Ezra 10

¹ While Ezra was praying and while he was confessing, lamenting and cast to the ground before the House of the One, Elohim, those from Israel convened around him, a very great assembly, men, women and children; for the people lamented with increased lamentation. ² Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel of the sons of Elam responded and said to Ezra: We ourselves have offended our Elohim when we located in our houses foreign women from the peoples of the land. Yet now there is expectation for Israel in spite of this. ³ Let us now contract a covenant with our Elohim to send forth all our foreign women and the children born of them, in accordance with the counsel of Yahweh and of those who are trembling at the instruction of our Elohim; and let it be done according to the law. ⁴ Arise, for the matter devolves on you, and we are with you. Be steadfast and act. ⁵ So Ezra arose and made the priests' chiefs, the Levites and all Israel swear to do according to this word. And they swore. ⁶ When Ezra rose from his place before the House of the One, Elohim, he went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib; while he lodged there, he ate no bread and drank no water, for he was mourning over the offense of the sons of deportation. ⁷ Then they let a notification pass in Judah and in Jerusalem to all the sons of deportation to convene to Jerusalem; ⁸ and anyone who did not come within three days might, on the counsel of the chiefs and the elders, have all his goods doomed and he himself be separated from the assembly of the sons of deportation. ⁹ So within the three days all the men of Judah and Benjamin convened in Jerusalem; it was in the ninth month on the twentieth day of the month. All the people were sitting in the square of the House of the One, Elohim, quivering on account of the matter and because of the downpours. ¹⁰ Then Ezra the priest arose and said to them: "You yourselves have offended and located in your houses foreign women, thus adding to the guilt of Israel. ¹¹ So now make confession to Yahweh Elohim of your fathers and get His approval and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign women." ¹² The entire assembly responded and avowed with a loud voice: "Just so; it is on us to act according to your word. ¹³ Nevertheless, the people are numerous, and it is the season of downpours. No one has the vigor to stand outdoors; and the work is not for one day and not for two, for many of us have transgressed in this matter. ¹⁴ Let now our chiefs stay on behalf of the entire assembly, and let everyone who is in our cities who located in his house foreign women come at stated times, together with them the elders, city by city, and its judges, until the hot anger of our Elohim on account of this matter is turned away from us." ¹⁵ (Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah stood up against this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite were backing up their opposition.) ¹⁶ So that is what the sons of deportation did. Ezra the priest set apart various men who were the patriarchal heads of their fathers' house, all of them by name; and they sat down on day one of the tenth month to inquire into the matter. ¹⁷ By day one of the first month they had concluded dealing with all the men who located in their houses foreign women. ¹⁸ Among the sons of priests who had located in their houses foreign women were found, of the sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah and Eliezer and Jarib and Gedaliah. ¹⁹ They gave their hand to send forth their foreign women and, being guilty, offered a ram of the flock for their guilt. ²⁰ Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. ²¹ Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah and Elijah and Shemaiah and Jehiel and Uzziah. ²² Of the sons of Pashur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah. ²³ Of the Levites: Jozabad and Shimei and Kelaiah (that is Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer. ²⁴ Of the singers: Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum and Telem and Uri. ²⁵ Of Israel of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah 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: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai. ²⁹ Of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Ramoth. ³⁰ Of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh. ³¹ Of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 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 and Uel, ³⁵ also Benaiah, Cheluhi, ³⁶ Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, ³⁷ Mattaniah, Mattenai and Jaasai. ³⁸ Of the sons of Binnui: 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 of these had taken up foreign women, and among them there were women that had even borne sons.