Ezra 10

The People Repent and Put Away Foreign Wives

1 While Ezra was praying, confessing, weeping, and lying face down in front of God’s house, a huge crowd of Israelites, men, women, and children, gathered around him. They cried bitterly too.

2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the family of Elam, spoke up and said, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the surrounding nations. But there is still hope for Israel.”

3 “So let us make a promise to our God to send away all these women and their kids, following your advice and what God’s law says. Let us do it right. We will stand with you, so be strong and take action.”

4 Ezra stood up and said, “You are right. This is your responsibility, and I am with you. Be strong and get it done.”

5 Then Ezra got up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all of Israel swear to do what was just said. And they all took the oath.

6 Ezra left the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. He stayed there and did not eat or drink anything, grieving over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

7 A message was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to gather in Jerusalem.

8 Anyone who did not show up within three days, according to the leaders and elders, would lose all his property and be kicked out of the community.

9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within three days. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month. Everyone sat in the open square by God’s house, trembling from both the matter at hand and the heavy rain.

10 Ezra the priest stood up and said, “You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women. You have added to Israel’s guilt.”

11 “So now confess to the LORD, the God of your ancestors, and do what pleases Him. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from these foreign wives.”

12 Then the whole assembly responded loudly, “Yes! We will do what you said.”

13 “But it is pouring rain, and we cannot stay out here. Besides, this matter cannot be handled in a day or two, because we have sinned badly in this.”

14 “Let our leaders represent us for the whole assembly. Then everyone who has married a foreign woman will come at a set time, with the elders and judges of their town, until God’s anger is turned away from us.”

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

16 So the exiles did what was agreed. Ezra the priest picked men who were family heads, each one by name. They sat down on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter.

17 By the first day of the first month, they had finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.

18 Among the sons of the priests who had married foreign women were: From the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers, Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19 They all pledged to send their wives away, and because they were guilty, they offered a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.

20 From the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

21 From the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.

22 From the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

23 Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also known as Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

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

25 Among the other Israelites: From the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah.

26 From the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.

27 From the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.

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

29 From the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.

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

31 From the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

33 From the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

34 From the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,

35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,

36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.

38 From the sons of Binnui: Shimei,

39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,

40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

43 From the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.

44 All these men had married foreign women, and some of them had children by those wives.