Ezra 9–10

Israel’s Intermarriage with Pagans

9After these things had been done, the leaders approached me and said: “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves ^tfrom the surrounding peoples whose detestable practices ^uare like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. ^v2Indeed, the Israelite men ^whave taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed ^xhas become mixed with the surrounding peoples. ^yThe leaders ^zand officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!” ^a3When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and robe, pulled out some of the hair from my head and beard, and sat down devastated. ^b

Ezra’s Confession

⁴Everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel ^cgathered around me, because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, ^dwhile I sat devastated until the evening offering. ^e5At the evening offering, I got up from my humiliation, with my tunic and robe torn. Then I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to Yahweh my God. ^f6And I said: ^g

My God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face toward You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads and our guilt is as high as the heavens. ^h7Our guilt has been terrible from the days of our fathers until the present. Because of our iniquities we have been handed over, along with our kings and priests, to the surrounding kings, and to the sword, captivity, plundering, and open shame, ⁱas it is today. ⁸But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from Yahweh our God to preserve a remnant ^jfor us and give us a stake ^kin His holy place. Even in our slavery, God has given us new life and light to our eyes. ^l9Though we are slaves, ^mour God has not abandoned us in our slavery. He has extended grace to us in the presence of the Persian kings, ⁿgiving us new life, so that we can rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, ^oto give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

¹⁰Now, our God, what can we say in light of ^pthis? For we have abandoned the commands ¹¹You gave through Your servants the prophets, saying: “The land you are entering to possess is an impure land. The surrounding peoples have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness by their impurity and detestable practices. ^q12So do not give your daughters to their sons in marriage or take their daughters for your sons. ^rNever seek their peace or prosperity, ^sso that you will be strong, eat the good things of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.” ¹³After all that has happened to us because of our evil deeds and terrible guilt—though You, our God, have punished us less than our sins deserve and have allowed us to survive ^tu— ¹⁴should we break Your commands again and intermarry with the peoples who commit these detestable practices? ^vWouldn’t You become so angry with us that You would destroy us, leaving no survivors? ^w15Lord God of Israel, You are righteous, for we survive as a remnant ^xtoday. Here we are before You with our guilt, though no one can stand in Your presence because of this. ^y

Sending Away Foreign Wives

10While Ezra prayed and confessed, weeping and falling facedown ^zbefore the house of God, an extremely large assembly of Israelite men, women, and children gathered around him. The people also wept bitterly. ^a2Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, ^ban Elamite, responded to Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the surrounding peoples, ^cbut there is still hope for Israel in spite of this. ³Let us therefore make a covenant before our God ^dto send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. ^eLet it be done according to the law. ⁴Get up, for this matter is your responsibility, ^fand we support you. Be strong and take action!” ^g

⁵Then Ezra got up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do what had been said; so they took the oath. ^h6Ezra then went from the house of God and walked to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, where he spent the night. ⁱHe did not eat food or drink water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. ^j

⁷They circulated a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should gather at Jerusalem. ⁸Whoever did not come within three days would forfeit all his possessions, ^kaccording to the decision of the leaders and elders, and would be excluded ^lfrom the assembly of the exiles.

⁹So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. On the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people sat in the square at the house of God, ^mtrembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain. ¹⁰Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt. ⁿ¹¹Therefore, make a confession to Yahweh the God of your fathers and do His will. Separate yourselves from the surrounding peoples and your foreign wives.”

¹²Then all the assembly responded with a loud voice: “Yes, we will do as you say! ¹³But there are many people, and it is the rainy season. We don’t have the stamina to stay out in the open. This isn’t something that can be done in a day or two, for we have rebelled terribly in this matter. ¹⁴Let our leaders represent the entire assembly. Then let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each town, in order to avert the fierce anger of our God ^oconcerning ^pthis matter.” ¹⁵Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam ^qand Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.

¹⁶The exiles did what had been proposed. Ezra the priest selected men ^rwho were family leaders, all identified by name, to represent ^stheir ancestral houses. They convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter, ¹⁷and by the first day of the first month they had dealt with all the men who had married foreign women.

Those Married to Foreign Wives

¹⁸The following were found to have married foreign women from the descendants of the priests:

from the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. ¹⁹They pledged ^tto send their wives away, and being guilty, they offered a ram from the flock for their guilt; ^u

²⁰Hanani and Zebadiah from Immer’s ^vdescendants;

²¹Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah from Harim’s ^wdescendants;

²²Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah from Pashhur’s ^xdescendants.

²³The Levites: ^y

Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

²⁴The singers: ^z

Eliashib.

The gatekeepers: ^a

Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

²⁵The Israelites: ^b

Parosh’s descendants: ^cRamiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, ^dand Benaiah;

²⁶Elam’s descendants: ^eMattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah;

²⁷Zattu’s descendants: ^fElioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza;

²⁸Bebai’s descendants: ^gJehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai;

²⁹Bani’s descendants: ^hMeshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth;

³⁰Pahath-moab’s descendants: ⁱAdna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh;

³¹Harim’s descendants: ^jEliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, ³²Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah;

³³Hashum’s descendants: ^kMattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei;

³⁴Bani’s descendants: ^lMaadai, Amram, Uel, ³⁵Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, ³⁶Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, ³⁷Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu, ³⁸Bani, Binnui, Shimei, ³⁹Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, ⁴⁰Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, ⁴¹Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, ⁴²Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph;

⁴³Nebo’s descendants: ^mJeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.

⁴⁴All of these ⁿhad married foreign women, and some of the wives had given birth to children. ^o