Ezra 10:1–15

Reconciliation with God

1 Now awhile Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself bbefore the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly.

2 Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, “aWe have been unfaithful to our God and have 1married foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this.

3 “So now alet us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and 1btheir children, according to the counsel of 2my lord and of cthose who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done daccording to the law.

4 “Arise! For this matter is 1your responsibility, but we will be with you; abe courageous and act.”

5 Then Ezra rose and amade the leading priests, the Levites and all Israel, take oath that they would do according to this 1proposal; so they took the oath.

6 Then Ezra arose from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, bhe did not eat bread nor drink water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

7 They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they should assemble at Jerusalem,

8 and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited and he himself excluded from the assembly of the exiles.

9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, atrembling because of this matter and the heavy rain.

10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel.

11 “Now therefore, amake confession to the Lord God of your fathers and bdo His will; and cseparate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.”

12 Then all the assembly replied with a loud voice, “That’s right! As you have said, so it is 1our duty to do.

13 “But there are many people; it is the rainy season and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor can the task be done in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter.

14 “Let our leaders 1represent the whole assembly and let all those in our cities who have married foreign wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each city, until the afierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us.”

15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah 1opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.