Ezra 10
Ezra prayed and confessed the people's sins, including taking foreign wives, and a large crowd gathered to weep and mourn. Shechaniah suggested making a covenant with God to put away the foreign wives and their children, and the people agreed. Ezra made the priests, Levites, and Israelites swear to do this, and a proclamation was made for all the exiles to gather in Jerusalem. Those who did not comply within three days would be separated from the congregation. The people gathered and Ezra told them to separate from their foreign wives, and the people agreed. However, due to the large number of people and the rain, they decided to have the leaders of each city deal with the issue at appointed times. The process of separating from foreign wives took three months to complete, and a list of those who had taken foreign wives was made, including priests, Levites, and Israelites.
1Now 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.2And 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.3Now 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.4Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.5Then 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.6Then 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.7And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;8And 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.9Then 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.10And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.11Now 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.12Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.13But 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.14Let 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.15Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.16And 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.17And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.18And 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.19And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.20And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.21And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.22And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.23Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.24Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.25Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.26And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.27And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.28Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.29And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.30And of the sons of Pahathmoab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.31And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.33Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.34Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,38And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,39And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,41Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,42Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.43Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.44All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
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