Chapter 10
- 10:1
- Now 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.
- 10:2
- And 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.
- 10:3
- Now 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.
- 10:4
- Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good
courage, and do it.
- 10:5
- Then 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.
- 10:6
- Then 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.
- 10:7
- And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the
captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;
- 10:8
- And 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.
- 10:9
- Then 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.
- 10:10
- And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken
strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.
- 10:11
- Now 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.
- 10:12
- Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so
must we do.
- 10:13
- But 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.
- 10:14
- Let 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.
- 10:15
- Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this
matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.
- 10:16
- And 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.
- 10:17
- And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of
the first month.
- 10:18
- And 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.
- 10:19
- And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they
offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.
- 10:20
- And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.
- 10:21
- And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.
- 10:22
- And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
- 10:23
- Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah,
Judah, and Eliezer.
- 10:24
- Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.
- 10:25
- Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin,
and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
- 10:26
- And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and
Eliah.
- 10:27
- And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and
Aziza.
- 10:28
- Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
- 10:29
- And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.
- 10:30
- And of the sons of Pahathmoab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel,
and Binnui, and Manasseh.
- 10:31
- And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
- 10:32
- Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
- 10:33
- Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and
Shimei.
- 10:34
- Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
- 10:35
- Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,
- 10:36
- Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
- 10:37
- Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,
- 10:38
- And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
- 10:39
- And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
- 10:40
- Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
- 10:41
- Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
- 10:42
- Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
- 10:43
- Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.
- 10:44
- All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.