| NET Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself to the ground before the temple of God, a very large crowd of Israelites--men, women, and children alike--gathered around him. The people wept loudly. | 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. |
| 2Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam, addressed Ezra: "We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the local peoples. Nonetheless, there is still hope for Israel in this regard. | 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 enact a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, and that of those who respect the commandments 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. |
| 4Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!" | 4"Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; be courageous and act." |
| 5So Ezra got up and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath to carry out this plan. And they all took a solemn 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 got up from in front of the temple of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he stayed there, he did not eat food or drink water, for he was in mourning over the infidelity 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. |
| 7A proclamation was circulated throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles were to be assembled in Jerusalem. | 7They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they should assemble at Jerusalem, |
| 8Everyone who did not come within three days would thereby forfeit all his property, in keeping with the counsel of the officials and the elders. Furthermore, he himself would be excluded from the assembly 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. |
| 9All the men of Judah and Benjamin were gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. (It was in the ninth month, on the twentieth day of that month.) All the people sat in the square at the temple of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the rains. | 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. |
| 10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have behaved in an unfaithful manner by taking foreign wives! This has contributed to 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 give praise to the LORD God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the local residents and from these 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." |
| 12All the assembly replied in a loud voice: "We will do just 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. |
| 13However, the people are numerous and it is the rainy season. We are unable to stand here outside. Furthermore, this business cannot be resolved in a day or two, for we have sinned greatly 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 leaders take steps on behalf of all the assembly. Let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at an appointed time, and with them the elders of each town and its judges, until the hot anger of our God is turned away from us in this matter." | 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 son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah were against this, assisted by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite. | 15Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them. |
| 16So the exiles proceeded accordingly. Ezra the priest separated out by name men who were leaders in their family groups. They sat down to consider this matter on the first day of the tenth month, | 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 on the first day of the first month they finished considering all the men who had married foreign wives. | 17They finished investigating all the men who had married foreign wives by the first day of the first month. |
| 18It was determined that from the descendants of the priests, the following had taken foreign wives: from the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. | 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. |
| 19(They gave their word to send away their wives; their guilt offering was a ram from 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. |
| 20From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. | 20Of the sons of Immer there were Hanani and Zebadiah; |
| 21From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. | 21and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah; |
| 22From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. | 22and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah. |
| 23From the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also known as Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. | 23Of Levites there were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer. |
| 24From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. | 24Of the singers there was Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri. |
| 25From the Israelites: from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah, and Benaiah. | 25Of Israel, of the sons of Parosh there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah; |
| 26From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. | 26and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah; |
| 27From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. | 27and of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza; |
| 28From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. | 28and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai; |
| 29From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. | 29and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth; |
| 30From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. | 30and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh; |
| 31From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, | 31and of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, |
| 32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. | 32Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah; |
| 33From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. | 33of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei; |
| 34From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, | 34of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, |
| 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, | 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, |
| 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, | 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, |
| 37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu. | 37Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu, |
| 38From the descendants 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. |
| 43From the descendants 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 taken foreign wives, and some of them also had children by these women. | 44All these had married foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children. |
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