Ezra 10

Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.

1Ezra prayed and told God what the people had done wrong. He cried and lay face down in front of God's house. A very big crowd of Israel came to him. Men, women, and children came. They cried hard too.

2And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

2A man named Shechaniah spoke to Ezra. His father was Jehiel, from the family of Elam. He said, "We have not been true to our God. We married women from the other nations here. But even so, there is still hope for Israel.

Note"Strange wives" in the old English means foreign wives, women from other nations. It does not mean odd or unusual.

3Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

3"Let us make a promise to our God now. We will send away all these wives and their children. We will do what you say, sir. We will do what those who obey God's command say. Let it be done the way God's law says.

4Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.

4"Get up. This job is yours to lead. We will stand with you. Be brave, and do it."

5Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.

5So Ezra stood up. He made the head priests promise to do this. He made the Levites promise, and all Israel too. And they promised.

6Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.

6Then Ezra left the front of God's house. He went into a room that belonged to Johanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water. He was very sad about what the returned people had done.

7And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;

7A message was sent all through Judah and Jerusalem. It told everyone who came back from far away to meet in Jerusalem.

8And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.

8The leaders and elders made a rule. Anyone who did not come within three days would lose all he owned. He would also be put out of the group of returned people.

9Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.

9So all the men of Judah and Benjamin came to Jerusalem in three days. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month. All the people sat in the open square by God's house. They were shaking, because of this matter and the heavy rain.

NoteThe ninth month falls in our late November or December. That is the rainy season there, and it is cold.

10And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.

10Then Ezra the priest stood up. He said, "You have not been true to God. You married women from other nations. You added to Israel's guilt.

11Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

11"So now tell the LORD, the God of your fathers, what you did. Do what he wants. Stay apart from the people of this land. Send away these foreign wives."

12Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.

12The whole crowd answered in a loud voice. They said, "You are right. We must do what you say.

13But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.

13"But there are many of us here. It is the rainy time of year. We cannot stand outside like this. And this job will take more than a day or two. Many of us have done this wrong thing.

14Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.

14"Let our leaders act for the whole group. Then each man in our towns who married a foreign woman can come at a set time. The elders and judges of his town can come with him. We will keep going until our God is no longer angry about this."

15Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.

15Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahaziah son of Tikvah spoke against this plan. Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.

16And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

16So the returned people did as planned. Ezra the priest picked out men who were heads of families. Each one was chosen by name. On the first day of the tenth month, they sat down to look into it.

17And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.

17By the first day of the first month, they had finished. They had dealt with every man who married a foreign woman.

18And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

18Some of the priests' sons had married foreign women. From the family of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers, these men did: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.

19They gave their word that they would send their wives away. They were guilty, so each brought a ram from the flock as a gift to God.

Note"They gave their hands" was a way of making a promise, like a handshake today.

20And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.

20From the family of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

21And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.

21From the family of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.

22And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

22From the family of Pashur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

23Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

23From the Levites, who helped at God's house: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

24Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.

24From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers, who guarded the doors: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

25Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.

25From the rest of Israel, from the family of Parosh: Ramiah, Jeziah, Malchiah, Miamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah.

26And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.

26From the family of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Eliah.

27And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.

27From the family of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.

28Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

28From the family of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

29And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.

29From the family of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Ramoth.

30And of the sons of Pahathmoab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.

30From the family of Pahathmoab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, Binnui, and Manasseh.

31And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

31From the family of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

33Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

33From the family of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

34Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,

34From the family of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,

35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,

35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,

36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,

37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,

38And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,

38and Bani, Binnui, Shimei,

39And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,

39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,

40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

41Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,

41Azareel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

42Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

42Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

43Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.

43From the family of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, Joel, and Benaiah.

44All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

44All these men had married foreign women. Some of them had children with these wives.