Ezra
10:1 Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting
himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of
Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the
people wept very sore.
10:2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and
said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken
strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel
concerning this thing.
10:3 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the
wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my
lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let
it be done according to the law.
10:4 Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee:
be of good courage, and do it.
10:5 Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all
Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they
sware.
10:6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the
chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did
eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the
transgression of them that had been carried away.
10:7 And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the
children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together
unto Jerusalem;
10:8 And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the
counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be
forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had
been carried away.
10:9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto
Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth
day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of
God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.
10:10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed,
and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.
10:11 Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do
his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and
from the strange wives.
10:12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou
hast said, so must we do.
10:13 But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not
able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we
are many that have transgressed in this thing.
10:14 Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which
have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with
them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce
wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.
10:15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were
employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite
helped them.
10:16 And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with
certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all
of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of
the tenth month to examine the matter.
10:17 And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by
the first day of the first month.
10:18 And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken
strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his
brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.
10:19 And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and
being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.
10:20 And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.
10:21 And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and
Jehiel, and Uzziah.
10:22 And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel,
Jozabad, and Elasah.
10:23 Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is
Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
10:24 Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem,
and Uri.
10:25 Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and
Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
10:26 And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and
Jeremoth, and Eliah.
10:27 And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth,
and Zabad, and Aziza.
10:28 Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
10:29 And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and
Sheal, and Ramoth.
10:30 And of the sons of Pahathmoab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah,
Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.
10:31 And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
10:32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
10:33 Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai,
Manasseh, and Shimei.
10:34 Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
10:35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,
10:36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
10:37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,
10:38 And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
10:39 And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
10:40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
10:41 Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
10:42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
10:43 Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel,
Benaiah.
10:44 All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom
they had children.
