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Ezra 10
There Is Still Hope for Israel
While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly from Israel gathered to him—men, women, and children—and the people wept bitterly. Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, “We have acted unfaithfully against our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land. Yet even now there is hope for Israel concerning this. Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to send away all the wives and those born from them, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the instruction. Arise, for the matter is upon you, and we are with you. Be strong and act.”
The Assembly Is Summoned
Then Ezra arose and made the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear that they would act according to this word. And they swore. Ezra rose from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. When he came there, he ate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned over the unfaithfulness of the returned exiles. They sent a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles that they should gather at Jerusalem, and that whoever did not come within three days, according to the counsel of the officials and elders, would have all his property devoted to destruction and would himself be separated from the assembly of the returned exiles.
The People Tremble in the Rain
So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. All the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of the matter and because of the heavy rain. Ezra the priest arose and said to them, “You have acted unfaithfully and married foreign women, increasing the guilt of Israel. Now therefore make confession to the LORD, the God of your ancestors, and do what is pleasing to him. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign women.” Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, “Yes, it is upon us to do according to your word. But the people are many, and it is the season of heavy rain. We are not able to stand outside, and this is not the work of one day or two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter. Please let our officials stand for the whole assembly. Let everyone in our cities who has married foreign women come at appointed times, together with the elders of each city and its judges, until the burning anger of our God concerning this matter is turned away from us.” Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah stood against this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.
The Cases Are Examined
The returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest selected men, heads of ancestral houses according to their ancestral houses, all of them by name. They sat down on the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter. By the first day of the first month they had finished with all the men who had married foreign women.
Priests Who Had Married Foreign Women
Among the descendants of the priests who had married foreign women were found, from the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. They gave their hand that they would send away their wives, and being guilty, they offered a ram from the flock for their guilt. From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
Levites, Singers, and Gatekeepers
From the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah—that is, Kelita—Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
From the singers: Eliashib.
From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
Men of Israel
From Israel, from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah. From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel; Benaiah, Bedeiah, and Cheluhi; Vaniah, Meremoth, and Eliashib; Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu; Bani, Binnui, and Shimei; Shelemiah, Nathan, and Adaiah; Machnadebai, Shashai, and Sharai; Azarel, Shelemiah, and Shemariah; Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Iddo, Joel, and Benaiah. All these had married foreign women, and there were among the women some who had borne children.