Ezra 10

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 While Ezra, weeping and prostrating himself in front of the Temple of God, was praying and makingconfession, a very large crowd of men, women and children of Israel gathered round him, the people weepingbitterly.	1 While Ezra prayed and acknowledged their guilt, weeping and prostrate before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites gathered about him, men, women, and children; and the people wept profusely.
2 Then Shechaniah son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, 'We have beenunfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the people of the country. But, in spite of this, there is stillsome hope for Israel.	2 Then Shecaniah, the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, made this appeal to Ezra: "We have indeed betrayed our God by taking as wives foreign women of the peoples of the land. Yet even now there remains a hope for Israel.
3 We will make a covenant with our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children inobedience to the advice of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let us act inaccordance with the Law.	3 Let us therefore enter into a covenant before our God to dismiss all our foreign wives and the children born of them, in keeping with what you, my lord, advise, and those who fear the commandments of our God. Let the law be observed!
4 Go ahead, do your duty; we support you. Be brave, take action!'	4 Rise, then, for this is your duty! We will stand by you, so have courage and take action!"
5 Then Ezra stood up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel on oath to do what had beensaid. They took the oath.	5 Ezra rose to his feet and demanded an oath from the chiefs of the priests, from the Levites and from all Israel that they would do as had been proposed; and they swore it.
6 Ezra then left his place in front of the Temple of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son ofEliashib, where he spent the night without eating food or drinking water, because he was stil mourning over theexiles' infidelity.	6 Then Ezra retired from his place before the house of God and entered the chamber of Johanan, son of Eliashib, where he spent the night neither eating food nor drinking water, for he was in mourning over the betrayal by the exiles.
7 A proclamation was issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem that al the exiles were to assemble inJerusalem,	7 A proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should gather together in Jerusalem,
8 and that anyone who failed within three days to answer the summons of the officials and elders was toforfeit al his possessions and himself be excluded from the community of the exiles.	8 and that whoever failed to appear within three days would, according to the judgment of the leaders and elders, suffer the confiscation of all his possessions, and himself be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.
9 As a result, all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem within the three days; it wasthe twentieth day of the ninth month. Al the people sat down in the square in front of the Temple of God,trembling because of the matter in hand and because of the heavy rain.	9 All the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered together in Jerusalem within the three-day period: it was in the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. All the people, standing in the open place before the house of God, were trembling both over the matter at hand and because it was raining.
10 The priest Ezra then stood up and said to them, 'You have been unfaithful and have married foreignwives, thus adding to Israel's guilt.	10 Then Ezra, the priest, stood up and said to them: "Your unfaithfulness in taking foreign women as wives has added to Israel's guilt.
11 So now give thanks to Yahweh, God of your ancestors, and do his will by holding aloof from thepeople of the country and from foreign wives.'	11 But now, give praise to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do his will: separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from these foreign women."
12 In ringing tones, the whole assembly answered, 'Yes, our duty is to do as you say.	12 In answer, the whole assembly cried out with a loud voice: "Yes, it is our duty to do as you say!
13 But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; we cannot stay out in the open; besides,this is not something that can be dealt with in one or two days, since many of us have been unfaithful over this.	13 But the people are numerous and it is the rainy season, so that we cannot remain out-of-doors; besides, this is not a task that can be performed in a single day or even two, for those of us who have sinned in this regard are many.
14 Let our officials deputise for the whole community, and all the people in our towns who have marriedforeign wives can come at stated times, accompanied by elders and judges from each town, until our God'sfierce anger over this is turned away from us.'	14 Let our leaders represent the whole assembly; then let all those in our cities who have taken foreign women for wives appear at appointed times, accompanied by the elders and magistrates of each city in question, till we have turned away from us our God's burning anger over this affair."
15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshul am and Shabbethaithe Levite, were opposed to this.	15 Only Jonathan, son of Asahel, and Jahzeiah, son of Tikvah, were against this proposal, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.
16 The exiles did as had been proposed. And the priest Ezra selected the family heads of the variousfamilies, all of them by name, who began their sittings on the first day of the tenth month to look into the matter.	16 The exiles did as agreed. Ezra appointed as his assistants men who were family heads, one for each family, all of them designated by name. They held sessions to examine the matter, beginning with the first day of the tenth month.
17 And by the first day of the first month they had dealt with al the men who had married foreign women.	17 By the first day of the first month they had passed judgment on all the men who had taken foreign women for wives.
18 Among the priests who were found to have married foreign wives were: of the sons of Jeshua son ofJozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah,	18 Among the priests, the following were found to have taken foreign women for wives: Of the sons of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and his brethren: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
19 who agreed to send their wives away; their guilt offering was a ram from the flock for their guilt;	19 They pledged themselves to dismiss their wives, and as a guilt-offering for their guilt they gave a ram from the flock.
20 of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah;	20 Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah;
21 of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah;	21 of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah;
22 of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah;	22 of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah -- that is, Kelita-Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer;	23 Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.
24 of the singers: Eliashib and Zaccur; of the gatekeepers: Shal um, Telem and Uri;	24 Of the singers: Eliashib and Zakkur; of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 and of the Israelites: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijahand Benaiah;	25 Among the other Israelites: Of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah;
26 of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah;	26 of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah;
27 of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza;	27 of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza;
28 of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Atlai;	28 of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai;
29 of the sons of Bigvai: Meshullam, Mal uch, Jedaiah, Jashub, Sheal, Jeremoth;	29 of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth;
30 of the sons of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui andManasseh;	30 of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh;
31 of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,	31 of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 Benjamin, Mal uch, Shemariah;	32 Benjamin, Malluch, Shemariah;
33 of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei;	33 of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei;
34 of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,	34 of the sons of Begui: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
35 Benaiah, Bediah, Jeluhi,	35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,	36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai and Jaasau;	37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu;
38 of the sons of Binnui: Shimei,	38 of the sons of Binnui: Shimei,
39 Shelemiah, Nathan and Adaiah;	39 Shelemiah, Nathan, and Adaiah;
40 of the sons of Zaccai: Shashai, Sharai,	40 of the sons of Zachai: Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,	41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Shallum, Amariah, Joseph;	42 Shallum, Amariah, Joseph;
43 of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, Benaiah.	43 of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, Benaiah.
44 All these had married foreign wives but sent them away with their children.	44 All these had taken foreign wives; but they sent them away, both the women and their children.