1Now 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.studyinterlinear
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.studyinterlinear
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.studyinterlinear
4Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.studyinterlinear
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.studyinterlinear
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.studyinterlinear
7And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;studyinterlinear
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.studyinterlinear
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.studyinterlinear
10And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.studyinterlinear
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.studyinterlinear
12Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.studyinterlinear
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.studyinterlinear
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.studyinterlinear
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.studyinterlinear
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.studyinterlinear
17And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.studyinterlinear
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.studyinterlinear
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.studyinterlinear
20And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.studyinterlinear
21And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.studyinterlinear
22And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.studyinterlinear
23Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.studyinterlinear
24Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.studyinterlinear
25Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.studyinterlinear
26And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.studyinterlinear
27And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.studyinterlinear
28Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.studyinterlinear
29And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.studyinterlinear
30And of the sons of Pahath-moab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.studyinterlinear
31And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,studyinterlinear
32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.studyinterlinear
33Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.studyinterlinear
34Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,studyinterlinear
35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,studyinterlinear
36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,studyinterlinear
37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,studyinterlinear
38And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,studyinterlinear
39And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,studyinterlinear
40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,studyinterlinear
41Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,studyinterlinear
42Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.studyinterlinear
43Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.studyinterlinear
44All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.studyinterlinear