 19They pledged to put away their wives, and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their offense. |
| 20Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. | 20Of the sons of Immer there were Hanani and Zebadiah; |
| 21Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. | 21and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah; |
| 22Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. | 22and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah. |
| 23Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. | 23Of Levites there were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer. |
| 24Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. | 24Of the singers there was Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri. |
| 25And of Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah, and Benaiah. | 25Of Israel, of the sons of Parosh there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah; |
| 26Of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. | 26and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah; |
| 27Of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. | 27and of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza; |
| 28Of the sons of Bebai were Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. | 28and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai; |
| 29Of the sons of Bani were Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. | 29and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth; |
| 30Of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. | 30and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh; |
| 31Of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, | 31and of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, |
| 32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. | 32Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah; |
| 33Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. | 33of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei; |
| 34Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, | 34of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, |
| 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, | 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, |
| 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, | 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, |
| 37Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu. | 37Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu, |
| 38Of the sons of Binnui: Shimei, | 38Bani, Binnui, Shimei, |
| 39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, | 39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, |
| 40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, | 40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, |
| 41Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, | 41Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, |
| 42Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. | 42Shallum, Amariah and Joseph. |
| 43Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. | 43Of the sons of Nebo there were Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah. |
| 44All these had married foreign women, and some of the women had even borne children. | 44All these had married foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | 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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