Ezra 10 | New International Reader’s Version

New International Reader’s Version

The people admit they have sinned

1 Ezra was praying and admitting to God that his people had sinned. He was weeping and throwing himself down in front of the house of God. Then a large crowd of Israelites gathered around him. Men, women and children were there. They too wept bitterly. 2 Shekaniah spoke to Ezra. Shekaniah was the son of Jehiel. He belonged to the family line of Elam. Shekaniah said, ‘We haven’t been faithful to our God. We’ve married women from the nations around us. In spite of that, there is still hope for Israel. 3 So let’s make a covenant in front of our God. Let’s promise to send away all these women and their children. That’s what you have advised us to do. Those who respect our God’s commands have given us the same advice. We want to do what the Law says. 4 Get up, Ezra. This matter is in your hands. Do what you need to. We will be behind you all the way. Be brave and do it.’ 5 So Ezra got up. He made the leading priests and Levites and all the Israelites make a promise. He made them promise they would do what Shekaniah had suggested. And they made that promise. 6 Then Ezra left the house of God. He went to Jehohanan’s room. Jehohanan was the son of Eliashib. While Ezra was there, he didn’t eat any food. He didn’t drink any water. That’s because he was filled with sadness. He mourned because the people weren’t faithful to the LORD’s commands. Those people were the ones who had returned from the land of Babylon. 7 Then an announcement was sent all through Judah and Jerusalem. All the people who had returned were told to gather together in Jerusalem. 8 They were supposed to come there before three days had passed. If they didn’t, they would lose all their property. They would also be removed from the community of those who had returned. That’s what the officials and elders had decided. 9 Before the three days were over, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered together in Jerusalem. It was the 20th day of the ninth month. They were sitting in the open area in front of the house of God. They were very upset by what they knew would happen. And they were upset because it was raining. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up. He said, ‘You haven’t been faithful to the LORD. You have married women from other lands. So you have added to Israel’s guilt. 11 Now honour the LORD, the God of your people. Then do what he wants you to do. Separate yourselves from the nations around you. Send away your wives from other lands.’ 12 The whole community answered with a loud voice. They said, ‘You are right! We must do as you say. 13 But there are a lot of people here. And it’s the rainy season. So we can’t stand outside. Besides, this matter can’t be taken care of in just a day or two. That’s because we have sinned terribly by what we’ve done. 14 Our officials can act for the whole community. Have everyone in our towns who has married a woman from another land come at a certain time. Tell them to come together with the elders and judges of each town. Then our God will no longer be angry with us concerning this whole matter.’ 15 Only a few men opposed that. They included Jonathan and Jahzeiah. Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite joined them. Jonathan was the son of Asahel. Jahzeiah was the son of Tikvah. 16 So those who had returned did what had been suggested. Ezra the priest chose some family leaders. There was one from each family group. All of them were chosen by name. They sat down to check out each case. They started on the first day of the tenth month. 17 By the first day of the first month they were finished. They had handled all the cases of the men who had married women from other lands.

