Ezra Chapter 10
The People Confess Their Sins
1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, crying and prostrating himself in front of God’s Temple, a big crowd of men, women, and children gathered around him, sobbing with him. 2 Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of Elam’s sons, told him,
“We’ve been unfaithful to our God and married foreign women from the land. But there’s still hope for Israel. 3 Let’s make a covenant with God to put away the wives and their children as you’ve advised and do it according to the Law. 4 Get up! This is your responsibility. We’ll be with you. Have the courage to do it.”
5 Ezra got up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel swear that they’d adopt that proposal. They took the oath. 6 Then he went from in front of God’s Temple to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. He didn’t eat or drink; he was mourning over the exiles’ unfaithfulness. 7 They issued a proclamation for the exiles throughout Judah and Jerusalem to assemble at Jerusalem. 8 Whoever wouldn’t come within three days like the leaders and elders said, would forfeit his possessions and be excluded from the community of exiles.
Ezra 10:1-8
9 The men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in the three days. It was the twentieth day, ninth month, and the people sat down in the open square in front of God’s Temple. They were shivering because of this matter and the heavy rain. 10 Ezra stood up and said,
“You’ve been unfaithful in marrying foreign wives and adding to Israel’s guilt. 11 Confess to the LORD God of your ancestors, do his will, and separate from the native people and your foreign wives.”
12 The whole assembly answered out loud,
“That’s true! We have to do that. 13 But there are lots of people here, it’s raining, and we can’t stand outside. We can’t take care of this problem in a day or two; a lot of us have sinned in this. 14 Have leaders represent the assembly and have the ones in our towns that have foreign wives meet at scheduled times with the elders and judges in each city till God’s fierce anger turns away.”
15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed it. Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported it.
Ezra 10:9-15
Men Guilty of Intermarriage
16 The exiles agreed. Ezra selected leaders of each family by name. They met on first day, tenth month, to look into the matter. 17 By the first day, first month, they’d finished dealing with the men that had married foreign wives.
18 Among the priests with foreign wives were the following:
from the family of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jerib, and
Gedaliah. 19 They pledged to divorce their wives and offer a ram for their guilt.
20 from the family of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah;
21 from the family of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah;
22 from the family of Pashur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 among the singers: Eliashib;
among the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri;
Ezra 10:16-24
25 among the Israelites:
from the family of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah;
26 from the family of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah;
27 from the family of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza;
28 from the family of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai;
29 from the family of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth;
30 from the family of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel,
Binnui, and Manasseh;
31 from the family of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah;
33 from the family Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei;
34 from the family of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasa, 38 Bani, Binnui, Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph;
43 from the family of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
44 Those had married foreign wives, and some had children by them.
Ezra 10:25-44
Version by Virgil Warren: christir.org