Confession of Improper Marriages

10 Now awhile Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down bbefore the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very cbitterly. 2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, “We have dtrespassed 1against our God, and have taken pagan wives from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this. 3 Now therefore, let us make ea covenant with our God to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master and of those who ftremble at gthe commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the hlaw. 4 Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We also are with you. iBe of good courage, and do it.”

5 Then Ezra arose, and made the leaders of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel jswear an oath that they would do according to this word. So they swore an oath. 6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came there, he kate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned because of the guilt of those from the captivity.

7 And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the descendants of the captivity, that they must gather at Jerusalem, 8 and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the instructions of the leaders and elders, all his property would be confiscated, and he himself would be separated from the assembly of those from the captivity.

9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month; and lall the people sat in the open square of the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of heavy rain. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have 2transgressed and 3have taken pagan wives, adding to the guilt of Israel. 11 Now therefore, mmake confession to the Lord God of your fathers, and do His will; nseparate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the pagan wives.”

12 Then all the assembly answered and said with a loud voice, “Yes! As you have said, so we must do. 13 But there are many people; it is the season for heavy rain, and we are not able to stand outside. Nor is this the work of one or two days, for there are many of us who have transgressed in this matter. 14 Please, let the leaders of our entire assembly stand; and let all those in our cities who have taken pagan wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of their cities, until othe fierce wrath of our God is turned away from us in this matter.” 15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah opposed this, and pMeshullam and Shabbethai the Levite gave them support.

16 Then the descendants of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain qheads of the fathers’ households, were set apart by the fathers’ households, each of them by name; and they sat down on the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter. 17 By the first day of the first month they finished questioning all the men who had taken pagan wives.

Pagan Wives Put Away

18 And among the sons of the priests who had taken pagan wives the following were found of the sons of rJeshua the son of 4Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19 And they sgave their promise that they would put away their wives; and being tguilty, they presented a ram of the flock as their utrespass offering.

20 Also of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah; 21 of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah; 22 of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

23 Also of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (the same is Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

24 Also of the singers: Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

25 And others of Israel: of the vsons of Parosh: Ramiah, Jeziah, Malchiah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah; 26 of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Eliah; 27 of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza; 28 of the wsons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai; 29 of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and 5Ramoth; 30 of the xsons of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh; 31 of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah; 33 of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei; 34 of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, 6Cheluh, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, 7Jaasai, 38 Bani, Binnui, Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, …

Resistance to Rebuilding the Temple

4 Now when athe 1adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the Lord God of Israel, 2 they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers’ houses, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him bsince the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.” 3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel said to them, c“You may do nothing with us to build a 2house for our God; but we alone will build to the Lord God of Israel, as dKing Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.” 4 Then ethe people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building, 5 and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of fDarius king of Persia.

Rebuilding of Jerusalem Opposed

6 In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

7 In the days of gArtaxerxes also, 3Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabel, and the rest of their companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the letter was written in hAramaic script, and translated into the Aramaic language. 8 4Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes in this fashion:

9 5From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions—representatives of ithe Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the people of Persia and Erech and Babylon and 6Shushan, the Dehavites, the Elamites, 10 jand the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnapper took captive and settled in the cities of Samaria and the remainder beyond 7the River—kand 8so forth.

11 (This is a copy of the letter that they sent him)

To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men of the region beyond the River, 9and so forth:

12 Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem, and are building the lrebellious and evil city, and are finishing its mwalls and repairing the foundations. 13 Let it now be known to the king that, if this city is built and the walls completed, they will not pay ntax, tribute, or custom, and the king’s treasury will be diminished. 14 Now because we receive support from the palace, it was not proper for us to see the king’s dishonor; therefore we have sent and informed the king, 15 that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. And you will find in the book of the records and know that this city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, and that they have incited sedition within the city in former times, for which cause this city was destroyed.

16 We inform the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, the result will be that you will have no dominion beyond the River.

17 The king sent an answer:

To Rehum the commander, to Shimshai the scribe, to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and to the remainder beyond the River:

Peace, 1and so forth.

18 The letter which you sent to us has been clearly read before me. 19 And 2I gave the command, and a search has been made, and it was found that this city in former times has revolted against kings, and rebellion and sedition have been fostered in it. 20 There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have oruled over all the region pbeyond the River; and tax, tribute, and custom were paid to them. 21 Now 3give the command to make these men cease, that this city may not be built until the command is given by me.

22 Take heed now that you do not fail to do this. Why should damage increase to the hurt of the kings?

23 Now when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem against the Jews, and by force of arms made them cease. 24 Thus the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem ceased, and it was discontinued until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Restoration of the Temple Resumed

5 Then the prophet aHaggai and bZechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 So cZerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of 1Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and dthe prophets of God were with them, helping them.

3 At the same time eTattenai the governor of the region beyond 2the River and Shethar-Boznai and their companions came to them and spoke thus to them: f“Who has commanded you to build this 3temple and finish this wall?” 4 gThen, accordingly, we told them the names of the men who were constructing this building. 5 But hthe eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, so that they could not make them cease till a report could go to Darius. Then a iwritten …