1Now while Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and lying face down in front of the house of God, a very large crowd of Israelites gathered around him - men, women and children. The people wept bitterly.
2Then Shechaniah son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God. We have married foreign women from the peoples of the land. Yet even now there is hope for Israel about this."
3"So now let us make a covenant with our God to send away all these wives and the children born to them. Let it be done as my lord advises, and as those advise who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the law."
4"Get up, for this matter is your responsibility. We will stand with you. Be strong, and do it."
5Then Ezra got up. He made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear to do what had been said. And they swore it.
6Then Ezra got up from in front of the house of God and went into the room of Johanan son of Eliashib. When he went there, he ate no bread and drank no water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of those who had been carried away as captives.
7Then they sent out a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem to all who had returned from captivity, telling them to gather together at Jerusalem.
8Anyone who did not come within three days would lose all his property, by the decision of the leaders and the elders, and he himself would be cut off from the assembly of those who had returned from captivity.
9So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. All the people sat in the open square in front of the house of God, shaking because of this matter and because of the heavy rain.
10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful. You have married foreign women, and so added to the guilt of Israel."
11"Now then, confess to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do what pleases him. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from your foreign wives."
12Then the whole assembly answered with a loud voice, "You are right. We must do as you say."
13"But there are many people here, and it is the rainy season. We cannot stand outside. And this is not a task for one day or two, for many of us have sinned in this matter."
14"Let our leaders act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at set times, together with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God over this matter is turned away from us."
15Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahaziah son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.
16So those who had returned from captivity did this. Ezra the priest chose men who were heads of families, one for each family, all of them named. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to look into the matter.
17By the first day of the first month they had finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.
18Among the sons of the priests, these were found to have married foreign women: from the sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah.
19They gave their promise to send away their wives. And because they were guilty, they each offered a ram from the flock for their guilt.
20From the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
21From the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah.
22From the sons of Pashur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad and Elasah.
23Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.
24Among the singers: Eliashib. Among the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri.
25And among the rest of Israel: from the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Jeziah, Malchiah, Miamin, Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah.
26From the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Eliah.
27From the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza.
28From the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai.
29From the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Ramoth.
30From the sons of Pahathmoab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, Binnui and Manasseh.
31From the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah.
33From the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei.
34From the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,
36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasau,
38Bani, Binnui, Shimei,
39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,
40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41Azareel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.
43From the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, Joel and Benaiah.
44All these men had married foreign women, and some of them had wives who had borne them children.