CHAPTER 10
While Ezra
prayed
and confessed,
weeping
and falling facedown
before
the house
of God,
a very
large
assembly
of Israelites—
men,
women,
and children—
gathered
around him,
and the people
wept bitterly
as well.
Then Shecaniah
son
of Jehiel,
an Elamite,
said
to Ezra:
“We
have been unfaithful
to our God
by marrying
foreign
women
from the people
of the land,
yet
in spite of
this,
there is
hope
for Israel.
So now
let us make
a covenant
before our God
to send away
all
the foreign wives
and their children,
according to the counsel
of my lord
and of those who tremble
at the command
of our God.
Let it be done
according to the Law.
Get up,
for
this matter is
your responsibility,
and we
will support you.
Be strong
and take action!”
So Ezra
got up
and made the leading
priests,
Levites,
and all
Israel
take an oath
to do what had been said.
And they took the oath.
Then Ezra
withdrew
from before
the house
of God
and walked
to
the chamber
of Jehohanan
son
of Eliashib.
And while he stayed
there,
he ate
no
food
and drank
no
water,
because
he was mourning
over
the unfaithfulness
of the exiles.
And a proclamation
was issued
throughout Judah
and Jerusalem
that all
the exiles
should gather
at Jerusalem.
Whoever
failed
to appear
within three
days
would forfeit
all
his property,
according to the counsel
of the leaders
and elders,
and would himself be expelled
from the assembly
of the exiles.
So within the three
days,
all
the men
of Judah
and Benjamin
assembled
in Jerusalem,
and on the twentieth day
of the ninth
month,
all
the people
sat
in the square
at the house
of God,
trembling
regarding
this matter
and because of the heavy rain.
Then Ezra
the priest
stood up
and said
to them,
“You
have been unfaithful
by marrying
foreign
women,
adding
to
the guilt
of Israel.
Now, therefore,
make
a confession
to the LORD,
the God
of your fathers,
and do
His will.
Separate
yourselves
from the people
of the land
and from your foreign
wives.”
But
there are many
people here,
and it is the rainy
season.
We are not
able
to stay
out in the open.
Nor is this
the work
of one
or
two
days,
for
we have transgressed
greatly
in this
matter.
Let our leaders
represent
the whole
assembly.
Then let everyone
in our towns
who has married
a foreign
woman
come
at an appointed
time,
together with
the elders
and judges
of each town,
until the fierce anger
of our God
in this
matter
is turned away
from us."
(Only
Jonathan
son
of Asahel
and Jahzeiah
son
of Tikvah,
supported
by Meshullam
and Shabbethai
the Levite,
opposed
this plan.)
So the exiles
did
as proposed.
Ezra
the priest
selected
men
who were family
heads,
each of them
identified by name,
to represent their families.
On the first
day
of the tenth
month
they convened
the investigation,
and by
the first
day
of the first
month
they had dealt
with all
the men
who had married
foreign
women.
Among the descendants
of the priests
who had married
foreign
women
were found
these descendants
of Jeshua
son
of Jozadak
and his brothers:
Maaseiah,
Eliezer,
Jarib,
and Gedaliah.
They pledged
to send their wives
away,
and for their guilt
they presented a ram
from the flock
as
a guilt offering.
And among the other Israelites,
from the descendants
of Parosh:
Ramiah,
Izziah,
Malchijah,
Mijamin,
Eleazar,
Malchijah,
and Benaiah.
From the descendants
of
Pahath-moab:
Adna,
Chelal,
Benaiah,
Maaseiah,
Mattaniah,
Bezalel,
Binnui,
and Manasseh.
From the descendants
of Hashum:
Mattenai,
Mattattah,
Zabad,
Eliphelet,
Jeremai,
Manasseh,
and Shimei.