1Now while Ezra was praying, confessing, weeping and prostrating himself before the Temple of God, a very large crowd of men, women and children from Israel gathered around him; and they, too, wept bitterly. 2And Shechaniah, son of Jehiel, a descendant of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God, and have married foreign women of the people of this land; but there is yet hope in Israel, despite this thing. 3Let us now make a covenant with our God to put away all those wives, and those that are born of them, according to the counsel you give, and of those who tremble in reverence at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. 4Arise; for this matter is in your hands. We will also support you; be brave, and act.” 5Then Ezra arose, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, swear that they would do as Shechaniah had said. And they took the oath. 6Then Ezra left from in front of the Temple of God, and went into the room of Johanan, son of Eliashib; and spent the night there, not eating or drinking; for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of those who had returned from the captivity.

7And a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the former captives to gather together in Jerusalem, 8And that whoever failed to come within three days, according to the counsel of the leaders and the elders, would forfeit all his possessions and property; and would be excluded from the assembly of those returned from exile. 9So then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month; and all the people sat in the street of the Temple of God, trembling because of the gravity of this matter, and also because of the heavy rain. 10And Ezra stood up, and said, “You have transgressed, and have taken foreign (pagan) wives, adding to the trespass of Israel. 11So now, make confession to the LORD God of your fathers, and do His will; and separate yourselves from the people of this land, and from your foreign wives.” 12Then all the congregation responded and said with a loud voice, “As you have said, so we must do. 13But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand outside, nor can this be done in just one or two days; for there are many of us who have transgressed in this thing. 14Let our leaders act on behalf of all the congregation, and let all who have married foreign women in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders, and judges of every city, so that the fierce wrath of our God for this matter is turned from us.” 15Only Jonathan, son of Asahel, and Jahzeiah, son of Tikvah, were opposed to this course of action, with support from Meshullam and Shabbethai, the Levite. 16And so the returned exiles did as proposed. And Ezra selected certain heads of the family divisions, designated by the name of their fathers, and they sat down on the first day of the tenth month to consider the matter. 17And by the first day of the first month, they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.

18Among the descendants of the priests who had married foreign women were the following: Of the sons of Jeshua (the high priest), son of Jozadak, and his brothers were Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19And they vowed to put away their pagan wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass. 20And of the sons of Immer were Hanani, and Zebadiah. 21And of the sons of Harim were Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. 22And of the sons of Pashhur were Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. 23Also of the Levites were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (the same is Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. 24Of the singers was Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers were Shallum, Telem, and Uri. 25Of the sons of Israel: of the sons of Parosh were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchiah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah. 26And of the sons of Elam were Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. 27And of the sons of Zattu were Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. 28Of the sons of Bebai were Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. 29And of the sons of Bani were Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Ramoth. 30And of the sons of Pahath-moab were Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. 31And of the sons of Harim were Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. 33Of the sons of Hashum were Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. 34Of the sons of Bani were Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau. 38Of the sons of Binnui were Shimei, 39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41Azareel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. 43Of the sons of Nebo were Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Iddo, and Joel, Benaiah.

44All these had married foreign (pagan) women; and some of them had children by those wives.