| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself to the ground before the temple of God, a very large crowd of Israelites--men, women, and children alike--gathered around him. The people wept loudly. | 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. |
| 2Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam, addressed Ezra: "We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the local peoples. Nonetheless, there is still hope for Israel in this regard. | 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. |
| 3Therefore let us enact a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, and that of those who respect the commandments 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. |
| 4Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!" | 4So get up—it's your responsibility! We're with you. Be strong, and get to work." |
| 5So Ezra got up and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath to carry out this plan. And they all took a solemn 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 got up from in front of the temple of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he stayed there, he did not eat food or drink water, for he was in mourning over the infidelity 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. |
| 7A proclamation was circulated throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles were to be assembled in Jerusalem. | 7Then they sent word throughout Judah and Jerusalem to everyone who had returned from the exile, to gather together in Jerusalem. |
| 8Everyone who did not come within three days would thereby forfeit all his property, in keeping with the counsel of the officials and the elders. Furthermore, he himself would be 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. |
| 9All the men of Judah and Benjamin were gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. (It was in the ninth month, on the twentieth day of that month.) All the people sat in the square at the temple of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the rains. | 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 behaved in an unfaithful manner by taking foreign wives! This has contributed 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. |
| 11Now give praise to the LORD God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the local residents and from these 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." |
| 12All the assembly replied in a loud voice: "We will do just as you have said! | 12At this, the entire community responded with a loud cry, "We will do just as you've spoken! |
| 13However, the people are numerous and it is the rainy season. We are unable to stand here outside. Furthermore, this business cannot be resolved in a day or two, for we have sinned 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. |
| 14Let our leaders take steps on behalf of all the assembly. Let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at an appointed time, and with them the elders of each town and its judges, until the hot anger of our God is turned away from us in this matter." | 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 son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah were against this, assisted by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite. | 15Only Asahel's son Jonathan and Tikvah's son Jahzeiah opposed this, and they were supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the descendant of Levi. |
| 16So the exiles proceeded accordingly. Ezra the priest separated out by name men who were leaders in their family groups. They sat down to consider this matter on the first day of the tenth month, | 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. |
| 17and on the first day of the first month they finished considering all the men who had married foreign wives. | 17By the first day of the first month they concluded their investigation of all of the men who had married foreign wives. |
| 18It was determined that from the descendants of the priests, the following had taken foreign wives: from the descendants of Jeshua 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. |
| 19(They gave their word to send away their wives; their guilt offering was a ram from the flock for their guilt.) | 19Pleading guilty, they promised to divorce their wives. Then they offered a ram from their flocks for their offense. |
| 20From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. | 20From Immer's descendants: Hanani and Zebadiah. |
| 21From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. | 21From Harim's descendants: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. |
| 22From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. | 22From Pashhur's descendants: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. |
| 23From the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also known as Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. | 23From the descendants of Levi: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. |
| 24From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. | 24From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. |
| 25From the Israelites: from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah, and Benaiah. | 25From the Israelis: Parosh's descendants: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah. |
| 26From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. | 26From Elam's descendants: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. |
| 27From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. | 27From Zattu's descendants: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. |
| 28From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. | 28From Bebai's descendants: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. |
| 29From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. | 29From Bani's descendants: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. |
| 30From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. | 30From Pahath-moab's descendants: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. |
| 31From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, | 31From Harim's descendants: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, |
| 32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. | 32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. |
| 33From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. | 33From Hashum's descendants: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. |
| 34From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, | 34From Bani's descendants: Maadai, Amram, Uel, |
| 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, | 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, |
| 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, | 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, |
| 37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu. | 37Matanza, Maternai, Jas, |
| 38From the descendants of 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. |
| 43From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. | 43From Nebo's descendants: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. |
| 44All these had taken foreign wives, and some of them also had children by these women. | 44All of these had married foreign wives, and some of them had children by them. |
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