New American Standard Bible 1995 | Berean Study Bible |
1Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly. | 1While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and falling facedown before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites—men, women, and children—gathered around him, and the people wept bitterly as well. |
2Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. | 2Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, an Elamite, said to Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the people of the land, yet in spite of this, there is hope for Israel. |
3"So now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. | 3So now let us 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. |
4"Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; be courageous and act." | 4Get up, for this matter is your responsibility, and we will support you. Be strong and take action!” |
5Then Ezra rose and made the leading priests, the Levites and all Israel, take oath that they would do according to this proposal; so they took the oath. | 5So Ezra got up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do what had been said. And they took the oath. |
6Then Ezra rose from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, he did not eat bread nor drink water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. | 6Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and walked to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. And while he stayed there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. |
7They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they should assemble at Jerusalem, | 7And a proclamation was issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should gather at Jerusalem. |
8and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited and he himself excluded from the assembly of the exiles. | 8Whoever failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, according to the counsel of the leaders and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles. |
9So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain. | 9So within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem, and on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people sat in the square at the house of God, trembling regarding this matter and because of the heavy rain. |
10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel. | 10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women, adding to the guilt of Israel. |
11"Now therefore, make confession to the LORD God of your fathers and do His will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives." | 11Now, therefore, make a confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from your foreign wives.” |
12Then all the assembly replied with a loud voice, "That's right! As you have said, so it is our duty to do. | 12And the whole assembly responded in a loud voice: “Truly we must do as you say! |
13"But there are many people; it is the rainy season and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor can the task be done in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter. | 13But there are many people here, and it is the rainy season. We are not able to stay out in the open. Nor is this the work of one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter. |
14"Let our leaders represent the whole assembly and let all those in our cities who have married foreign wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each city, until the fierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us." | 14Let our leaders represent the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at an appointed time, together with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us.” |
15Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them. | 15(Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this plan.) |
16But the exiles did so. And Ezra the priest selected men who were heads of fathers' households for each of their father's households, all of them by name. So they convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. | 16So the exiles did as proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, each of them identified by name, to represent their families. On the first day of the tenth month they launched the investigation, |
17They finished investigating all the men who had married foreign wives by the first day of the first month. | 17and by the first day of the first month they had dealt with all the men who had married foreign women. |
18Among the sons of the priests who had married foreign wives were found of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. | 18Among the descendants of the priests who had married foreign women were found these descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. |
19They pledged to put away their wives, and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their offense. | 19They pledged to send their wives away, and for their guilt they presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering. |
20Of the sons of Immer there were Hanani and Zebadiah; | 20From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. |
21and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah; | 21From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. |
22and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah. | 22From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. |
23Of Levites there were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer. | 23Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. |
24Of the singers there was Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri. | 24From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. |
25Of Israel, of the sons of Parosh there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah; | 25And among the other Israelites, from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah. |
26and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah; | 26From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. |
27and of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza; | 27From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. |
28and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai; | 28From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. |
29and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth; | 29From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. |
30and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh; | 30From the descendants of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. |
31and of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, | 31From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, |
32Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah; | 32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. |
33of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei; | 33From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. |
34of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, | 34From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, |
35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, | 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, |
36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, | 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, |
37Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu, | 37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu. |
38Bani, Binnui, Shimei, | 38From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei, |
39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, | 39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, |
40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, | 40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, |
41Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, | 41Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, |
42Shallum, Amariah and Joseph. | 42Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. |
43Of the sons of Nebo there were Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah. | 43And from the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. |
44All these had married foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children. | 44All these men had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives. |
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. |
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