Chapter 10

Now when Ezra had prayed,⁹⁹ and when he had confessed,⁹⁹ weeping⁶ and casting himself down¹⁰² before the house of God, there assembled⁸ unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept¹ very⁵³ sore.

And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, [one] of the sons of Elam, answered⁴ and said⁴ unto Ezra, We have trespassed¹ against our God, and have taken⁵⁵ strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

Now therefore let us make⁴ a covenant with our God to put away⁵³ all the wives, and such as are born¹² of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done¹¹ according to the law.

Arise;³ for [this] matter [belongeth] unto thee: we also [will be] with thee: be of good courage,³ and do³ [it].

Then arose⁴ Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear⁵⁵ that they should do² according to this word. And they sware.¹¹

Then Ezra rose up⁴ from before the house of God, and went⁴ into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and [when] he came⁴ thither, he did eat¹ no bread, nor drink¹ water: for he mourned¹⁰² because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.

And they made proclamation^{55 6963} throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together⁹ unto Jerusalem;

And that whosoever would not come⁴ within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited,⁹³ and himself separated¹¹ from the congregation of those that had been carried away.

Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together¹¹ unto Jerusalem within three days. It [was] the ninth month, on the twentieth [day] of the month; and all the people sat⁴ in the street of the house of God, trembling⁵⁶ because of [this] matter, and for the great rain.

And Ezra the priest stood up,⁴ and said⁴ unto them, Ye have transgressed,¹ and have taken⁵⁵ strange wives, to increase⁵³ the trespass of Israel.

Now therefore make³ confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do³ his pleasure: and separate¹⁰ yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

Then all the congregation answered⁴ and said⁴ with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.²

But the people [are] many, and [it is] a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand² without, neither [is this] a work of one day or two: for we are many⁵² that have transgressed² in this thing.

Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand,⁴ and let all them which have taken⁵² strange wives in our cities come⁴ at appointed³⁰ times, and with them the elders of every city, ⁵⁸⁹² and the judges⁶ thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned⁵³ from us.

Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed¹ about this [matter]: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped¹ them.

And the children of the captivity did⁴ 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,¹¹ and sat down⁴ in the first day of the tenth month to examine² the matter.

And they made an end¹⁷ with all the men that had taken⁵² strange wives by the first day of the first month.

And among the sons of the priests there were found¹¹ that had taken⁵² strange wives: [namely], of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

And they gave⁴ their hands that they would put away⁵³ their wives; and [being] guilty, [they offered] a ram of the flock for their trespass.

And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.

And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.

And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same [is] Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

Of the singers³⁵ also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.

Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.

And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.

And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.

Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, ²⁰⁷⁹ [and] Athlai.

And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.

And of the sons of Pahathmoab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.

And [of] the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

Benjamin, Malluch, [and] Shemariah.

Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, [and] Shimei.

Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,

Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,

Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,

And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,

And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,

Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,

Shallum, Amariah, [and] Joseph.

Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.

All these had taken^{1 5375 6} strange wives: and [some] of them had wives by whom they had⁴ children.