New American Standard Bible 1995 | International Standard Version |
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. | 1Now while Ezra was praying and confessing in tears, having prostrated himself to the ground before the Temple of God, a very large crowd of Israelis—men, women, and children—gathered around him. Indeed, the people were crying bitterly. |
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. | 2Jehiel's son Shecaniah, one of Elam's descendants, responded to Ezra: "We have sinned against our God by marrying foreign wives from the people of the land, but even now there is hope in Israel, despite this. |
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 let's make a promise to our God by which we divorce all of these foreign wives—as well as those born to them—in accordance with the counsel of our Lord and of those who tremble at our God's command. Furthermore, 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." | 4So get up—it's your responsibility! We're with you. Be strong, and get to work." |
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 chief priests, the descendants of Levi, and all of Israel vow to carry out everything they promised. And so they agreed. |
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. | 6Ezra arose in front of the Temple of God to visit the apartment of Eliashib's son Jehohanan. While there, he neither ate nor drank because he was in mourning over the sins of those who had returned from exile. |
7They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they should assemble at Jerusalem, | 7Then they sent word throughout Judah and Jerusalem to everyone who had returned from the exile, to gather together in 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 would not come within three days would forfeit his assets and be separated from the community of the returning exiles, just as the high officials and elders had advised. |
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. | 9Less than three days later, all of the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered together on the twentieth day of the ninth month. Everyone sat in the plaza of the Temple of God, trembling because of everything that was happening, and also because it was raining heavily. |
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. | 10Ezra the priest stood up and spoke to them, "You have sinned by marrying foreign wives, thereby increasing the transgressions 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 confess this to the LORD God of your ancestors, and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from 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. | 12At this, the entire community responded with a loud cry, "We will do just as you've spoken! |
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. | 13However, many people are involved, and it's raining heavily. Furthermore, this is not just a matter of a day or two of work, because many of us have sinned in this. |
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." | 14So let's have our officials remain on behalf of the whole community. Then all who have married foreign wives are to come appear at specific times before the elders and judges of each city until the fierce anger of our God has been turned away from us in this matter." |
15Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them. | 15Only Asahel's son Jonathan and Tikvah's son Jahzeiah opposed this, and they were supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the descendant of Levi. |
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 those who had returned from exile did this. Ezra the priest and leaders of certain ancestral groups listed by name devoted themselves to examine the situation on the first day of the tenth month. |
17They finished investigating all the men who had married foreign wives by the first day of the first month. | 17By the first day of the first month they concluded their investigation of all of the men who had married foreign wives. |
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. | 18Here is a list of priestly descendants who were found to have married foreign women. From Jeshua's descendants: Jozadak's son 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. | 19Pleading guilty, they promised to divorce their wives. Then they offered a ram from their flocks for their offense. |
20Of the sons of Immer there were Hanani and Zebadiah; | 20From Immer's descendants: Hanani and Zebadiah. |
21and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah; | 21From Harim's descendants: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. |
22and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah. | 22From Pashhur's descendants: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. |
23Of Levites there were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer. | 23From the descendants of Levi: 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; | 25From the Israelis: Parosh's descendants: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah. |
26and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah; | 26From Elam's descendants: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. |
27and of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza; | 27From Zattu's descendants: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. |
28and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai; | 28From Bebai's descendants: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. |
29and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth; | 29From Bani's descendants: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. |
30and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh; | 30From Pahath-moab's descendants: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. |
31and of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, | 31From Harim's descendants: 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 Hashum's descendants: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. |
34of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, | 34From Bani's descendants: Maadai, Amram, Uel, |
35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, | 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, |
36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, | 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, |
37Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu, | 37Matanza, Maternai, Jas, |
38Bani, Binnui, Shimei, | 38Bani, Binai, Shihezi, |
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. | 43From Nebo's descendants: 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 of these had married foreign wives, and some of them had children by them. |
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 Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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