Ezra 10

The Covenant to Send the Foreign Wives Away

1Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites gathered around him — men, women and children — and the people wept bitterly. 2Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, of the descendants of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God in marrying foreign women from the peoples of the land. And yet, even in this, there is still hope for Israel. 3So let us now make a covenant with our God to send away all these women and the children born to them, according to the counsel of the Lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God; and let it be done according to the law.* 4Get up, for the matter rests on you, and we are with you. Be strong and act.” 5So Ezra rose and made the leading priests, the Levites and all Israel swear to do what had been said; and they swore it. 6Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib; and when he had gone there, he ate no bread and drank no water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. 7And a proclamation was sent through Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles to assemble in Jerusalem; 8and anyone who failed to come within three days would, by decision of the officials and the elders, have all his property confiscated and be cut off from the assembly of the exiles.

Ezra Speaks to the Assembly

9So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month, and all the people sat in the square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain. 10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful: you have married foreign women, adding to the guilt of Israel. 11Now then, make confession to Yahweh, the God of your fathers, and do his will: separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from your foreign wives.” 12And the whole assembly answered with a loud voice, “You are right; it falls to us to do as you say. 13But there are many of us, and it is the season of rain; we cannot stand out in the open. And this is not the work of a day or two, for we have sinned greatly in this matter. 14Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God over this matter is turned away from us.” 15Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them. 16So the returned exiles did as had been said. Ezra the priest selected men who were heads of families, one for each family, all of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to examine the matter, 17and by the first day of the first month they had finished with all the men who had married foreign women.

Those Who Had Married Foreign Women

18Among the descendants of the priests there were found men who had married foreign women. Of the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. 19They gave their hands as a pledge to send away their wives, and as guilty men they presented a ram from the flock for their guilt. 20Of the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. 21Of the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah. 22Of the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah. 23Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah — that is, Kelita — Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer. 24Among the singers: Eliashib. Among the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri. 25And among Israel: of the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah. 26Of the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah. 27Of the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza. 28Of the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai. 29Of the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Ramoth. 30Of the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh. 31And of the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah. 33Of the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei. 34Of the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhu, 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu, 38Bani, Binnui, Shimei, 39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42Shallum, Amariah, Joseph. 43Of the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah. 44All these had taken foreign wives, and some of these wives had borne them children.