A list of those who had married women from other lands

18 Among the family lines of the priests, here are the men who had married women from other lands. Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah came from the family line of Joshua and his brothers. Joshua was the son of Jozadak. 19 All of them made a firm promise to send their wives away. Each of these men brought a ram from his flock as a guilt offering. 20 Hanani and Zebadiah came from the family line of Immer. 21 Maaseiah and Elijah came from the family line of Harim. So did Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah. 22 Elioenai, Maaseiah and Ishmael came from the family line of Pashhur. So did Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah. 23 Among the Levites, here are the men who had married women from other lands. There were Jozabad, Shimei and Kelaiah. There were also Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer. Kelaiah’s other name was Kelita. 24 Eliashib came from the musicians. Shallum, Telem and Uri came from the men who guarded the temple gates. 25 Among the other Israelites, here are the men who had married women from other lands. Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah and Mijamin came from the family line of Parosh. So did Eleazar, Malkijah and Benaiah. 26 Mattaniah, Zechariah and Jehiel came from the family line of Elam. So did Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah. 27 Elioenai, Eliashib and Mattaniah came from the family line of Zattu. So did Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza. 28 Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai came from the family line of Bebai. 29 Meshullam, Malluk and Adaiah came from the family line of Bani. So did Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth. 30 Adna, Kelal, Benaiah and Maaseiah came from the family line of Pahath-Moab. So did Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh. 31 Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah and Shimeon came from the family line of Harim. 32 So did Benjamin, Malluk and Shemariah. 33 Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad and Eliphelet came from the family line of Hashum. So did Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei. 34 Maadai, Amram and Uel came from the family line of Bani. 35 So did Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai and Jaasu. 38 Shimei came from the family line of Binnui. 39 So did Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Maknadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah and Joseph. 43 Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad and Zebina came from the family line of Nebo. So did Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah. 44 All these men had married women from other lands. Some of them had even had children by those wives.

English Standard Version

The People Confess Their Sin

1 While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. (De 9:18; 2Ch 20:9; Ne 1:4; Ne 1:6; Da 9:20)

De 9:182Ch 20:9Ne 1:4Ne 1:6Da 9:20

2 And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra: “We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. (Ezr 9:2) 3 Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord^[1] and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the Law. (De 7:2; 2Ch 34:31; Ezr 9:4; Ezr 10:44)

De 7:22Ch 34:31Ezr 9:4Ezr 10:44

4 Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.” (1Ch 28:10; 2Ch 19:11) 5 Then Ezra arose and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath that they would do as had been said. So they took the oath. (Ne 5:12; Ne 13:25) 6 Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib, where he spent the night,^[2] neither eating bread nor drinking water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles. (De 9:18; Ezr 8:29; Ezr 10:1; Ne 3:1; Ne 12:22)

De 9:18Ezr 8:29Ezr 10:1Ne 3:1Ne 12:22

7 And a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles that they should assemble at Jerusalem, 8 and that if anyone did not come within three days, by order of the officials and the elders all his property should be forfeited, and he himself banned from the congregation of the exiles. 9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. And all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain. (1Sa 12:18) 10 And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have broken faith and married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. 11 Now then make confession to the Lord, the God of your fathers and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.” (Jos 7:19; Ezr 10:3) 12 Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, “It is so; we must do as you have said. 13 But the people are many, and it is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand in the open. Nor is this a task for one day or for two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter. 14 Let our officials stand for the whole assembly. Let all in our cities who have taken foreign wives come at appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of every city, until the fierce wrath of our God over this matter is turned away from us.” (Nu 25:4; 2Ch 29:10; 2Ch 30:8; Ne 13:31)

Nu 25:42Ch 29:102Ch 30:8Ne 13:31

15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them. (Ezr 8:16; Ne 11:16) 16 Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest selected men,^[3] heads of fathers’ houses, according to their fathers’ houses, each of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to examine the matter; 17 and by the first day of the first month they had come to the end of all the men who had married foreign women.

Those Guilty of Intermarriage

18 Now there were found some of the sons of the priests who had married foreign women: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah, some of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers. (Ezr 3:2) 19 They pledged themselves to put away their wives, and their guilt offering was a ram of the flock for their guilt.^[4] (Le 6:6; 2Ki 10:15) 20 Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. (Ezr 2:3) 21 Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. (Ezr 10:31) 22 Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. 23 Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. 24 Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. 25 And of Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah,^[5] and Benaiah. 26 Of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. 27 Of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. 28 Of the sons of Bebai were Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. 29 Of the sons of Bani were Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. 30 Of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. 31 Of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, (Ezr 10:21) 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. 33 Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. 34 Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, (Ezr 10:29) 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu. 38 Of the sons of Binnui:^[6] Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. 43 Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. 44 All these had married foreign women, and some of the women had even borne children.^[7] (Ezr 10:3)