Ezra Chapter 10

1While Ezra prayed thus, and confessed himself weeping, and falling down before the house of God, there assembled unto him of Israel a very great Congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept with a great lamentation.

2Then Shechaniah the son of Jehiel one of the sons of Elam answered, and said to 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.

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 the Lord, and of those that fear the commandments of our God, and let it be done according to the Law.

4Arise: for the matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of comfort and do it.

5Then arose Ezra, and caused the chief Priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they would do according to this word. So they sware.

6And Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: he went even thither, but he did eat neither bread nor drunk water: for he mourned, because of the transgression of them of the captivity.

7And they caused a proclamation to go throughout Judah and Jerusalem, unto all them of the captivity, that they should assemble themselves unto Jerusalem.

8And whosoever would not come within three days according to the counsel of the Princes and Elders, all his substance should be forfeit, and he should be separate from the Congregation of them of the captivity.

9Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled themselves unto Jerusalem within three days, which was the twentieth day of the ninth month, and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling for this matter, and for the 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 give praise unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his will, and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

12And all the Congregation answered, and said with a loud voice, So will we do according to thy words unto us.

13But the people are many, and it is a rainy weather, and we are not able to stand without, neither is it the work of one day or two: for we are many that have offended in this thing.

14Let our rulers stand therefore before all the Congregation, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities, come at the time appointed, and with [them] the Elders of every city and the judges thereof, till the fierce wrath of our God for this matter turn away from us.

15Then were appointed Jonathan the son of Asahel, and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah over this matter, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levites helped them.

16And they of the captivity did so, and departed, even Ezra the Priest, and the men that were chief fathers to the family of their fathers by name, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

17And until the first day of the first month they were finishing the business with all the men that had taken strange wives.

18And of the sons of the Priests there were men found, that had taken strange wives, to wit, of the sons of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and of his brethren, Maaseiah, Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19And they gave their hands, that they would put away their wives, and they that had trespassed gave a ram for their trespass.

20And of the sons of Immer, Honani, 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, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

23And of the Levites, Jozabad and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (which is Kelita) Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.

24And of the singers, Eliashib. And of the porters, Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.

25And of Israel: of the sons of Parosh, Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Mijamin, 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 Jerimoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.

28And of the sons of Bebai, Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai.

29And of the sons of Bani, Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, Jeremoth.

30And of the sons of Pahath-Moab, Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.

31And of the sons of Harim, Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

32Benjamin, Malluch, Shamariah.

33Of the sons of Hashum, Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei.

34Of the sons of Bani, Maadai, Amram, and Uel,

35Banaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,

36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasai,

38And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,

39And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,

40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

41Azarel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,

42Shallum, Amariah, Joseph.

43Of the sons of Nebo, Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadai, and Joel, Benaiah.

44All these had taken strange wives: and among them were women that had children.