Ezra 10

1While Ezra prayed and confessed, weeping and falling prostrate before God's house, a very great assembly from Israel gathered to him—men, women, and children—for the people wept bitterly.

2Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, replied to Ezra: "We have acted faithlessly against our God and married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but now there is hope for Israel concerning this."

3Now let us cut a covenant with our God to send away all the women and those born of them, according to the counsel of my lord and those who tremble at the commandment of our God; let it be done according to the law.

4Rise, for this matter rests on you, and we are with you; be strong, and do it.

5Ezra stood up and put the priestly leaders, the Levites, and all Israel under oath to carry out this matter. They swore the oath.

6Ezra arose from before God's house and went to the chamber of Johanan son of Eliashib; when he arrived there, he ate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned over the exiles' trespass.

7They issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles to gather at Jerusalem.

8And everyone who does not come within three days, according to the counsel of the rulers and the elders, will have all his possessions devoted to destruction, and he himself will be separated from the assembly of the exiles.

9All the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, the twentieth day of the month, when all the people sat in the square of God's house, trembling over the matter and the rains.

10Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have acted unfaithfully and married foreign women, adding to Israel's guilt."

11Now give confession to Yahweh, God of your fathers, and carry out his will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign women.

12All the assembly answered and said with a loud voice, "Yes, according to your words to us, we will do."

13But the people are numerous, and it is a time of showers, with no strength to stand outside; this work is not for one day nor for two, for we have multiplied our transgression in this matter.

14Let our rulers now stand for the whole assembly, and let all those in our cities who have married foreign women come at appointed times, with them the elders of every city and its judges, until the fierce anger of our God turns from us over this matter.

15Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahaziah son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.

16The exiles acted accordingly. Ezra the priest, certain men who were heads of their fathers' houses—all of them by name—separated themselves and took their seats on day one of the tenth month to inquire into the matter.

17They finished with all the men who had married foreign women by the first day of the first month.

18Sons of the priests were found who had married foreign women—from the sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19They pledged to send their wives away, and being guilty, they offered a ram from the flock for their guilt.

20And from the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

21And from Harim’s sons: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.

22And from the sons of Pashur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

23Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah, that is Kelita, Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

24From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

25From Israel, from Parosh's sons: Ramiah, Jeziah, Malchiah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchiah, and Benaiah.

26And from Elam's sons: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jerimoth, and Eliah.

27And from Zattu's sons were Elihoenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jerimoth, Zabad, and Aziza.

28From the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai.

29From Bani's sons: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, Jerimoth, and Ramoth.

30From the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, Binnui, and Manasseh.

31Harim's sons: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon.

32Benjamin, Malluch, Shemariah.

33Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei.

34From Bani's sons: Maadai, Amram, and Uel.

35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh, Chelluh.

36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasau, and Jaasau,

38Bani, Binnui, Shimei,

39Shelemiah, Nathan, and Adaiah,

40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai

41Azareel, Shelemiah, and Shemariah,

42Shallum, Amariah, Joseph.

43From Nebo's sons: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Iddo, Iddo, and Joel, Benaiah.

44All these had taken foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they fathered sons.