FLOGVIT
.bible

EzraChapter 10

+ Secondary textOriginal text← PreviousNehemja →Contribute
While Ezra was praying and making this confession, weeping and lying prostrate before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israel gathered around him—men, women, and children—for the people were weeping bitterly.
Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra: "We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples of the land. Yet even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this.
So let us now make a covenant with our God to send away all these women along with their children, according to the counsel of the Lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.
Rise up, for this matter rests on you, and we stand with you. Take courage and act."
So Ezra rose and made the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear to do as had been said—and they took the oath.
Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. There he spent the night, eating no bread and drinking no water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of those who had returned from exile.[^1] [^1]: The Hebrew text reads "and he went there"; "spent the night" follows an ancient reading supported by early versions.
A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem, calling all the returned exiles to assemble in Jerusalem.
Anyone who failed to appear within three days would, by decision of the leaders and the elders, forfeit all his property and be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.
So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month. All the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain.
Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful. You have married foreign women and so added to the guilt of Israel.
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 your foreign wives."
The whole assembly answered with a loud voice: "Yes! It is our duty to do as you say.
But the people are many, and it is the rainy season; we cannot stand out in the open. Besides, this is not the work of one day or two, for we have sinned greatly in this matter.
Let our leaders act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God over this matter is turned away from us."
Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.
So the returned exiles did as had been proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were heads of families, each designated by name according to his father's house. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to examine the matter,
and by the first day of the first month they had finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.
Among the descendants of the priests, these were found to have married foreign women: from the sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers—Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
They pledged themselves to send away their wives, and being guilty, they presented a ram from the flock as their guilt offering.
From the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
From the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
From the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
Among the singers: Eliashib. Among the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
And among the rest of Israel: from the sons of Parosh—Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah.
From the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.
From the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
From the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
From the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Ramoth.
From the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
From the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
From the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
From the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,
Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu,
Bani, Binnui, Shimei,
Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,
Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
From the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
All of these had married foreign women, and some of these wives had borne children.
←→