10:1
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.
10:2
And 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.
(10:2-3, 10-12) Ezra tells the men that they must abandon their
wives and children if they are to avoid God's wrath.
(10:2-3) "We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the
people of the land ... Now therefore let us
make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born
of them."
10:3Now 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.
10:4
Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be
of good courage, and do it.
10:5
Then 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.
10:6
Then 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.
10:7
And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the
children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto
Jerusalem;
10:8
And 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.
10:9
Then 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.
10:10And Ezra the priest
stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange
wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.
(10:10-12) "Ezra the priest
stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange
wives ... Now therefore ... separate yourselves ... from the strange wives. Then all
the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do."
10:11Now 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.
10:12Then all the
congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must
we do.
10:13
But 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.
10:14
Let 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.
10:15
Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were
employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped
them.
10:16
And 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.
10:17
And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the
first day of the first month.
10:18
And 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.
10:19
And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being
guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.
10:20
And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.
10:21
And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel,
and Uzziah.
10:22
And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel,
Jozabad, and Elasah.
10:23
Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is
Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
10:24
Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and
Uri.
10:25
Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and
Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
10:26
And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and
Jeremoth, and Eliah.
10:27
And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and
Zabad, and Aziza.
10:28
Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
10:29
And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and
Sheal, and Ramoth.
10:30
And of the sons of Pahathmoab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah,
Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.
10:31
And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
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