| Holman Christian Standard Bible | King James Bible |
| 1While Ezra prayed and confessed, weeping and falling facedown before the house of God, an extremely large assembly of Israelite men, women, and children gathered around him. The people also wept bitterly. | 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. |
| 2Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, an Elamite, responded to Ezra: "We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the surrounding peoples, but there is still hope for Israel in spite of this. | 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. |
| 3Let us therefore make a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. Let it be done according to the law. | 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. |
| 4Get up, for this matter is your responsibility, and we support you. Be strong and take action!" | 4Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it. |
| 5Then Ezra got up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do what had been said; so they took the oath. | 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. |
| 6Ezra then went from the house of God and walked to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, where he spent the night. He did not eat food or drink water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. | 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. |
| 7They circulated a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should gather at Jerusalem. | 7And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem; |
| 8Whoever did not come within three days would forfeit all his possessions, according to the decision of the leaders and elders, and would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles. | 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. |
| 9So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. On the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people sat in the square at the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain. | 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. |
| 10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women, adding to Israel's guilt. | 10And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel. |
| 11Therefore, make a confession to Yahweh the God of your fathers and do His will. Separate yourselves from the surrounding peoples and your foreign wives." | 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. |
| 12Then all the assembly responded with a loud voice: "Yes, we will do as you say! | 12Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do. |
| 13But there are many people, and it is the rainy season. We don't have the stamina to stay out in the open. This isn't something that can be done in a day or two, for we have rebelled terribly in this matter. | 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. |
| 14Let our leaders represent the entire assembly. Then let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each town, in order to avert the fierce anger of our God concerning this matter." | 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. |
| 15Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them. | 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. |
| 16The exiles did what had been proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family leaders, all identified by name, to represent their ancestral houses. They convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter, | 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. |
| 17and by the first day of the first month they had dealt with all the men who had married foreign women. | 17And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month. |
| 18The following were found to have married foreign women from the descendants of the priests: from the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. | 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. |
| 19They pledged to send their wives away, and being guilty, they offered a ram from the flock for their guilt; | 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. |
| 20Hanani and Zebadiah from Immer's descendants; | 20And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah. |
| 21Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah from Harim's descendants; | 21And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah. |
| 22Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah from Pashhur's descendants. | 22And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah. |
| 23The Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. | 23Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. |
| 24The singers: Eliashib. The gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. | 24Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri. |
| 25The Israelites: Parosh's descendants: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah; | 25Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah. |
| 26Elam's descendants: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah; | 26And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah. |
| 27Zattu's descendants: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza; | 27And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza. |
| 28Bebai's descendants: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai; | 28Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. |
| 29Bani's descendants: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth; | 29And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth. |
| 30Pahath-moab's descendants: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh; | 30And of the sons of Pahathmoab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh. |
| 31Harim's descendants: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, | 31And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, |
| 32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah; | 32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. |
| 33Hashum's descendants: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei; | 33Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. |
| 34Bani's descendants: Maadai, Amram, Uel, | 34Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel, |
| 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, | 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh, |
| 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, | 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, |
| 37Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu, | 37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau, |
| 38Bani, Binnui, Shimei, | 38And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei, |
| 39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, | 39And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah, |
| 40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, | 40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, |
| 41Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, | 41Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah, |
| 42Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph; | 42Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. |
| 43Nebo's descendants: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. | 43Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah. |
| 44All of these had married foreign women, and some of the wives had given birth to children. | 44All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children. |
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