Ezra and Nehemiah 10
1 So when Esdras
had prayed, and when he
had confessed, weeping and praying before the house
of God, a very great assembly of Israel came together to him, men and women
and youths; for the people wept, and wept aloud.
2 And Sechenias the son of Jeel, of
the sons of Elam, answered and said to Esdras, We have broken covenant with
our God, and have taken strange wives of the nations of the land: yet now
there is patience of hope to Israel concerning this
thing. 3 Now then let us make a
covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and their offspring, as thou
shalt advise: 4 arise, and alarm them
with the commands of our God; and let it be done
according to the law. Rise up, for the matter is upon
thee; and we are with thee: be strong and do.
5 Then Esdras arose, and caused the
rulers, the priests, and Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they would do
according to this word: and they swore.
6 And Esdras rose up from before the
house of God, and went to the treasury of Joanan the son of Elisub; he even
went thither: he ate no bread, and drank no water; for he mourned over the
unfaithfulness of them of the captivity.
7 And they made proclamation
throughout Juda and Jerusalem to all the children of the captivity, that they
should assemble at Jerusalem, saying,
8 Every one who shall not arrive
within three days, as is the counsel of the rulers
and the elders, all his substance shall be forfeited, and he shall be
separated from the congregation of the captivity.
9 So all the men of Juda and Benjamin
assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. This
was the ninth month: on the twentieth day of the
month all the people sat down in the street of the house of the Lord, because
of their alarm concerning the word, and because of the storm.
10 And Esdras the priest arose, and
said to them, Ye have broken covenant, and have taken strange wives, to add to
the trespass of Israel. 11 Now
therefore give praise to the Lord God of our fathers, and do that which is
pleasing in his sight: and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land,
and from the strange wives.
12 Then all the congregation answered
and said, This thy word is powerful upon us to do it.
13 But the people
is numerous, and the season
is stormy, and there is no power to stand without,
and the work is more than enough for one day or for two; for we have greatly
sinned in this matter. 14 Let now our
rulers stand, and for all those in our cities who have taken strange wives,
let them come at appointed times, and with them elders from every several
city, and judges, to turn away the fierce wrath of our God from us concerning
this matter. 15 Only Jonathan the son
of Asael, and Jazias the son of Thecoe were with me
concerning this; and Mesollam, and Sabbathai the Levite helped them.
16 And the children of the captivity
did thus: and Esdras the priest, and heads of families according to
their house were separated, and all by their names,
for they returned in the first day of the tenth month to search out the
matter. 17 And they made an end with
all the men who had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.
18 And there were found
some of the sons of the priests who had taken strange
wives: of the sons of Jesus the son of Josedec, and his brethren; Maasia, and
Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gadalia.
19 And they pledged themselves to put
away their wives, and offered a ram of the flock for
a trespass-offering because of their trespass.
20 And of the sons of Emmer; Anani,
and Zabdia. 21 And of the sons of
Eram; Masael, and Elia, and Samaia, and Jeel, and Ozia.
22 And of the sons of Phasur;
Elionai, Maasia, and Ismael, and Nathanael, and Jozabad, and Elasa.
23 And of the Levites; Jozabad, and
Samu, and Colia (he is Colitas,) and Phetheia, and
Judas, and Eliezer. 24 And of the
singers; Elisab: and of the porters; Solmen, and Telmen, and Oduth.
25 Also of Israel: of the sons of
Phoros; Ramia, and Azia, and Melchia, and Meamin, and Eleazar, and Asabia, and
Banaia. 26 And of the sons of Helam;
Matthania, and Zacharia, and Jaïel, and Abdia, and Jarimoth, and Elia.
27 And of the sons of Zathua;
Elionai, Elisub, Matthanai, and Armoth, and Zabad, and Oziza.
28 And of the sons of Babei; Joanan,
Anania, and Zabu, and Thali. 29 And
of the sons of Banui; Mosollam, Maluch, Adaias, Jasub, and Saluia, and Remoth.
30 And of the sons of Phaath Moab;
Edne, and Chalel, and Banaia, Maasia, Matthania, Beseleel, and Banui, and
Manasse. 31 And of the sons of Eram;
Eliezer, Jesia, Melchia, Samaias, Semeon,
32 Benjamin, Baluch, Samaria.
33 And of the sons of Asem;
Metthania, Matthatha, Zadab, Eliphalet, Jerami, Manasse, Semei.
34 And of the sons of Bani; Moodia,
Amram, Uel, 35 Banaia, Badaia,
Chelkia, 36 Uvania, Marimoth,
Eliasiph, 37 Matthania, Matthanai:
38 and
so did the children of Banui, and the children of
Semei, 39 and Selemia, and Nathan,
and Adaia, 40 Machadnabu, Sesei,
Sariu, 41 Ezriel, and Selemia, and
Samaria, 42 and Sellum, Amaria,
Joseph. 43 Of the sons of Nabu; Jael,
Matthanias, Zabad, Zebennas, Jadai, and Joel, and Banaia.
44 All these had taken strange wives,
and had begotten sons of them.